LEVINE:

Okay, today is December 26 th , 1996 and I am here in the Sienna Center with Annette, Sister Annette Maria Kemps.

KEMPS:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

And also with us today is Sister Immaculata Schmidt, who is the oral historian for the Sienna Center, and this is Janet Levine for the National Park Service. I'm here from Ellis Island in Racine, Wisconsin, and Sister Maria Kemps is ninety at the date of this interview. And she was ten, practically eleven years old when she came to this country from the Netherlands during the time of World War I. Okay, let's begin at the beginning. If you would say again, Sister, your birth date and where you were born in the Netherlands.

KEMP:

Do you want me to give you that now?

LEVINE:

Yes, please.

KEMP:

If you'd ask me a question, I'd know just what order to go in.

LEVINE:

Okay, your birth date.

KEMP:

October 22 nd , 1906.

LEVINE:

And where were you born?

KEMP:

In Uden, North Brabant.

LEVINE:

In the Netherlands.

KEMP:

In the Netherlands, yes. Nederland, we say in Holland.

LEVINE:

Nederland, okay. and you spelled that before and that's ED-E-N in North B-R--B-A-N-T?

KEMP:

North Brabant, yes.

LEVINE:

Yes. Okay.

KEMP:

A-N-T. Schmidt: Did you say E-D-E-N? It's U-D I think.

LEVINE:

Um. Schmidt: UDEN

LEVINE:

Oh, U-D-E-N. Is that the name of the town?

KEMP:

That -- that I was born in?

LEVINE:

Yes.

KEMP:

U -- no, the U-D-E-N.

LEVINE:

Thank you. Okay, U-D-E-N. Now, were you in Uden up until the time you left for America? Did you stay in that particular place?

KEMP:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

Okay. So that's where you grew up, until you were practically eleven years old.

KEMP:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

Okay. Now, what was your mother's name?

KEMP:

Well, in Holland it's Hendrica. Hendrica. Now it's Harriet.

LEVINE:

And her maiden name?

KEMP:

Um, see, what was her maiden name? Drica — I can't think of that then. Schmidt: I think that's in that —

LEVINE:

Oh, in the write up. It's in the material that Sister Immaculata gave me, okay. And — and your father's name?

KEMP:

Ah, Willem. William, but in Holland we said Willem Kemps. Willem Kemps.

LEVINE:

Okay, and did you have grandparents who lived near — near in Uden? Did you have grandparents?

KEMP:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

And both sides or just one side?

KEMP:

Now, let's see. Oh, that's so long ago. My grandparents. Now, what was your question?

LEVINE:

Well, do you remember anything about your grandparents?

KEMP:

Oh, yes.

LEVINE:

From when you were a little girl?

KEMP:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

What are the memories that you still have of your grandparents?

KEMP:

Oh, I wouldn't know.

LEVINE:

Did you — did you spend time with them? Did you ever go some —

KEMP:

Oh, yes. We were very — on very, very friendly terms.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

KEMP:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

Do you remember what your grandmother was like?

KEMP:

Very, very faintly. It's so many years ago.

LEVINE:

Uh-huh.

KEMP:

I really —

LEVINE:

No? Any memory at all about your grandfather or your grandmother?

KEMP:

Uh-hmm. No, I know that we always — always liked to visit them. They were always very friendly and very — they were just to me -- kids really like -- kids like to see their own grandpas and grandmas and all that. Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

Can you describe your family life? You — you had a large number of sisters and brothers.

KEMP:

Uh-hmm.

LEVINE:

What was it — what — what do you remember about life in your family growing up?

KEMP:

Well, we were a very happy family. [intercom in the background]

LEVINE:

Were you a religious family when you were young?

KEMP:

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. My father went to mass and communion every morning. We lived on a farm, but that came first and then to the farm. Yeah, we were a very religious family.

LEVINE:

And what kind of farm was it? What kind of farm?

