Merel Vreugdenhil, 11 years old, has completed her first Nijmegen Four Days Marches

Despite sore feet, Merel enjoyed her first Four Days Marches: “This was really, really fun. Like one big party,” describes 11-year-old Merel Vreugdenhil from Hoogland about the Nijmegen Four Days Marches. An unforgettable experience. “It feels like carnival, but walking. It was so much fun.” Her feet did ‘hurt a little bit,’ but stopping for that? Merel, one of the youngest participants in the Nijmegen Four Days Marches, doesn’t do that. In fact, at the time of speaking, about 6 kilometers before the finish on the road called Via Gladiola, she had no time for it. There was simply too much to see, hear, and experience. “The first three days, I felt my feet at the end of the day. But the last day was really, really fun. People were everywhere along the route, and children had candies and cucumbers. It’s nothing like the evening four days. There’s so much music and joy,” she beams. “So much distraction – walking is going just fine.” Read more...

Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants celebrates its 85th anniversary

This year (2023), Vreugdenhil Bulbs & Plants celebrated its 85th anniversary. The nursery from ‘s-Gravenzande was founded on August 1, 1938, by Jochem Vreugdenhil’s grandfather. Later, the business passed to father Leen, and Jochem, and later Wouter, joined the company. Since 2018, Jochem and his wife Marjolijn Vreugdenhil have been at the helm. The family business has now grown into a large and diverse nursery, specializing in the cultivation of about 15 different crops. Read more...

Rafael Putto and Charlotte Vreugdenhil want to share dreams together

Rafael is the driving force behind the creations of Rafael’s Pastry. He worked in the pastry industry for many years, but as he himself says, “After 25 years, you reach a point where you want more. Working for a boss is nice, but at some point, development and challenge come to a halt.” Charlotte has a background in graphic design and previously worked in the clothing and sales industry. It all started when they met and began sharing their dreams. Charlotte says, “It quickly became apparent that we wanted to take on this challenge together. It’s amazing when you are appreciated for the work you create and envision yourself. Making people happy in this way isfantastic. Read more...

Dentist Gijs Vreugdenhil takes a nap in his dental chair every afternoon

Busy day or not, this dentist takes a nap every day in the dental chair, and everyone in Gijs Vreugdenhil’s dental practice knows: between 1:00 PM and 1:30 PM, he must not be disturbed under any circumstances. For over thirty years, the well-known dentist from Dordrecht has been enjoying his power nap. “Otherwise, I’m unbearable for the rest of the day.” As the clock approaches 1:00 PM, Gijs Vreugdenhil is casually peeling a mandarin. While finishing his lunch, he opens the cabinet. There lies the equipment he needs to take his daily nap: a blanket, an eye mask, and a small pillow. Read more...

Marjan and Marieke Vreugdenhil met each other in Uganda

Hello Vreugdenhil family members, we'd like to introduce ourselves... We are Marjan van Reeuwijk-Vreugdenhil and Marieke Knol-Vreugdenhil, and we met each other during a trip to Uganda. How extraordinary it is to discover that we both share the same last name! This journey was organized in October 2022 by Gabrielle van de Kamp, the founder of the Otuke Foundation. We'd like to share our experiences of an unforgettable and impactful journey with all of you. Read more...

On Friday, April 14, 2023, the inauguration of Dr. Anita C.E. Vreugdenhil

The Rector Magnificus of Maastricht University announces that Dr. Anita C.E. Vreugdenhil, appointed in the Faculty of Health, Medicine, and Life Sciences, will introduce herself on Friday, April 14, 2023, at exactly 4:30 PM, by delivering an inaugural address in the Auditorium of Maastricht University, accepting this position. Read more...

Gerrit Vreugdenhil is awarded Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau

On April 26, 2023, Gerrit Vreugdenhil was honored with the Royal Distinction “Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau” for his exceptional contributions to society. The reasons for his award are detailed below. Gerrit Vreugdenhil has earned this royal distinction, among other reasons, for his significant contributions to the improvement of vocational education (MBO). He has made a substantial impact on ROC van Amsterdam-Flevoland, both as a member of the Board of Directors and as a member of the MBO Council. He played a pivotal role in launching the “Advancing Digitalization” program. Furthermore, he served as the chairman of the core group for education and integration within the MBO Council and joined the Social Domain advisory group. Read more...

The Sea Atlas of Adrianus Vreugdenhil

Last summer, we received an extraordinary email from a completely unknown individual. In the email, we were offered the sea atlas from 1914 that was used by Captain Vreugdenhil during World War I. It’s marked with special navigation routes to evade German U-boats. Adrianus Vreugdenhil also invented a directional indicator for sea vessels, but it wasn’t widely adopted because it was unclear to many captains. You can find more information about Adrianus on page 149 of our family tree book. Read more...