Striking city farmer Corrie (86) from Bolsward was tough as nails on himself. ‘Beautiful stories have been submitted’

Looking back is the name of the book that Jan Sangers (78) of the Bolswards History Foundation selflessly wrote about the striking city farmer Corrie de Groot. Since 2021, Sangers, born in Leeuwarden, has been living in his hometown again, but Bolsward was part of his life for forty years because he worked and lived there as a teacher and later a rector at high school.

“Who didn’t know Corrie?” says Sangers about his former fellow-townsman who always remained single and was satisfied with little. “He often sat in front of his stall at ‘t Laag. Then you always had a chat with him.” Moreover, for a long time he was the farmer who supplied the animals for the nativity scene in the Broerekerk and led them through the city to their place. He received many school classes to talk about farm life and teach the children about milking. Afterwards they all received a Koetjesbar.

Enthusiasm

“Now there is still a generation of children from back then who knew the special farmer. That will soon stop,” Sangers realizes. That was not the only reason he wanted to portray the farmer. The couple who supported the cow and sheep keeper to the end, Sipke and Boudien Kamstra, donated their entire collection about him to the Bolswards History Foundation four years ago. The idea for a book arose at that time, but corona and the death of Sanger’s wife caused a delay.

Last year, Sangers sat down for it, together with designer Johan Dijkstra. “I asked some people for a contribution. There was so much enthusiasm. Beautiful stories have been submitted.” Sangers also visited people to record their memories. The book also contains QR codes with which videos, reports and texts can be opened. Then Corrie de Groot really comes to life again.

Stink

It was exceptional that until the turn of the century he could simply run his business – at its peak he had ten cows – in the middle of the city in a narrow street. In addition to cows that were stabled in ‘t Laag, there were sheep that usually grazed outside, chickens and cats. “In that environment he was completely happy with what he had.” In the spring it could smell terribly. “The neighbors and the then municipality of Bolsward never had a problem about that.”

While farms everywhere had to move out of buildings due to laws and regulations, De Groot was allowed to stay put until his cows were sold because he could no longer handle the work. A video of the departure of his last two cows can be viewed via the book.

De Groot farmed on a small scale out of conviction because the care of animals was his top priority. He worked with as little fertilizer as possible. The milk was transported in two milk cans on a cart that he pulled with a bicycle. For example, he cycled to the Hollandia dairy factory in Bolsward. Until he was required to have a milk tank. It still arrived at ‘t Laag. The tanker could barely get there and broke many a post, but it never became a problem for the neighborhood.

Tractor

A tractor also arrived. “But Corrie didn’t like that mechanical thing. He also never got his driver’s license. So he continued to do the work with a horse and cart.” His later farmer helpers, the brothers Jos and Niek Visser, did use the tractor. People kept coming to help to leave Corrie in his place.

“Corrie was a man from Bolsward,” writes pastor Gerrit de Haan about the farmer who died at the age of 86. He was also known for his sports achievements and commitment to sports in Bolsward. At Bolswardia he played in the first team for a long time, he was a board member but was just as happy to draw lines and have a chat with passers-by in the meantime. ‘He was known for his unique feint. If he was facing a player with the ball in between, he would turn around on the spot and the opponent would look in amazement,” said De Haan.

Cycling Eleven Cities Tour

He was also good at athletics, he skated the Elfstedentocht twice and cycling was added. De Groot cycled the Eleven Cities Cycle Tour fifty times in a row. He never missed a year. In May 1996 he was the first participant to complete fifty consecutive races. Without a gap year fifty times, no one would be able to do it again because the foot and mouth crisis broke out in 2001 and the trip was canceled. After the 49th time, his physiotherapist thought it was really no longer possible. Corrie thought differently about that. With a walking stick at hand, because he had difficulty walking, he cycled the fiftieth.

“He was tough as nails on himself,” Sangers says. When his legs started to bother him, he described it as nothing special. At the insistence of the people who cared for him, the GP came by and sent him to the hospital. He went to Sneek by bike. Heavy thrombosis was found there. “How did you get here? the doctor asked. ‘That skyteint? On the fyts’, the farmer replied. To which the doctor responded: ‘it could have killed you’.”

The city farmer had a slightly philosophical slant, Sangers notes. This is evident, for example, from the columns he wrote in the Groentje, the Bolswardia club magazine. “He really thought about the world and its people.” How popular he was became clear when he was elected the most popular Bolswarder of the last century. There he finished third behind the great Titus Brandsma and former councilor Babs Haanstra.

Looking back is available for 12 euros at the documentation center of the Bolswards History Foundation at Skilwyk 15 every Friday afternoon from 2:00 PM – 4:30 PM. You can order via [email protected].