Hendrika Berendina van der Horst Obituary

Hendrika Berendina van der Horst

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 am 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.rom 10 am 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.