It is with a heavy heart that we said good-bye to our wonderful husband, brother, father, and grandfather Johannes Petrus Smit on the evening of April 8, 2015. He spent 85 beautiful years on this earth with his family and friends.John was born on January 23, 1930, a cold blustery day in the Beemster, Netherlands. His family lived on a 5-hectare dairy farm where he learned how to work with cows and agriculture alongside his brothers, Pete, Nico, Paul and Laus. In the winters, he ice skated with his sisters Riet, Sjaan and Alida to school on the canals and in the summers he biked and played soccer with his friends after work. He also competed in couples ice skating competition with his sister Alida. At 17, he won a race across a muddy field to win a bicycle of his dreams. In his adult life, John played soccer in a men’s group and took up golf in his later years. In January 2015, he won his last golf tournament.
John was only nine when World War II began and his family was part of the Dutch underground movement. They hid soldiers under the parlor floor, capture goods in the middle of the night that had been air dropped by British planes, and smuggled weapons and ammunition in loaded milk cans across town. He witnessed the Germans soldiers committing brutal acts on Jewish people. Food was lean and work was hard during those years. John never forgot them and would share his stories in hope that people would continue to remember how to treat others respectfully, despite differences in religion.
After the war, John attended Landbouw School, an agriculture college in Holland. He had an internship that allowed him to travel by bike across Holland and work in the providence of Gelderland. He brought his wife and children back to revisit this region in 2003 as a gift to us.
In 1956, with no land to begin his own dairy farm, John immigrated to California. He landed on a train platform in Delano, California with 2 suitcases, $32.00 and not knowing a lick of English. He worked with the Russell family for a year before migrating up to Northern California to work on dairies with other Dutch owners. Quirina Van Warmedam saw this dashing young man and introduced him to a shy young gal named Clazien deGroot. They got married on August 8th, 1959. Soon afterwards, 7 children came along: Alida, Johannes III, Rosemary, Cornelius, Roy, Steven and Paul.
John finally achieved his dream and purchased a 160-acre ranch in Linden, California in 1969. He moved his family from Manteca and has lived there ever since. After selling the dairy, he thought of growing apples. “All you have to do is plant a tree, grow the apples and sell them!” he said. Little did he realize this new endeavor would take him to new adventures. John and Clazien continue to sell their organic fruit at farmer’s markets and stores around Northern California.
He leaves behind his lovely wife of 55 years, Clazien, his children and their families, his sisters and brothers in Canada and Holland and many friends. Mass of the Christian burial will be held on Monday, April 13th at 10:00 a.m. We will celebrate his life at Saint Joachim’s Church, burial at Lodi Memorial Park and Cemetery and then at the Smit Ranch in Linden, California. If you wish to send flowers, please send them to Saint Joachim Catholic Church, 13392 Lockeford Ranch Drive, Lockeford, CA.
Please add your condolences in the comments below.
VISITATION Private by family SERVICES St. Joachim Catholic Church, 13392 E. Lockeford Ranch Rd. Lockeford,CA 95237 INTERMENT
Lodi Memorial Cemetery
5750 E. Pine St, Lodi, CA