Aunty Grietje, sister to Oma Anna Brom I remember, but then at later stage of life, she had become deaf and her husband Uncle Brammetje took a hosepipe and put a funnel on one end and she would hold the hosepipe against her ear and would whilst we would talk into the hosepipe and thus making it possible for her to hear us.
Those two were so in love with each other, they both passed within a couple of days from each other, I was fortunate to have been with them and at the funeral which turned out to be a party so happy the children were that they both went together.
One of the memories Johan Haster has is: During a conversation per telephone that he had with Aunty Annie Brom-vd Pluijm, he heard his cousin Tieme jr say to his Mom " Speak Dutch with Johan, he can understand it!" Aunty Annie speaks English very well but also Dutch of course. During the conversation Johan told her that he was going to meet some of the Brom family members somewhere in Enkhuizen (Holland), when Tieme jr said" You aren't a Brom" where I could remind him that he was as much a Brom as he was.....Tieme's Father was a Brom and Johan's Mom was a Brom, and then the answer came "Thats true" Johan can still laugh about it.
Johan Haster wrote: He knew Jacob Vet as Uncle Jaap who was a large gardener, and he remembers Auntie Griet, Grandmother Anna Brom-Vries sister, who lived in Scheveningen and had such a beautiful voice and could pitch so high that a glas would break while she was singing.
TIm de Groot remembers :
" I am a grandson of Tijmen Brom and Marretje Brom Geer, a real Brom. My Mother was one of 14 children in the family, and lived on the Rent Meesterslaan in Amstelveen. Of this branch of the family I only have a picture of Henk Brom. Maybe it is because my grandfather was very selective about the family. Nobody was allowed on his property except his children. According to the stories of my Mom, there was always work to be done in and around the house and on the field. I have so many stories and memories from our youth and the weekly visits. Expressions of our family only we would understand. My Mom always said we speak our own language.A number of years ago before my grandfather passed away the house had to be sold and it made way for flats. He had fought this off as long as possible. A beautiful house that he almost completely had built with his own hands and so many memories that was demolished. There is at this moment (2015) only one child left alive. Together they leave behind 50 children and grandchildren. A whole generation is gone. For me that is most precious is that I work now in an office already 47 years in Amstelveen and the office building is standing on the earth that once belonged to my grandfather.
Geurt Brom
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