"Uppiginta ruchi illa, tayiginta bhanduvilla"
"There's no taste better than salt and no relative closer than your Mother"
Her husband
Mother is married with Petrus Vancompernolle.
Father is born in Torhout, on August 10th, 1914. He's the son of late Camiel Vancompernolle (16/02/1881 - 19/11/1959) and late Adriona Hoverbeke (10/05/1891 - 29/11/1970).
The civil marriage took place September 30th, 1949. The ecclesiastical marriage (church) took place one day later, October 1st, 1949.
Mother was aged 21 when she married, Father was aged 35. A difference of 14 years, something which was not that unusual those days (my Mother's father and mother were differed 13 years, my Father's mother and father 9 years).
In the morning on the day of the wedding, Father was still very busy working on the field. Late in the evening (19h30), my parents married in the church of Aartrijke (close to Torhout).
They lived one and a half year with the aunt of my Father, aunt Julie. She was at the same time also the grandmother of my mother. So, my Mother and Father were family in the 5th degree. See picture below:
My Mother was helping on the small farm (size: 3 cows) of aunt Julie. Whenever possible, my Father helped too after his normal day task.
In 1951 they left Torhout and came to Wijnendale, a very small village next to Torhout. At that time, Wijnendale was part of Ichtegem, another city nearby. So, officially it was Wijnendale-Ichtegem.
They bought a house and two pieces of land, which they both have used to grow vegetables for the big family. This was in the Smissestraat, number 13. Currently, it's Smissestraat 98 and since the general fusion of 1976 it also became part of Torhout (so, it's now officially Wijnendale-Torhout).
When they were completely living on their own, my Father worked the first winter with Henri Vancouillie, a guy who was placing pipes to drain the water from the lands of the farmers. At that time, it was still hard labour.
Father was very handy with the spade. He had to work as the last person, when creating the ditches. This to flatten the bottom of the ditches and to make sure the inclination of the bottom was correct (to drain the water). It was an art on its own...
After the winter was gone, my Father changed profession. He went working with an employer, Valère Kemel, a merchant in animal feed from Torhout. For 12 years, my Father drove horses to carrie the stuff to the farmers. At that time, trucks and cars were still rare and using horses to do the job was an everyday usage. My Father loved (and still loves) those animals a lot. Like tigers are my favourite animals, horses were (and still are) his favourite animals. These are noble creatures, always know to loyally serve mankind for the hard labour.
Also longer trips were on the agenda, for instance to get fertilizers from the chemical factory UCB of Zandvoorde. That was more than a day trip long...
Only later, in 1962 (the year I was born), the first truck was put into use. My Father had never driven a car, let alone a truck. Finally, the truck (an English Bedford) completely took over the horses.
Father has served his boss until september 1974.
I remember vividly the holidays I spent with my Father in "de camion". Hot summers, ice cold winters (a heating system was not a "standard option" at that time...). A memorable period you can't think of anymore nowadays...
Later on, my Father changed his job for a better played one, also a merchant in animal feed: Ingelbrecht from Aartrijke.. A choice which he regrets until date. But because of that (by that time, my Father was aged 60), he could go on an early retirement. At that time, we note down the year 1975.
So, Father has been so lucky to be with my Mother for another 31 years, after his retirement. Almost half a normal life...
My parents also had animals themselves. I know about chickens and pigs, but that's my utmost remembrance. Also rabbits (later on) they've raised (quite intensive even). Also a lot of food for those animals was grown on their land (rabbit food).
Father told me recently he built "het kiekenkot" (chicken run), but that was certainly long before my time (long before I was even born...).
I have known there was a chicken run with a high fence and a high entrance door. The place where the coals were stored remained the same until today. That was next to the high fence of the chicken run.
Later on, the chicken run had to make place for the garage my Father built. That was 1969, the year he bought his first car (an Opel Kadett). He needed shelter for that car, so he built the garage.
I've known my Father and my Mother for years working together on the field. All in the interest of their children. Growing potatoes, peas, beans, spinach, carrots,... to much to mention all of them.
And this all next to their daily full time job they already had. So, time for holidays wasn't available and I've never know my parents to go on holidays either. They went very occasionally for an afternoon to the sea or the cycling races (I have a brother who has been a cyclist long time ago). That was their "entertainment"
Little by little, Wijnendale started to change. It started with the disappearance of the meadow next to their house. This meadow has been used for a couple of years by merchants who grew vegetables on it. By that time, we still had a magnificent view on "de grote baan", a big road passing at about 3 km from our house.
Later on (1980), a house has been build. Because of that, we lost our scenery forever...
On the other site of the street, there was a farm. There was a fence made out of concrete plates. After those plates, there was also a meadow. There was also a very nice, old nut tree.
However, when the farmer (= owner) died, the farm has been sold and the whole ground (a few hectares) has been parceled out. It doesn't look by far anymore to what it has been looking. Even the old nut tree didn't survive the destruction of the area...
Wijnendale was changing. In a rapid speed even. A village which has been saved for decades from the material progression, finally had to admit to the modern times and nostalgia was defeated
There's currently a whole new district in front of our parental house. The old charms are gone forever and will never come back anymore...