Martha Van Vossen Jansen passed away the morning of March 28th with her daughters by her side. Although it still doesn’t feel long enough, she blessed this earth for 94 years.
Martha Van Vossen was born January 19, 1927 in Sint-Annaland, Netherlands. She was the daughter of Cornelis Van Vossen and Pieternella De Haan, and the sister of 14 brothers and sisters.
Martha was the 7th of 15 children. From a young age Martha showed a strong work ethic. As a child she would help her family by going door to door selling kerosene. By the 4th grade, Martha stopped going to school altogether so she could continue to help her family. She continued helping support her family even through the Nazi Occupation of the Netherlands by working for a Dentist in a nearby village.
Following the end of the war, Martha met Willem B. H. Jansen at The Hague. After six years together, Martha and Willem married on December 21, 1950. That same day, they boarded a boat and made their way to America.
After arriving in America, she learned to read and write English and obtained her citizenship. To help support her family, she raised her daughters and cleaned houses for a living. For anyone who knew Martha, you knew that she kept a tight ship when it came to keeping the home spotless.
Martha loved Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas time, and taking her family to Chuck-a-rama for Easter. She enjoyed playing the slots in Wendover and Mesquite. One of her favorite times was when she got her underaged grandchildren to play the slots with her. Her favorite pastime was singing and dancing. She shared many stories of how her and family would always sing and dance no matter how hard things were during the war. Most of all, she loved being with her family. The last several years she enjoyed watching her great-grandchildren grow.
Martha was preceded in death by her husband, Willem, of sixty years. He is probably asking her what took her so long. She is also preceded by her parents and 13 brothers and sisters who we expect to have embraced her with open arms. Martha is survived by daughters Nelly (Mike) Foster, Jeanette (Todd) Bailey, her grandchildren Derek Foster, Amber Lietz, Shanene (Mike) Montierth, her great-granddaughters Caliah and Ashlyn Montierth, and her sisters Dien and Truus Van Vossen.
Graveside Services will be held Thursday, April 1 at 11:30 AM at Wasatch Lawn Memorial Park, 3401 South Highland Drive. Friends can visit with the family at the Holbrook Mortuary, 3251 South 2300 East, from 10-11am prior to the service.
Messages and tributes can be posted for the family at: HolbrookMortuary.com