When Theodorus Willems came to America from Holland, he discovered a land of opportunity, especially for young folks with landscaping and gardening skills. Here is the article I wrote about him 48 years ago.
Skill in Gardening Brought Willems Luck
When Theodorus Willems came across the Atlantic ocean to America 56 years ago, he had a feeling it would bring him luck. Since then, he has made his mark on properties throughout southeastern Louisiana as a professional gardener and landscaper. He is currently turning his talents on the yard around the First Baptist Church in Covington.
Willems lives in Waldheim now after moving here from New Orleans many years ago. He came to know many top names in the nursery business there, men who admired his talent and knowledge in the gardening field.
He came to America after reading a newspaper ad in a Holland newspaper which gave five Dutch boys a chance to come to the United States. When his Dutch mother asked him why he wanted to leave his home land. he said, "I want to see some of God's beauty."
He was truly impressed with the sight of the Statue of Liberty as his boat sailed into New York harbor, and he was also impressed by the story behind the statue as told by one of the boat's crew.
Once in New York, he took a train to New Orleans, then went down to Barataria to a place called Hopehill Farm. He tried living there a while, but he yearned more and more to get back into nursery work.
He finally went to New Orleans to work for millionaire heiress Mrs. John Dibert. She was like a mother to him, he said, teaching him to read and write English. Her family had made millions in timber, so she was able to impress upon him the importance of saving money.
He worked for Mrs. Dibert as her gardener, putting skills to work that he had learned in Holland. "I never went to school," he said, "but I'm a professional gardener, having learned everything from my work." For a while, he operated a florist business in New Orleans, sold everything and then went to Waldheim.
He helped maintain the Waldheim Azalea Garden for 12 years, planting thousands and tending to thousands more azalea bushes. He also introduced flowering bushes here that no one had ever seen in these parts.
One reason for his expert knowledge of flowers is that Holland is a "flower world", whereas America is a "money world." That difference is quite pronounced, he has noted throughout his life, and he has taken advantage of it. He is planting seeds now that he has saved for over 60 years, quite a money saver, considering the cost of seeds nowadays.
His fondest memories include the time Holland decided to stay out of World War I, when the Queen voted for peace instead of war. He remembered when his mother sold the family farm and moved to a city, his six brothers and sisters, also when Louisiana Governor Leche used to come over and ride horses at the azalea garden on $10,000 saddles, and his first experience with American cigarettes which he smoked for a few years.
He is concerned about America now, saying that God will eventually punish the land if things keep going the way they are. "Things are getting worse and worse," he said. "I love this country with my whole heart. It's the best in the whole world."
His experiences include a visit to Angola state prison where he was able to turn two prisoners to Christianity by helping them study the Bible. "You've got to have the Lord in your heart," he said, summing up his life's philosophy. "Love means everything in the whole world."
He considers himself a lucky man, and volunteering the gardening work at the First Baptist Church is one way he fills his time now that he is retired. He has been married to his wife Elizabeth, for 53 years now, with one son, Ted, working for the highway department in Hammond and another son, Edgar, working as head of the Boston post office.
He came to the First Baptist Church in October of 1973, and one day last year he took a look at the church grounds and said "something has to be done." Since then, he has been doing something about it, much to the congregation's approval. Each Sunday the church empties after morning worship and churchgoers commend Willems for his expertise in gardening.
"It isn't bad for a Dutch boy, eh?" he chuckles.
St. Tammany Farmer August 28, 1975
