1908-1919
1920-29
1930-39
1940-49
1950-59
1960-69
1970-79
1980-89
1990-99
2000-2006
| 12/28/08 More Letters Transcribed. Dr. David Battista has been typing up early letters. We are also focusing on some World War II letters about the Dutch Resistance.
5/29/08 Many Photos Loaded on the Site. Leslie Wiesman has scanned in many album pages. Note additions especially to Hilda van Stockum decades and to the Olga Marlin decades.
3/6/08 Leslie Wiesman at Work. With the Hilda van Stockum estate wound up (just one or two loose ends remaining), a catalog of her letters and artwork is under way. Leslie Wiesman, an Oklahoma native who has been in Dublin the last few years studying law, is working on Hilda’s early letters, art and writings. We are sorting through and filing each item, inserting the more fragile letters and art in acid-free covers, and separating the Dutch-language from the English-language letters. Files are organized by year or estimated year.
2/9/08. HAPPY 100TH BIRTHDAY, HILDA (February 9, 1908-November 1, 2006). Sorry you're not with us for it. We are celebrating anyway.
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| Left to Right: Brigid, Hilda, Sheila |
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| van Stockum Bookstore, The Hague |
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| Hilda in Deck Chair, Berkhamsted |
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See also HvS dedicated web site, which provides links to 50 obituaries and posted appreciations:
Hilda van Stockum
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Hilda van Stockum (1908-2006) was the eldest child and only daughter of Capt. Bram van Stockum and Olga Boissevain. She married Ervin Ross Marlin in Dublin in 1932 and followed him to New York City and then Washington, DC, where he joined the FDR Administration based on a competitive exam that took the top 300 people out of about 12,000 people who took the test. (He started at the Farm Credit Administration and moved up to the newly formed Civil Service Administration and then to the Budget Bureau. During World War II he was sent by the OSS under Bill Donovan to Ireland and England.) She wrote and llustrated her first book for children in 1934, "A Day on Skates." It had a foreword by her aunt Edna St. Vincent Millay and won a Newbery runner-up award. During the next four decades she averaged one book per year written, illustrated, translated or some combination. Her first publisher was Harper Brothers. She was then picked up by May Massie of Viking, who remained her faithful editor for 30 years. Other publishers include Constable, the Modern Library and Farrar Straus.
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| Sheila, Liz, Hilda |
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| John and Hilda |
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| Pope John Paul II and Olga |
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| Hilda on Bench for Her Brother Willem at Trinity College, Dublic |
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| HvS Birthday 1995 |
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| RECENT MESSAGES FROM THE HILDA VAN STOCKUM GUEST BOOK
To access the full Guest Book, click here. The following excerpts have had contact information removed. On the Guest Book itself there is a spam filter, so that spammers can't access the address.
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February 27, 2008 I first had to read The Winged Watchman for a 5th grade book report. I loved it! I have since then read 3 of her other books, and they are all as wonderful as The Winged Watchman. |
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Chris Mier (New Orleans, LA) |
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January 8, 2008 |
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Hello,I live in London,England. I read "Francie on the run" when I was a child of about 9 years old, I am now 58. My mother bought me the book when I was in hospital to cheer me up which it certainly did. I don't know what happened to my book but I have never forgotten the pleasure it gave me. Ms van Stockum was certainly one of the best writers of all time and I am grateful to her for the happy times I had reading the book. |
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Claire Johnson (London, England)
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December 7, 2007 |
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Hilda was an awsome writer. She has a way of capturing poem and song in every day words. Everyone I told to read her books is hooked!!! :-) |
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Sarah Russek (Delano, MN)
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December 5, 2007 |
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The book Kersti and St. Nicholas has been a tradition to read, in my family, for many years. The book was my mother's. I can still remember my grandmother reading it to us after my mother was grown. I continued this with my children, with memories of my grown son coming to sit at the end of the bed to listen, once again, to this story as I read to my younger ones. This story is now being read to my grandchildren. I had always wished that I could have told the author, Ms. Hilda van Stockum, how much joy this book has brought to my family, but since it was my mother's book, received as a little girl, I assumed the author was no longer living. My mother was born in 1933, and has since passed away. My daughter just found this site. (a year too late). But I want to convey to you the wonderful memories your mother's book has brought to my family. |
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Mary White (Baltimore, MD)
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November 3, 2007 |
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Hello, honored to be colleagues of grandson Chris Oakley. |
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David & Bonnie Horowitz (New York, NY)
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October 11, 2007 |
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Jane Van Ostern (Richmond, VA) |
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September 30, 2007 |
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Hello, my name is Francis Joseph O'Neil and I knew your mother from Georgetown, Washingtion DC. I ran away and went to the zoo at age three. That was about six miles from my home on M Street. A police man at the zoo asked me where my parents were and when I couldnt tell him he took me to the police station. I remember them setting me up on the desk way up high in the police mans chair and it had two lights, one on each side. The lights had a long slinder post with a globe of white glass mounted on top and i remember then bringing me ice cream. They eventually found my father and took me home. The story of my runway made its way into the washington papers and soon after your mother contacted my parents. Thats is how I came to know your mother. We lived at 3029 M Street and I believed your mother lived up the hill from me about R street. I remember my brother and I went to your mothers house to sit for her illistrations. Years later, I heard from my parents that I might of been inspiration for Francie. I am very sorry to hear of your mothers death and wish i could of found her before she past away. Please let me know any information you have about the origins of francie.
Very Truely Yours |
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Francis O'Neil (Opp, AL)
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September 9, 2007 |
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Love from Susan Leffingwel and family. (re: Broek from Utrecht/Van Zwicht-Van Stockum). My grandmother Ruth Heineck Broek knew your mother, and Olga. I remember some of Hilda's beautiful books from my childhood. Much love to your family! A very special lady. |
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Susan Leffingwell (oakland, CA) |
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May 30, 2007 |
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Being one of the friends who met in Hilda's writing group was a joy and a privilege. Among many interesting characters, over the years, Hilda was the gentle centre. Her strong simple goodness affected us all. |
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Judy Vickery (Leighton Buzzard, England) |
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May 25, 2007 |
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Dear John and Family, I recently read about Hilda in a Bethlehem Books catalog and felt an instant connection to her and her work. My husband Ron and I have five children and love every minute of it. Yes, even the difficult times. I especially love the encouragement and support your mother gave for large families and family life in general through her writing and art. God Bless You, our sympathies are with you. We are investing in a collection of Hilda's books! |
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Angela Bradbury (Keno, OR) |
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