Getting Detained In Canada With David, Theo & Ruby

Incoming "Where in the PNW (Pacific Northwest) are David, Ruby?" email showed up this morning when I woke up my computer.

Text in the email indicated this one is too easy to guess where the Tacoma Trio are. Which it clearly is, what with the Slotemaker Road sign indicating the Tacoma Trio were in the Lynden zone, a short distance from the border with Canada.

The rest of the text in the email, that accompanied four instances of photo documentation, was a chilling tale of what it is like these days at the border, a border which used to be super simple to cross, both going to Canada, and coming back to the U.S.

The email text telling the chilling tale is below the next photo.


There seem to be some details missing in this cross border detention tale. They must have somehow accidentally driven across the border. I don't quite know how one might accidentally do that. At the Lynden crossing you clearly know you are at the border, you pass through a checkpoint to enter, something you don't accidentally do.

I am thinking crossing the border has drastically changed since I last did so. Back then you did not even have to show an I.D., let alone a passport. The Canadian border guy would just ask where you're going and if you are all American citizens. Then on the return the American border guy would ask a question or two, like do you have anything to declare that you purchased.

Ok, this one is too easy. But a funny story. Went to Bellingham for a soccer game. Jake and Joe and Monique and Henry came to the game. Henry is a hoot! And Ruby’s team won 1-0, so now they need to come to all the games. After, we hit up Slotemaker road again, had a lovely lunch with Judy and the Whatcom County cousins, visited mom and dad then got ice cream cones at Edeleen. Since we were so close to the border, we drove to show the kids. But we went too far, had to enter Canada, didn’t have ID for the kids and we got detained! I had pics of their passports on my phone and that worked and they gave us paperwork to get back into the US. It was a bit of an ordeal. They even searched our car. So weird!

I am assuming Edeleens is a dairy store selling ice cream that has arrived in Lynden since I was last there, back in August of 2017.

I assume the above is a border marker at the Lynden border location. I do not recollect ever having seen this myself. 

I am assuming the above photo shows Theo, David and Ruby in the detention area, awaiting being cleared for passage back to America.

When my siblings and I were kids we were often taken to Canada by our parental units. Usually entering via the crossing at Blaine, which is the location of the iconic Peace Arch Park. When we were kids we thought it great fun to jump back and forth across the border, thinking it clever to later say we went to Canada 50 times today, or some such number.

I do not recollect ever going to Blaine's Peace Arch Park with David, Theo & Ruby's Mama Michele. Michele is the youngest of my siblings, younger than me by almost two decades...

Spencer Jack's Slotemaker Road Souvenir Seeking

When they were teenagers Spencer Jack's dad, Jason, and his Uncle Joey, in the dark of night, removed the Slotemaker Road signs from Slotemaker Road, and then installed the signs in their bedrooms.

I was appalled, at the time, that their parental units did not involve law enforcement.

For those who are not bilingual, Slotemaker is what Jones translates to from Dutch to English.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Way back in the late 1880s or early 1890s the Dutch Slotemakers had grown tired of the endless wars of Europe. The family debated whether to move to South Africa, or the United States.

Spencer Jack's great great great great grandpa Cornelis Slotemaker decided to see if moving to America was feasible. If I remember the family history correctly the eldest son, Jan (John) was sent to check America out. I could go look up the family history, which I do have on this computer, but it is more interesting to me to see how well I remember it after webpaging the history earlier this century.

So, after great great grandpa John returned from America it was decided to make the move. I believe it was through Ellis Island the Slotemakers entered America. I do not know if they were what are now demonized as illegal aliens. Upon reaching America the family, consisting of Cornelis, his wife, Angie, their two kids, John and Anna, and John's wife, my great grandma, Tillie, made the trek across America to one of those midwest states, like Iowa or Ohio or some such place.

At one point the family checked out a Dutch enclave near Denton, Texas. My relatives were not yet American enough to think Texas was a place anyone sane would want to live.

