Pieter C. Van
de Kamer
Pieter C. Van de Kamer's
funeral took place last Thursday afternoon from his home at Lynedoch
to Evergreen Cemetery, under Masonic auspices. He is survived by a
wife and four children -- two sons and two daughters.
Mr. Van de Kamer was born on
30 Jun 1867 in Middleburg, Holland. He died on Queen Victoria's
birthday.
When 19 he left Holland for
the Island of Sumaira, and was employed by the Dutch East India
Tobacco Company as superintendent of a tobacco plantation of 2,000
acres.
As such he had charge of
over 2,000 Chinese and Malay laborers. Each year he supervised the
care and reaping of from 800 to 1,000 acres of tobacco.
He retired from the company
after 14 years and his services were rewarded on his retirement with
a handsome life pension.
Mr. Van de Kamer then
undertook a voyage around the world and on his travels visited
Norfolk County. He was struck with the possibilities of growing
tobacco in this county.
During the war he was in the
employ of the Dutch Government and on leaving his native
country to settle in Canada he was decorated by the government.
He landed at St. John's, 23
Mar 1920 and came directly to Lynedoch, where he had since lived. He
joined the A. F. and A. M. when 21 years old in Arnhem, Sumatra.
Highly educated, he spoke
four languages with fluency: English, German, French and Dutch. He
was also conversant with the Malay and Chinese tongues.
