Alphonsa (Fons) Theodora Nagels (nee Willems) left our world peacefully on 17 November 2010 at Tauranga NZ surrounded by family members.
This is the way she would have liked it to be.
Fons was born on Katwjk an der Maas, Netherlands in 1922 into a family of 5 girls.
She lived through tough times, including a depression and the deprivations of WW II.
Notwithstanding that life had its tough moments, Fonsa would always be cheerful.
Fons was particularly pleased of her good fortune to meet 'paap', a strong dutch man with curly hair i.e. Wim Nagels, and oten remarked about this, even her her late years.
She would love this guy forever.
After a brief engagement, she married her 'man for life'' in 1947.
She loved her marriage. This was proven by being together for 63 years.
I think she was infatuated with her man, even when into her 80's.
But in earlier times in the 1950's and 60's, here was a big family. Life became a series of significant experiences.
Leaving Holland, emigrating to New Zealand in 1953-4 with a young family, the demands of farmnig life in the Waikato - Mamtamata, Te Aroha and Morrinsville.
Together with a growing family, moving farms, frequently setting up new house and getting kids to school.
And always church on Sundays.
The big ambition however was always farm ownership.
After many years of ' hard yakka' on sharemilker farms, finally in the early 1960's Wim and Fons bought their farm in Kiwitahi, near Morrinsville.
The farm was continuously improved and a new house and cowshed were built.
It was demanding work that few were able to do, or cope with.
This farm eventually carried 120 cows.
It must have been profitable because we had a swimming pool.
Finally in 1978, Fons and Wim sold the farm to live in Tauranga. 23 Milton Rd.
Fons values were unconditional LOVE of FAMILY, LOVE of all things DUTCH, her husband Wim, home life, socialising and chatting, waking up early to embrace each new day, cycling (feetza), cooking dutch food, forming impressive collections of offbeat, curious, weird and wonderful things.
Fons never learnt about computers. She would never have envisaged herself on the net, nor on Facebook or the like.
Real people interaction was what it was about.
Fons only stopped cycling on her early eighties. She reluctantly admitted she has become 'older now' and was 'slowing down'.
In most recent years, Fons cheerfully continued with a slower daily life in Tauranga, living beside her 'man for life', meeting family and friends, knittiing, sorting photos, listening to talkback radio, watching dutch TV programmes and being dutch once more, plus enjoying her many collections and curios.
The attached photo was taken at our engagement party in 1978.
Fons is on the left, Wim on the extreme right
Written by Peter Nagels
18 November 2010.
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