On July 20, our father died without regaining consciousness in St. Elisabeth Gasthuis hospital, 500 metres uphill from home.
The curtains of the house were drawn and the undertaker dressed all in black with top, would have knocked, as it was the tradition, on the doors of nearby neighbours to announce with solemn voice the death of Antoon Bosmans. Two black-draped horses drew the black funeral carriage and wherever the sad procession went, the traffic would slow down and people stood still and took off their hats. The solemn sung funeral mass was held at the parish church of St.Eusebius at Nieuwe Square Saturday 23rd July 1938 at 9.30 am. The priest wore a black and gold-trimmed chasuble; the altar was draped in black material and adorned with lighted candles. Sombre voices of the choir reverberated the Latin Introitus-: Requiem aeternam Dona eis, Domine: et lax perpetuan luceat eis (Lord, grant them eternal rest…). Antoon was buried in the Roman Catholic section of Moscowa Cemetery at Arnhem’s northern outskirts. None of us children attended the funeral; we were completely sheltered from all the grief, being told our Dad has gone to heaven.
Gone without saying good-bye!