Who is Sikke?

Sikke Hiemstra is the father of my grandmother Ank Hiemstra (1936-2003) and the grandfather of my mother Ellis de Vries. He is therefore my great-grandfather on my mother’s side. I never knew Sikke since he passed away two years before I was born. I have still gained an impression of what kind of person he was, thanks to his war diary and stories from my family.

Sikke was born in 1905 in the Frisian village of Oudega (W). His mother, Trijntje van Huizen (1878-1931), was a housewife and his father, Jan Hiemstra (1876-1951), was a blacksmith. Sikke was the eldest of his siblings. In total, Sikke had 2 younger brothers and 2 younger sisters. His oldest sister was Tiete Hiemstra (1908-1940), and the youngest sister was Niene Hiemstra (1914-1990). His younger brothers were Fokke Hiemstra (1912-1989) and Andries Hiemstra (1917-2013).

Sikke had a close bond with his family during his youth, which remained strong later in his life. However, his mother died prematurely of breast cancer in 1931. Sikke struggled with this a lot because he was very attached to his mother. Additionally, Sikke was part of a marching band in his youth and played the drums.

In the 1920s and 1930s, Sikke worked as a dairy worker and metalworker. Moreover, he fulfilled his military service several times in the Dutch army. In 1925, 1928, and 1930, he served for a few weeks with the 9th Infantry Regiment. Sikke eventually moved to Hoorn, where he began working for PWN, the water company of the province of North Holland. At PWN, he helped with the installation of water pipes in people’s homes. Due to his career, Sikke primarily saw himself as a simple laborer.

In Hoorn, he met Ymkje de Jong (1908-1989) during a dance evening. They had a relationship, and in February 1930, Sikke married Ymkje. They had four children: their eldest son Jan Hiemstra, their daughter Ank Hiemstra, their son Siep Hiemstra, and their youngest son Cock Hiemstra. Sikke enjoyed spending time with his wife and children, making him a true family man.

Sikke was very social and could talk well with other people. Furthermore, he was loyal to his family and friends, as well as to authority (mainly as a soldier). Sikke had a strong Frisian identity and spoke fluent Frisian (regional language of the Netherlands). He enjoyed visiting his hometown Oudega, as it allowed him to be back in Frisia. Moreover, he was the honorary board member of the Fryske krite (Frisian region) in Hoorn. The Fryske krite is an association primarily concerned with the preservation of the Frisian language and culture outside Frisia. They also organize various cultural activities, such as theater performances or cabarets.

Sikke was also a member of the Dutch Reformed Church (Protestant) and thus often attended church on Sundays. He was the church Sacristan and took care of the practical matters related to the church building. In the early 1930s, he was also a member of the Christian Young Men’s Association Philippus in Hoorn.

In addition, Sikke was very creative. He enjoyed acting and loved cabaret. Sikke loved variety (a theatrical form with amusing speeches, dance, singing, and performances by artists) and also liked giving speeches, mainly in Frisian. Furthermore, Sikke wrote poems, some of which have been preserved. He also enjoyed drawing and painting in his free time. For example, the first page of his war diary contains a self-portrait of him as a soldier. Sikke had a passion for gardening and regularly visited his vegetable garden. Lastly, he liked to make objects, such as candlesticks and letter openers out of copper, as well as furniture like a footstool.