Maryboro Lodge Personality: Harry Van Oudenaren

Hendrikus “Drikus” (Harry) van Oudenaren was born in Holland in 1924. Raised by his older siblings, he was practically an orphan and trained to be a machinist as a teenager. When he was 16, his country was invaded by the Germans. When he turned 18, he was required to go to a compulsory labour camp. Often hungry, he survived having the camp bombed by the American Air Force, then was liberated when his guards fled before the advancing Russians would have captured them. He made his way home across Germany, encountering the naked survivors of a concentration camp en route. His experience of living through the war persuaded him to leave Europe: “I had made a commitment to myself that if there was ever another war, I would be on the opposite side of the world.” 

Harry arrived in Bobcaygeon on Thanksgiving Day, 1950, to work at Cecil Pogue’s garage, knowing only one line of English: “Good day sir, nice to meet you.” A neighbour from Holland had told him that Canadians would have a hard time pronouncing his name. He was eager to fit in, so he became Harry. Though he knew little English at first, Harry committed to speaking English even at home, and soon became fluent. He joined Trinity United Church, made many friends and remembered the stories that people told him. His neighbour, Dorothe Comber, shared his interest in Bobcaygeon—they both enjoyed learning about the village’s history. As he fixed people’s cars, Harry became a keeper of his community’s heritage.

In 1975, Harry began to collect historical postcards. Within a year, he had amassed enough images that he was able to give a slideshow at Trinity to celebrate the village’s anniversary. As he gave more presentations, people would share their photographs with him, and Dorothe left him her collection when she passed away. Often hearing that he should publish a book, in 1992, he released Bobcaygeon: A Picture Book of Memories. For decades, Harry van Oudenaren developed a reputation as the man who did more than anyone else to keep the history of Bobcaygeon alive. Because of Harry’s countless hours of labour, the community has a significant pictorial record, which now resides at Kawartha Settlers Village.

Bobcaygeon celebrated its 150th Anniversary on Saturday, June 13. Much of the history that was shared was made possible by Harry’s devotion to his adoptive community.