KEMP:

Farm? Oh, just — of course, I was too — too small to remember all that. But I know we had — . See, in Holland we had a big house and the barn part was part of the house, but there were good strong doors in between. And that seemed to be the custom there. [Above copy is from a preliminary review of the material received.] [Following copy is from the transcription received] EI-832 SISTER ANNETTE KEMPS

BIRTHDATE:

OCTOBER 22, 1906

INTERVIEW DATE:

DECEMBER 26, 1996

AGE AT TIME OF INTERVIEW:

90

RUNNING TIME:

42:53

INTERVIEWER:

JANET LEVINE

RECORDING ENGINEER:

JANET LEVINE

INTERVIEW LOCATION:

SIENNA CENTER, RACINE, WI

TRANSCRIPT PREPARED BY:

TAPESCRIBE

TRANSCRIPT REVIEWED BY:

NETHERLANDS, 1917

AGE:

10

SHIP:

THE RYNDAM

PORT:

RESIDENCES:

[NOTE: Interviewee is very difficult to understand. Unable to verbatim transcribe mumblings, etc.]

LEVINE:

Okay, today is December 26 th , 1996 and I am here in the Sienna Center with Annette, Sister Annette Maria Kemps.

KEMPS:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

And also with us today is Sister Immaculata Schmidt, who is the oral historian for the Sienna Center, and this is Janet Levine for the National Park Service. I'm here from Ellis Island in Racine, Wisconsin, and Sister Maria Kemps is ninety at the date of this interview. And she was ten, practically eleven years old when she came to this country from the Netherlands during the time of World War I. Okay, let's begin at the beginning. If you would say again, Sister, your birth date and where you were born in the Netherlands.

AK:

Do you want me to give you that now?

JL:

Yes, please.

AK:

If you'd ask me a question, I'd know just what order to go in.

JL:

Okay, your birth date.

AK:

October 22 nd , 1906.

JL:

And where were you born?

AK:

In Uden, North Brabant.

JL:

In the Netherlands.

AK:

In the Netherlands, yes.

JL:

Yes, okay.

AK:

North Brabant.

JL:

North Brabant. Okay, and you spelled that before and that's U-D-E-N in North B-R-A-B-A-N-T?

AK:

North Brabant, yes.

JL:

Yes. Okay.

AK:

A-N-T. ??: Didn't you say U-D-E-N? It's U-D I think.

JL:

Oh, U-D-E-N. Is that the name of the town?

AK:

That I was born in?

JL:

Yes.

AK:

No, that's U-D-E-N.

JL:

Thank you. Okay, U-D-E-N. Now, were you in Uden up until the time you left for America? Did you stay in that particular place?

AK:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

Okay. So that's where you grew up, until you were practically eleven years old.

AK:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

Okay. Now, what was your mother's name?

AK:

Well, in Holland it's Hendrica. Hendrica. Now it's Harriet.

JL:

And her maiden name?

AK:

Um, see, what was her maiden name? Drica — I can't think of that now. ??: I think that's in that —

JL:

Oh, in the write up. It's in the material that Sister Immaculata gave me, okay. And — and your father's name?

AK:

Ah, Wilhelm. William, but in Holland we said Wilhelm Kemps. Wilhelm Kemps.

JL:

Okay, and did you have grandparents who lived near — near Uden? Did you have grandparents?

AK:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

And both sides or just one side?

AK:

Now, let's see. Oh, that's so long ago. My grandparents. Now, what was your question?

JL:

Well, do you remember anything about your grandparents?

AK:

Oh, yes.

JL:

From when you were a little girl?

AK:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

What are the memories that you still have of your grandparents?

AK:

Oh, I wouldn't know.

JL:

Did you — did you spend time with them? Did you ever go some —

AK:

Oh, yes. We were very — on very, very friendly terms.

JL:

Uh-huh.

AK:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

Do you remember what your grandmother was like?

AK:

Very, very faintly. It's so many years ago.

JL:

Uh-huh.

AK:

I really —

JL:

No? Any memory at all about your grandfather or your grandmother?

AK:

Uh-hmm. No, I know that we always — always liked to visit them. They were always very friendly and very — they were just to me [unclear] kids like to see their own grandpas and grandmas and all that. Uh-hmm.

JL:

Can you describe your family life? You — you had a large number of sisters and brothers.

AK:

Uh-hmm.

JL:

What was it — what — what do you remember about life in your family growing up?

AK:

Well, we were a very happy family. [intercom in the background]

JL:

Were you a religious family when you were young?

AK:

Oh, yes. Oh, yes. My father went to mass and communion every morning. We lived on a farm, but that came first and then to the farm. Yeah, we were a very religious family.

JL:

And what kind of farm was it? What kind of farm?

AK:

Farm? Oh, just — of course, I was too — too small to remember all that, but I know we had — in Holland we had a big house and the barn part was part of the house, but there were good strong doors in between. And that seemed to be the custom there.