Obituary of Hendrik "Henk" Van Harten

Henk was the eldest of eleven children born to Leendert and Grietje Van Harten. He was drafted into the Dutch Army in 1946. To prevent their two oldest sons from going to Indonesia, Henk’s parents decided to immigrate to Canada. Henk and his brother went first. They boarded the troop ship Kota Inten and, after a stormy crossing of the Atlantic, arrived at Pier 21 on April 18, 1948. The rest of the Van Harten family arrived in Canada the following month. Henk’s parents purchased the Manor Farm in 1949. Henk tried his hand at various jobs before making the big decision to further his education. He was 35, married, and had three young children when, in 1962, he moved his family to Ridgetown in order to attend Western Ontario Agricultural School. The dust of immigration finally settled in 1965, when Henk accepted a management position with Spruceleigh Farms in Brantford. He would work there until he retired. Henk left us to be with his Lord and Saviour on August 24, 2021, at the age of 94. Predeceased by his loving wife Aukje, his sisters Anne, Greta, Joeke, Nelly, his brother Roel, Henk will be dearly missed by his children Leonard (Grace), Carl (Ann), and Herma (Dale), his grandchildren Meagan (Peter), Michelle (Joe), Candice (Aaron), Rachel (Aron), Heather (Steve), Hank (Caitlin), Emily (Aaron), Ian, Jonah (Sarah), Jill (Tyler), and great grandchildren Phillip, Mia, Juno, David, Anna, Benjamin, Felix, Hezekiah, Millie, Asher, Micah, Ethan, Layla, and Axel. A private graveside service will be held at Mt. Hope Cemetery on September 9, 2021. A Celebration of Life/Memorial Service will follow at Hope Christian Reformed Church at 2 p.m. Due to Covid 19 restrictions, masks must be worn and social and physical distancing must be adhered to. In lieu of flowers, donations in memory of Henk can be made to Operation Smile. Donations and condolences are available online at www.hillandrobinson.com.