Cuba - Hendrika Berendina van der Horst passed away on
Saturday, March 3, 2018 at the Cuba Skilled Nursing Facility at age 95. She was born August 18, 1922 in Arnhem, the
Netherlands to Gerard and Joanna Smitskamp Boudewijn. She grew up in Baarn, the Netherlands. Henny graduated from Baarn’s Lyceum and
continued her education in international business and languages in
Utrecht. She was employed at the
Providentia Insurance Company in Amsterdam.
During her time with this company, she met Miep Gies, Otto Frank’s
secretary, and regularly used her lunch hour to secretly provide food to be
passed along to those in hiding during the Nazi occupation of Holland. Only after the War and the publication of the
Anne Frank Diary did Henny realize the food she supplied had helped sustain the
Franks and others hidden in the secret annex of Mr. Frank’s business. For over 20 years, Henny gave talks at local
schools and organizations about World War II and her connections with the Frank
family.
Henny met Kuno van der horst, her future husband, in 1939
while they were in school. They married
in Hilversum in 1945. In November 1946,
the new family emigrated to the United States, resided in Portville until 1952,
and then moved to Terrell, Texas where her husband started a new division of
the van der Horst Corporation. Her
husband Kuno passed away in 1968.
In 1972, Henny moved back to Cuba Lake and built a home at
240 West Shore Road. Henny was very
involved in the Cuba Community as a member of the Presbyterian Church, past
president of the Cuba Library Board, Current Topic Club, Cuba Memorial Hospital
Auxiliary, and a charter member of the Cuba Lake Yacht Club. She was predeceased by her husband, Kuno, and
two brothers, Cornelis and Gerard Boudewijn.
She is survived by her five children, Karen (Dennis) Storms of York, PA,
Marjanne (Michael) Kunz of Cuba, Hendrik (Susan) van der Horst of Cuba, Robert
van der Horst of Cuba, and Gerard (Christine) van der Horst of Myrtle Beach,
SC, a sister-in-law, Dolly Boudewijn of Texas and eight nieces and
nephews. Her 16 grandchildren are
Maureen Padgett, Katherine Duckworth, Cynthia Gowiski, Cale Ungermann, Megan
van der Horst, Morgan van der Horst, Jessica Huff, Kelly van der Horst Shue,
Thomas van der Horst, William van der Horst, Jennifer Ulsh, Rebecca Watts,
Sharon Harrington, Mary Elizabeth van der Horst, Richard van der Horst and
Terese van der Horst. She is also
survived by 23 great grandchildren.
Arrangements are entrusted to the Mark Rinker Funeral Home,
Bull Street in Cuba. Visitation will be
held at the Rinker Funeral Home on Saturday, March 10, from 10 a.m. to noon
with the funeral to follow immediately.
Senior Pastor Jon Ward of the North Park Wesleyan Church will
officiate. Memorials if desired may be
made to Cuba Circulating Library, 39 E. Main Street, Cuba, NY or the Cuba
Memorial Hospital Elder Sundeck Fund, 140 West Main Street, Cuba, NY.
