Adriana Spinder-Terpstra

19 I Family Arrival

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I arrived in Denver on June 22. 19 with my parents Harold and Hilda Terpstra and youngest brother Isaak.
We came by tram from N.York after a sea voyage on a ship of the Holland America Line from Friesland and the Netherlands.
Arrangements had been made with Bethesda Sanatorium (as they owned a bus) that we should call them to pick us up and bring us to my sister and brother-in-law's home John Bandsma. They lived on a dry farm located on E Quiney Ave about 4 1/2 or 2 miles east of University Blvd.
As my parents spoke very little English, I was assigned to do the calling. I was nervous as I had not spoken English on a phone for 5 years.
I spoke with the then Miss De Boer later Mrs. Dr. George

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who was head nurse at the San.
after telling her we came from the old country, she no longer thought it strange we would arrive on Sunday.
While waiting for the bus we took turns sight seeing and guarding our bagage.
The building on 17th St. sure looked tall to us coming from a small village in Friesland.
The change of the dry prarie landscape did not compare favorable to the fields of lush grass and growing crops in the Netherlands.
The next day Rev. van Dellen send word asking me to come to live with them as maid, which I accepted. in a few days I was with them, on the narrow gage railroad to Buffalo Calo, for the summer. I was in awe of the Mountains

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as Mrs Ven was a former T.B. patient, who came to America all by herself in her early 20 ties as a sick young woman engaged to student v. Dellen who had one more year of study before becoming a candidate for the ministry.
Mrs. V. settled in Maxwell N.Mexico where there was a small settlement of Dutch people mostly young, all fighting the dreaded disease.
Somehow they did not prosper there. Some moved to Denver some to Eastern States. The Ven's went to Denver.
When we came, the 1st church had been remodeled and enlarged. I remember it being about 2/3 occupied that first Sunday.
we also had communion and as they were allready using the individual cups here which was a rather hot issue at the time

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and our ministers in Friesland being very strongly opposed too them I partook with mixed feelings.
at that time there was a horse barn in the rear of the church, a few people came with horse & buggy as most members lived close to church many on Lo Emersson. Dutchman Blvd. I believe my husband and I were the last ones to use the barn .
What a change from low Netherlands to the Mtns in America!
As this was our second time to emigrate to America I had a limited knowledge of the English language, no Bible English, 5th grade. There were a few other Dutch families residing there in Buffalo, one was from Ill, Meter by name, but very few young people
needless to say, I missed my friends, and spend many lonely days there. Rev. & Mrs tried very hard to help me see the beauty

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of the Mtns area, I was in awe of it all, but still lonely, and read an awfull lot, during that time.
In Sept most people left, it was getting chilly, so we packed and came to the parsonage bay, that time Rev & Mrs had endeared themself to me, acting as if they were my foster parents.
A whole new world opened to me, such as the Telephone, vacuum sweeper and icebox to name a few. I became chief cook. sometimes burning the toast forgetting the rice in the soup etc.
We had a waterpower washmachine. as many homes were being built and occupied in our area the water pressure became less and less the machine stopping many time, it tried my patience, of which I did not posses too large an amount