I was privileged to be able to spend a few years there shortly after it opened.My familie belonged to the Gereformeerde Kerk in Hemelum. However, my mother saw an opportunity to get some relief from raising children, doing the laundry, cooking and cleaning house. She enrolled me in the Roman Catholic "bewaarschool".
When the minister of the Gereformeerde Kerk in Hemelum learned that I had been enrolled in the Roman Catholic "bewaarschool" at the Maria Hof he wasted no time getting on his bicycle and paying my mother a visit in our house on the Havenstraat at the corner of the Middenpaed.
When he finished lecturing her she told him:
"Dominee, if you don't like him going there, you take him".
The minister left. Two of my brothers also attended the kindergarten at Maria Hof subsequently.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to attend Mari Hof. It imbued me with a very tolerant view of the differences in Christianity as practiced by the various denominations.
The newly built Maria Hof featured two rooms for the kindergarten. Also a sewing school that immediately upon opening attracted approximately 60 girls for its classes from many of the surrounding villages some near and some at a distance.
An account of the events leading up to the establishment (Dutch) can be found here:
http://www.xs4all.nl/~everadsl/feestkrant/feestkrant.pdf