After a few years in America of struggling to get by the family heard of a Dutch town in the state of Washington, at the far northwest corner of America, a short distance from Canada.

My dad's dad's dad, John, was then sent out west, via train, to check out this Dutch town, and the area. He arrived in late spring to find a land which reminded him of Holland. But with giant trees, fruit, like blackberries, growing wild, apple trees, and the biggest mountains he had ever seen, including one looming volcano named Mount Baker. Along with rivers running clear filled with fish of the salmon sort.

My great great grandpa, John, then returned to the family, bringing with him samples of what he found in the Pacific Northwest, including thick bark from a fir tree. Along with some apples.

The family decided to move one more time. A large chunk of acreage was purchased a short distance east of that Dutch town, known as Lynden, and the Slotemaker farm was born, along with Slotemaker Road.

And now, in the 21st century, I am sure our Dutch relatives who farmed that land, long ago, would be proud to know their ancestors are carrying on the tradition of being scofflaws taking Slotemaker Road signs as souvenirs...

UPDATE: After the above was written Spencer Jack texted another photo of his day with his dad in Whatcom County, that being the county in which Lynden is located.

In this photo Spencer Jack's dad is kneeling next to his great-grandma Vera's headstone. This is located in a cemetery near the little village of Custer. I might be able to find that cemetery, but locating Grandma Vera's and Grandpa Porter's burial site, well, that I would have trouble with.

Grandma Vera's headstone says "VERA SUNDEAN PORTER DEC. 26, 1910 - SEPT. 23, 2003".

The headstone behind Jason says "DR. JAMES A. PORTER 1903 - 1966".

Grandma Vera's headstone should more accurately say "VERA SUNDEAN WILDER PORTER HUNTLEY".

Grandma Vera was born Vera Sundean, then married Laverne Wilder, with whom she had two children, including my mom, Shirley (also known as Miss Daisy). Yes, you read that right, my mom and her dad were Laverne and Shirley.

When my mom was quite young Grandma Vera divorced the grandpa I never knew, and eventually married Grandpa Porter, who was the only grandpa I ever knew. I remember him fondly. He was a doctor and an influential citizen of Lynden. When we were kids grandpa was part of running the annual fishing derby on Lynden's Fishtrap Creek. He somehow always managed to make sure his grandkids got good prizes. I remember my all time favorite fishing pole was one of those prizes.

After Grandpa Porter died Grandma Vera eventually married Lee Huntley, who then was the only grandpa David, Theo and Ruby's mama Michele ever knew. I never quite adjusted to the idea of Mr. Huntley being my grandpa. He was a nice guy.

I never thought about it before, til reading Grandma Vera's headstone. Grandma Vera's eldest grandson is named Dean. He being the eldest son of Grandma Vera's eldest daughter. I wonder if Son Dean was some sort of clever play on that Sundean name? I suspect not.

I wonder where Spencer Jack and his dad will be taking me next?

Ruby Slotemaker Finds Road With Her Name On It

I think I may have mentioned I might not get back to a computer for about a week. But then whilst going through photos taken the past several days I came upon this one which quickly became my favorite.

And thus felt like sharing.

Slotemakers and a Jones or two from across the country were in Lynden Saturday August 12, converging at one in the afternoon at Lynden's Monumenta Cemetery.

Prior to one in the afternoon my little brother, Jake and I left Birch Bay and headed to Lynden to check out a thing or two or three, like our grandma's houses, and the old Slotemaker farm and Slotemaker Road.

I sort of thought I knew the way to Slotemaker Road. My little brother was more confident than I that he knew the way. And so we headed south across the Nooksack River.

And then proceeded to drive many miles in a futile search for the Slotemaker Farm and its namesake road. Eventually I asked Google "Slotemaker Road Whatcom County Washington". Google proceeded to be worthless, giving me a list of Whatcom Country history links. Then I called my little brother's eldest, Jason.

