A Legacy of Loss: The Hardships of My Great-Great-Grandmother Trijntje Jans Boumans

In the late 1800s, my Great-Great-Grandmother, Trijntje Jans Boumans, endured a series of heartbreaking losses that are all too common for families of that time. Trijntje had eight children, but only four would survive into adulthood.

In 1885, her baby boy, Wiebe Gerrits Haringsma, passed away at just five months old. He was her first child. A tragedy, yes, but she wouldn’t see losses for a decade after that. Perhaps she thought herself lucky, she had escaped a fate many women didn’t - the loss of multiple children.

Impoverished children looking through a window, the Netherlands 1936. SOURCE: Wikimedia.

But then in 1896, Trijntje’s husband, Gerrit, died unexpectedly at the young age of 46, leaving her alone to raise their remaining seven children. Tragically, the losses didn’t stop there. In 1900, 10-year-old daughter Ieke died, leaving behind a twin brother. A few years later, in 1903, Andries, another son, passed away at just 11 years old. Finally, in 1915, her barely 18-year-old daughter, Gerritje, died, marking the fourth child Trijntje lost.

This tragic pattern of death was all too common during this era, when only half of children survived to the age of 20. While we can’t know for certain what caused these deaths, since The Netherlands did not record causes of death in their civil records at the time, we can guess. Diseases, infections, malnutrition, poor hygiene, and unsanitary living conditions all contributed to the high mortality rate. To make matters worse, the area where Trijntje lived, rural Friesland, was plagued by widespread poverty. Many of the families there were poor agricultural laborers or small tenant farmers, struggling to make ends meet.

Young boys doing farmwork in the Netherlands. SOURCE: Wikimedia.

Reading Trijntje’s story makes me pause and reflect on how far we’ve come. It’s easy to get lost in the constant stream of negativity and fear that dominates social media, but moments like these remind me of just how much we have to be grateful for today. Our living conditions, healthcare, and opportunities are worlds apart from what families like Trijntje’s endured.

So, as you go about your day, take a moment to appreciate the improvements in our world. Let’s honor the resilience of those who came before us and be mindful of the blessings we often take for granted.