A Little History

The Japanese invaded Indonesia on January 11, 1942, the Dutch gave way to them surprisingly quickly. The initial idea, among the Indonesians, was to work with the Japanese (who were seen as liberators from the Dutch) yet at the same time strive towards independence. The people of Indonesia did suffer under the Japanese occupation. Starvation was rampant and manual laborers were sent to work on construction projects. The Dutch returned in 1945 to claim back their former colony, with the help of the British. Although they even won back much of the land, the people could not be defeated. By 1949, after much pushing by the United Nations and the United States of America, it was agreed that Indonesia would be independent, except for the territory known as West New Guinea. On December 27, 1949, the United States of Indonesia was founded. Final ties to the Dutch were cut in 1956

 

Our Story

 

Jerry E. Tessensohn & Jenny Mansveld of Dutch citizenship grew up and married in Indonesia. They had four children while in Indonesia. When Indonesia gained its independence, the family was forced to immigrate to the Netherlands. Unfamiliar with the different climate and lifestyle as that of Indonesia, they family applied and received sponsorship to immigrate to the USA. They left the Netherlands with six children, two of which were born while in the Netherlands, to make home in Boston, USA. After much hardship getting acclimated to the lifestyle of Boston , the family relocated to Florida. While in Boston, the family increased to seven children. Florida has been the final destination of the family where another child was born into the family making it a final count of eight children. Today the family contains approx. 60 members.