Carpenter.
Born in Holland on 2 August 1917, he learned the trade of carpentry and used his skills during the Second World War to build hiding places in homes for Dutch Jewish citizens and others being sought by the Nazis. He himself was interned for one year in a slave labour camp in Germany for a curfew violation.
With his wife, Henrica (1915-2011), also from Holland and whom he married in 1945, he had four children. He moved his family to Canada in 1954, settling first in Stony Mountain and later in Winnipeg. In both communities, he worked in the carpentry and construction trades. He later started his own construction company and moved to Carnduff, Saskatchewan, where he constructed many homes, buildings, and the new Catholic Church.
In 1969, he returned to Winnipeg and continued in the construction trade until his retirement in 1981. He and his wife spent part of their retirement at Fort St. John, British Columbia, and at Calgary, Alberta. In his retirement, besides becoming an avid and accomplished bowler, he enjoyed working at Sea Fever Farms, Calgary, designing and building horse jumps. He was commissioned to build a horse jump for the Southern Family at Spruce Meadows equestrian show jumping complex. In 2002, he and Rica moved to Kelowna, British Columbia, a home they considered paradise.
He died at Kelowna, British Columbia on 30 March 2005.
Obituary, Winnipeg Free Press, 7 May 2005.
Obituary [Verhappen: Henrica (Rica)], Capital News, 8 December 2011.
This page was prepared by Lois Braun.
Page revised: 11 October 2022
Memorable Manitobans
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