A very respected adopted friend is no more..Joop Kroesen RIP.

Last week he died, almost 82. He was the first adoptee I ever heard of. Well, we didn't use the word adopted at that time, in the 1930's no one knew that word yet. We called it 'accepted'. Some 80 years ago a little Indonesian boy lost his parents and was raised by a family ( I don't know if there was a relationship). I wasn't born yet, my parents not even married when this happened. Broken families, women being pregnant before marriage, divorces, it was something out of the common. Specially in a small town in the country, I think at that time there were some 3000 inhabitants or less, so everybody knew everything about everybody. Accepting this child and taking care of it was one thing. What else was different? Well, these people were Gypsies, there home had 4 wheels and was moved by a horse. They were collecting patato pealings (to feed their pigs), old clothes and old metals . I believe they were sharpening knives and scissors as well. And this little boy of theirs came along. The next 20 years or so they gained respect and friendship from all inhabitants, they were honest and friendly and managed to have their own home after some time. In his early 20's this boy got married (I'm not sure if she was a gypsy-girl cos she had a Dutch name). About that time my parents were married as well and I was born. Not much later little Gypsy kidds were born as well. I grew up with them and they became my best friends. When they enrolled at school they started to use their original family name. They were well knows as the 'Verstappen family' so we had to get used to the 'new' Kroesen name. They had their junkyard in the middle of town and whenever you needed some piece a pipe or an old wheel to repair your bike, it was found over there. It really became a family busyness and they did very well. Their home had no more wheels but a foundation, they had motorized transportation and even had several cars !! They made a living of stuff that was thrown away by others and they became one of the most respected families in my hometown. And that was because they had a heart, compassion, love and respect for others. Nobody was envious or jealous at them, no, on the contrary !!! Both the old Gypsy parents and now their accepted son are gone, but I will always remember them as one of the nicest people I ever met and I hope ( I'm pretty sure) that their grandchildren will follow their steps and remain the nice people they always were.

Joop Kroesen ( Verstappen)
Knight of Orange Nassau !!
Rest in peace.