Obituary of Johanna Hilje Eisses
The life of the girl that was born Johanna Hilje van der Ploeg in Friesland, The Netherlands in August 1943 has come to pass. A quiet and introspective child, her family called her “konijntje” (little rabbit) for eating slow and being the last to finish, a trait she continued in throughout her life and later companionably shared with her son, Steven. Her wooden shoes carried her around the lanes of Oosterwolde and in winter, when the snow built up on the bottoms of them, gained her added stature as well. She may or may not have been involved in burning down some woods.
Johanna and her family immigrated to Ontario, Canada in 1956. And from there they moved to Nictaux, Nova Scotia. Johanna attended high school in Middleton, where she was a member of the Glee Club and developed a passion for the music of Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Hank Snow and anyone else who could yodel.
Johanna met Marten Eisses at a young peoples’ rally in PEI in 1961. They later exchanged letters while he was in British Columbia, and she was studying nursing in Halifax. Their courtship brought marriage and settling in the Annapolis Valley to dairy farm. Johanna worked as an RN at the BFM Hospital in Kentville until the arrival of their first child, Andrea, followed by Steven, Kelvin and Cora-Lee. Her approach to raising children could be described as free range with concern and love. Three of her siblings, Hilda, Arlene and John, also raised families in the Valley while her brother Albert settled back in Ontario. With most of the Eisses clan farming in the Valley or nearby Truro, birthday parties and get-to-togethers were family affairs.
Life on the farm was life on a farm. Johanna took care of the kids and kept the house clean of the inevitable dirt that tracked in. She did what needed to be done, and despite her petite size was known to take on challenges such as dispatching an unwanted groundhog that suddenly appeared on the deck. Having learned pattern making and meticulous sewing skills at the “Huishoudschool”, she also made lots of clothes for the family and enjoyed creative thriftiness, like remaking her wedding dress into a christening gown for her children. All this was done with an eye to perfection, a characteristic inherited from her father, Folkert.
Frenchy’s, yard sales and antique shops were a boundless source of pleasure - the thrill of the hunt for wonderful things! She also found great joy in flowers and cats. There was always a cat in her life, and often more than one, with some suggesting she saved the best for last - Noodles, a doubled-pawed ginger tabby girl.
Johanna was not all flowers, cats and pretty things. Despite not practicing nursing again beyond fixing up her farm accident prone children, she maintained a keen interest in health, at first through her encyclopedias and “Canadian Nurse” magazines and then through health websites. She also enjoyed doing puzzles and brain teasers with her sharp mind, held her own in volleyball and sjoelen, and knitted endless lovely socks to keep her forever cold feet warm.
Travel and adventure were part of her life in the earlier years, with many summer family camping trips through PEI, Ontario and the US; and then a return visit to the Netherlands and a trip to Estonia in 1992. One of her favourite adventures was travelling to Nunavut to visit her sons during Toonik Tyme in 2000, which included a freezing skidoo ride across the Arctic Circle in majestic Auyuittuq National Park.
Johanna loved the in-laws that her children chose. She enjoyed the witty commentary of Mark (Andrea’s husband), the feasts made by George (Cora-Lee’s husband), and the curly haircuts from Aleja (Kelvin’s wife). Sadly, the deaths of Mark and George have already come to pass. Johanna maintained her faith in God throughout her life and was a long-time member of the New Covenant Community Church.
Johanna was stubborn, resilient and self-sufficient. Her favourite and oft-cited expression was “Ik kan het self doen” (I can do it myself!) - something her mother, Cornelia, said she started saying already when she was two years old. Cancer and later a broken hip met head on with this stubbornness and though they slowed her down did not prevent her from enjoying life, and nor did anything else up until her passing from a stroke in March 2025 at the age of 81. She, and all that she brought to this world, will be remembered fondly by her husband, children and all who knew her.
All are welcome to join us in a celebration of Mom’s life on April 13 at 2:00 PM at the New Covenant Community Church, 6424 Hwy 1, Cambridge. A private burial will be held for extended family on April 12 at 1:00 PM at the Lakeview Cemetery 6929 Hwy 221, Lakeville with reception to follow at the Serenity Funeral Home, 34 Coldbrook Village Park Drive, Coldbrook.
