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Note: FROM THE SIBLINGS:
Sena Van Polen and Clarence Van Til were married at the home of one of Sena's cousins in Denver, Colorado on April 6, 1917. Sena had become a US citizen when her father acquired citizenship, but lost her citizenship when she married Clarence Van Till because he was not a citizen. Dad came to the United States in 1903 at the age of 11. He had no formal education after 8 grades of schooling, but was self taught and enjoyed reading. He read to us as children. He was a carpenter in Michigan, Colorado, and California and a farmer when carpenter work was not available. He became a US citizen in December 1931, shortly before moving from Oakland, CA to Escalon, CA. When he became a citizen he added another "l" to his name. (Formerly Van Til) Sena later regained her citizenship by following the normal procedure circa January 1933.
What stands out in our memories are the times when our parents reached out to a few less fortunate friends with their help. It's not that our parents were wealthy; they were of moderate means. We have to remember the years of the Great Depression of the 1930s and its effect on everyone's life, followed in the 1940s by WWII and its effects long into the 1950s and beyond.
The first family came to us in 1938. It was a family with three children, a mother with health problems, and a father who was struggling to keep his family fed and cltohed. We three girls were all still at home, and it was the year that our brother, Howard, was to be born. When it appeared that this was going to be a long-term "visit" and our home was hardly large enough for double the number of occupants, the folks arranged for other housing for them and eventually work for the father. Quite likely the church became involved for a time also. At any rate, the impression we girls were given is that our parnts did this willingly and lovingly. It had been friendship that began in Colorado in the Bethesda Hospital days' experiences, ant that was renewed in the late 1930s.
After the war there were at least three Dutch immigrant families that our parents helped to resettle in the Ripon area. By this time we girls were out of the family home, though Howard still lived at home. Sena's hobbies were reading, sewing, chocheting, games, and traveling (particularly after retirement).
Gertrude Van Til Hekman: "I remember my mother as a good seamstress. In good times she made our new clothes, and in the depression she did a great job of "making over" hand-me-downs which we were proud to wear."
Shirley Hekman Vander Wal: "I remember Grandma Van Till in the 50s and 60s taking home grocery bags full of socks that needed darning and returning them neatly darned."
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