Born in this Life on 30 August 1923, and departed 30 August 2019Martha's Story
It is with great delight that Martha would like to announce that, after 96 years, she is on her way to an interview with St Peter.Born in Rotterdam in 1923, Martha was the eldest of seven children born to Johannes and Agnes Bijl.
When Martha was 16, her early adult years were impacted by the Great Depression, the onset of WWII, and a survivor of the bombing of Rotterdam and the Nazi occupation of Holland.
In 1948 Martha married Johannes Cornelius Mathheus (Jan) van Zinnen (1921 - 2010).The deprivations of war and subsequent Russian expansion when the communists invaded Hungary, helped make the decision for Martha and Jan to immigrate to Australia with their three daughters.
Martha orchestrated the move to Australia to safeguard her family (and aren't her daughters grateful for our parents courage). Jan did get an Austin A70 as a reward!
In 1957 the family arrived in Sydney on the Waterman and lived in two migrant hostels before building and settling in Unanderra where their fourth daughter was born.Martha was a housewife and homemaker for most of her married life.
Martha was a highly skilled seamstress and dressmaker and this training was manifest in every conceivable soft furnishing within the home.
These interests led her to enroll in an Art Certificate course at Dapto Technical College and she was soon dabbling in painting, glass blowing, jewelry and lead light making.
Martha especially enjoyed her days at the Turning Wheel, a craft cooperative where her goods were sold.Martha had four children and two grandchildren: Elizabeth (1949 - 2015), Veronica, Marianne, Frances, Rachel and Charlotte.
Marta is survived by two sisters, Marijke and Annie and brother Gerard.