Family celebrates Laurens Groeneveld’s 100th

Laurens Groeneveld officially celebrated his 100th birthday on Monday.

However, the big day was preceded by a family party at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church on Saturday and a celebratory morning tea after Sunday’s St Stephen’s service.

Mr Groeneveld is a well known Narrabri resident who emigrated with his family from Holland.

Mr Groeneveld and his wife Paula and eight children arrived at Sydney airport from Dordrecht, Holland, in October 1967.

“When we embarked in Holland it was sleeting and when we arrived it was a lovely warm sunny day in Sydney,” said his daughter Laurina Thompson.

“By midnight that day we had arrived in Walgett.

“We came to Walgett because my mother’s brother, Peter Schoonen, lived here and sponsored the family,” Laurina said.

“It was an adventure for us children -Marian, Hans, Peter, Annemieke, Paul, Laurina, Leontine and Anton, 8. Anton was the youngest and Marian was 20.”

Laurens had grown up in rural Holland, where his father worked on a dairy farm.

“In later years Dad said coming to Australia was the best thing he had ever done,” Laurina said.

In Walgett Mr Groeneveld ultimately joined Namoi Valley County Council’s finance department. He had been a senior accountant in Holland.

“In the interim before he joined the NVCC he worked ‘stick picking’ on a property and as a handyman,” said Laurina.

“The decision to come to Australia was really taken because the three older children had wanted to come to Australia and Mum didn’t want the family to be broken up.

“And they realised there were better opportunities for the whole family.

“Dad had relocated to the NVCC in Narrabri and we arrived in March 1971 after the floods.”

Mr Groeneveld worked with the NVCC until his retirement in 1985. His wife Paula passed away in 1978.

Mr Groeneveld and the boys built the family home at Narrabri. Later, he even built a swimming pool, 12.5 metres by five metres and two metres deep, digging it himself.

“He enjoys projects – he even built a 30 metre tower just as an observation platform to see the countryside better,” said Laurina.

The family has grown. Nowadays the children are scattered – Laurina and Anton live in Narrabri, the others across NSW.

The Groenevelds had left Holland with some regret at leaving their family members, particularly grandparents, but a better life beckoned in Australia.

And Laurens and Paula had endured the German occupation with Laurens as a Prisoner Of War in Germany.

“We believe that the hardships of those POW years are part of the reason for his healthy longevity, that and his deep Christian faith,” said Laurina.

“And in later years he was always very aware of eating well and keeping active. He was walking three kilometres a day even at 98.

“He is very independent, very computer savvy and does his own tax and accounts and even bakes his own bread.”

On Saturday, a gathering of about 60 including 18 great grandchildren, 15 grandchildren and eight children and their spouses, and his niece, got together at St Stephen’s Presbyterian Church Hall for a celebration birthday party.

Mr Groeneveld’s son-in- law Ian Thompson said a few words and Anton Groeneveld presented the congratulatory letters from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, the Governor General David Hurley, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Member for Parkes Mark Coulton plus many cards from well wishers.

“Dad said it was the most cards he had ever received at a birthday,’” said Laurina.

On Sunday morning after the St Stephen’s service, Mr Groeneveld’s family also gathered for a celebration morning tea.

The family choir sang Siyahamba a South African hymn, the title means “We Are Marching” or “We are Walking” in the Zulu language, and Mr Groeneveld’s favourite hymn, How Great Thou Art.

Rev. Terry Sadler and John Westendorp presented speeches offering their congratulations to Mr Groeneveld on his 100th at the morning tea.