Gonne but Not Forgotten: Celebrating Oma in Ilpendam

Me with my parents in front of Gonner Donkerplein following the ceremony.

The real purpose of my European holiday was actually a very important event for our family. My oma (grandma) was being honored in a ceremony in her hometown of Ilpendam in the Netherlands.

My oma, Hillegonda Donker Zwarensteyn, was a champion speedskater for the Netherlands in the 1930s and known professionally as Gonne Donker. Ilpendam would be naming a town square after her, complete with a statue. I always knew my oma was a speedskater, but rediscovering this side of her in such an impactful way was incredible. Oma passed away in 2005, so it meant a lot that we could be there for her. 

Ilpendam is a short trip from Amsterdam – maybe 20 minutes tops. It was a gorgeous day. The last time I saw Ilpendam was 2008 and our first visit was marked by cold temps and abundant rain. So this time around, I could really get an idea of just how beautiful it is. The whole village came out for this event, along with TV news crews. 

The man who organized it is Andre Klaver, and the sculptor is Rob Cerneus. It was incredible just how welcoming everyone was. They really went all out. Even the mayor spoke! It was so amazing to see Oma get recognized this way, and I know it would have meant the world to her. 

Even though it was a happy day, I started crying as the ceremony began, and it was as if every emotion I had inside me about missing my oma started coming out my eyeballs. It’s been nearly 20 years since she passed, but it never stops hurting. The only thing that helped was to focus on taking pictures and video.

I took some time by myself after the ceremony to get out my tears and compose myself before it was time to meet at the town restaurant for dinner. 

We had a great dinner at Het Wapen van Ilpendam – I’m pretty sure it’s the only restaurant in the village. While the meal was great, the dessert was practically life-changing. I ordered cinnamon ice cream, expecting just some ice cream in a bowl. Nope. It was a full-on display: the ice cream was accompanied by sugared bread and whipped cream. Seriously, one of THE best desserts I’ve ever had. 

After an amazing day, it was time to make our way back to Amsterdam for the night. This was also my last full day in Europe. The following day, I returned home to Los Angeles. What a finale to this incredible trip. 

Oma, I miss you every day.

And to anyone reading this, let me know if you check out Gonne Donkerplein in The Netherlands. Thanks for reading this extra-personal blog entry.