Jason was of no use because his dad had gotten us so convolutedly confused Jason could not figure out how to tell us how to get to Slotemaker Road from our extremely lost location on what turned out to be the wrong side of the river.

We decided to give up on our Slotemaker Road search and proceed to the cemetery, planning to ask Uncle Mooch the way at some point in time.

Asking Uncle Mooch proved unnecessary, because after we left the cemetery to head for Aunt Judy's Ruby consulted something called Siri on her iphone, with Siri telling Ruby how to direct her vehicle to Slotemaker Road.

Meanwhile my little brother and I had trouble finding Aunt Judy's after we left the cemetery. We mistakenly thought we were following someone who was also going to Aunt Judy's. We once again called Jason to ask if he knew the way to Aunt Judy's. Jason sort of patiently told me Aunt Judy clearly gave us all directions. But your dad and I were not listening, was my excuse to Jason. Jason then walked us through how to get to Aunt Judy's. Eventually we saw Jason holding his phone in front of Aunt Judy's.

A few minutes later I found myself talking to a relative who told me she first met me when I was two months old. That lead to me calling mom after which a group conversation ensued, having mom in virtual attendance.

And then Ruby triumphantly arrived, freshly returned from finding Slotemaker Road.

A couple hours later we left Aunt Judy's and followed Ruby the what turned out to be short distance to Slotemaker Road.

On the north side of the Nooksack River.

Which is how the above photo was taken of me trying to help Ruby continue the family tradition of purloining Slotemaker Road signs for display in our various home locations....

Drive Down Jones Memory Lane Via The Slotemaker Road To Lynden

My Favorite Nephew, Jason Jones, sent me this months ago. I forgot about it til looking for a photo this morning.

The road sign you are looking at is located in Whatcom County in Washington. The Canadian border is about 10 miles to the north.

For you reading this in Texas, that big blue wall looking thing under the clouds is known as a foothill. In this case it is a foothill of the Cascade Mountains. If those clouds were not hovering we would likely be seeing the Mount Baker volcano.

My Dutch ancestors arrived in America in the early 1890s. I think 1892. I believe they entered America via Ellis Island, but I am not sure of that. I do not know if my ancestors were illegal immigrants or if they had passports and entry visas, or whatever the legal arrival document was at that time in history.

I do know the reason my ancestors wanted to move to America was to escape the constant European wars. Sort of ironic in the year 2016.

I also know my first ancestral Anchor Baby was my dad's dad, my grandpa, Cornelius. I am guessing my Dutch ancestors were legit American citizens before the birth of their first Anchor Baby. The only one of my original Dutch ancestors who I got to meet was great-grandma Tillie, wife of my dad's dad's dad, John. I learned a little Dutch from my great grandma. Words such as brookies.

My Dutch Ancestors quickly assimilated into America. Only great great grandpa, Cornelius, did not learn to be fluent in English. Great grandma Tillie had a bit of a Dutch accent.

Upon arrival the family of four headed west to find their future, going from one Dutch community to another. Always hoping for something better than what they'd found.

Eventually my great grandpa, John, was sent, by train, to the far Pacific Northwest, where the family had heard of a flourishing Dutch community. Grandpa John returned to his mom  and dad and wife to report that he had found their final destination, a land of fertile soil, like Holland,  the tallest trees he'd ever seen, fish in abundance in clear rivers, berries growing wild, along with apples.

The family soon headed west to their new home, bought land next to what became a road named after my family's Dutch name, before the name became Americanized to "Jones".

The Dutch are picky people. Which is why so many kept on heading west til there was no more America to move to, unless they wanted to hop a boat and try Hawaii. The town near the Slotemaker Jones Farm is called Lynden. Modern day Lynden is sort of a Dutch theme town, with windmills and precisely trimmed lawns where, unlike Texas, no litter is allowed.

And, like Texas, an inordinate number of churches.....