Balt Bender

My earliest memory of Balt is 1955 when I’m eight years old and he and Gerdien are visiting our house to say goodbye because they’re leaving Holland and are emigrating to New Zealand. Several family members had come to the dock where the ship (mv WATERMAN) is sailing off.

In 1996 we visited (for the first time) New Zealand. The first five days we stayed at Balt, where also his brother Ary was staying. We rented a campervan (in Rotorua) and to get used to that silly system of driving on the LEFT side of the road, Balt let me drive his car (Cortina) to One Tree Hill. It helped a lot once driving the campervan. We had a wonderful time in AOTEAROA, travelling around over the North and South Island from PAIHIA to TE ANAU thanks to advices Balt gave us.

We returned to New Zealand in 1999 and again 2004. These holidays are etched in our memory Wonderful times and every time was there as a “first stop” to guide us.

In 2002 Balt was visiting Holland. On Friday May 10th I took Balt and his brother Wim to the town of ZWARTSLUIS in the north of Holland.

There was a tug gathering with about 200 tugs and it seemed a good idea to go there. After a two hours drive we arrive around noon. It was spectacular to see all those different tugs and both brothers enjoyed it most.

There were sailing trips for visitors and we also took a sailing trip on one of the tugs. It was great fun to be here and…. of course Balt couldn’t leave without eating some herrings!

In 2008 Balt is visiting Holland again. So I decided to take him to the tug gathering in Zwartsluis again. However, this time we’re sailing on my tug! In two days we’re crossing a large part of Holland and Balt acts as a “deckhand” and as assistant-cook. And as far as I know he loved every minute of this trip. And yes…. we eat again some herrings!

In 2010 Balt is visiting Holland again and again we’re taking a sailing trip. Sailing mainly in the province Zuid-Holland. Small waterways and passing and visiting small villages. And again the Kiwi is enjoying it a lot.

In 2014 Balt is again in Holland. We’re celebrating our anniversary and Balt is also invited to the party. And of course we take another trip on the good old tug (built in 1909). This time we decided to take up north and also visit the town of DOESBURG. The place where Balt’s great-grandfather Johanness Cornelis was born in 1830. This time we sail mainly on the bigger rivers.

The weather is disappointing: lots of rain! But Balt is always good company and… one can’t change the weather. And it’s always good to have a (former) technician on board. Balt says he will have a look at it. Together in the engine room we inspect the alternator and Balt suspects it’s the drive belt. He thinks the belt is just a little bit too narrow and therefore slips. Unfortunately I don’t have another belt so it has to wait till we’re home (and Balt was right, after I’d changed the belt the alternator was working properly).

Despite the rain it was a lovely trip. In Doesburg we visited the street where his great-grandfather was born (sadly the old house was demolished a few years earlier). And Doesburg is the city of… mustard and therefore we had to visit the Mustard Museum.

On our way back I asked Balt if he wants to take the wheel. The Amsterdam-Rijn canal is a very busy waterway; it’s the main waterway between the north and south of Holland. He gets a quick course “how-to-sail-a-tug”. Keep your eyes on the water in front of you and keep an eye on the navigation screen. He was doing well, but I’m afraid he didn’t pass his ‘skippers exam’. Because suddenly standing up, walking to the door and shouting “look, there’s a heron!” isn’t the best way of sailing a busy canal.

But we’ve survived and came home safely. We will remember Balt as a generous, warm, cheerful man. Always curious and helpful to others!

Baltie…. Thanks for all those lovely memories!

Henk and Tonnie

We will never forget travelling to New Zealand in 2007, and how Balt’s house became our home base for the first nights — and again after six weeks of touring.

On Christmas Eve, Balt picked us up from Auckland Airport. We were worn out from the long journey from the Netherlands via Shanghai, but that evening we enjoyed his own delicious smoked salmon. Balt turned out to be a wonderful storyteller, a woodworker, and an outstanding guide.

He could talk for hours about the Second World War and about his journey emigrating to New Zealand. With no job waiting for him, he simply boarded a ship, taking a one-square-metre wooden crate containing everything he could bring as an emigrant. It was a six-week voyage alongside others embarking on the same adventure — forced to leave family and homeland behind to start a new life on the other side of the world. And when he arrived, he still had no work.

He spoke for hours and hours. About smoking salmon, woodworking and turning wood into beautiful vases (several of these now stand in our living room), growing his own vegetables, and the warm bond he shared with one of the neighbours who helped him out with the pc when needed. Balt was 78 at the time and still occasionally worked as a handyman at a nearby school, he told us. He enjoyed it because it kept him active and allowed him to do what he loved most: fixing things and making things. With neighbour David we enjoyed a wonderful barbecue — salmon topped with kiwi, an unusual combination for us but absolutely delicious.

Balt also enjoyed a glass of wine, loved nature and photography, and still spent time at the computer every day: checking emails, editing photos, and keeping in touch with family.

During our first days he showed us around Auckland: the harbour, a hill with the most beautiful views over the city, and a magnificent museum and the Oceanarium. At every place we visited Balt could talk for hours. Even the birds in the park near the museum entrance had a story behind them. He showed us enormous trees with trunks so wide that even five people holding hands could not encircle them.

Naturally, he documented the entire tour with his camera. We quickly understood where the nickname “Uncle Click” came from.

For New Year’s Eve we went to John & Ingrid and the boys in Mangawhai. Friends of ours were staying there as well, and we were warmly invited to celebrate the evening together. It was a wonderfully relaxed night. We truly enjoyed the laid-back spirit of New Zealand — everyone friendly and genuinely interested. What a fantastic country. Balt was a remarkable man, and meeting John and Ingrid and experiencing their immense hospitality made it even more special.

After New Year’s Day we continued our adventure in a rental car, discovering several incredible places in New Zealand, before returning to Balt five weeks later. In the final days before our departure he again took us on tours. The most impressive was the walk on the Coromandel Peninsula. Once again: wonderful stories and at least 15,000 photos.

Balt left a deep impression on us — a storyteller, an adventurer, a photographer, a lover of nature, and a man who, at 78, was exceptionally fit and remarkably sharp.

We were fortunate to see him a few more times in the Netherlands. He met our son Timm. We had the pleasure of cooking for him and pouring him a glass of wine, and we were able to give him a small joy by taking him on a day trip during the World Port Days, the annual maritime festival in Rotterdam. That day we took a harbour cruise aboard the Pride of Rotterdam, where he — of course — took countless photos and was invited to the bridge to meet the captain and watch from above as the ship entered the harbour. A day he thoroughly enjoyed.

He stayed with Nel & Dick, where we saw him every Friday evening when we joined the Verheij family — as we still do — to gather around the table and welcome the weekend.

A few photos of our memories with Balt.

Wishing everyone strength and comfort in coping with the loss of this remarkable man.

Love,

Sylvain, Aimee & Timm

I can tell you what John said when he heard that Balt had died. He said ‘I wish I’d known him years earlier than I did. We could have had a lot more fishing together.’ They both enjoyed their fishing.

We have three beautiful calendars that Balt made using his own photographs. I can find the explanations of the photos on the back of two of the calendars but not the third one. We also have a lovely little book of photos that Balt made for us after we had all been to the Art Deco festival in Napier. I can’t part with it but I’ll try to copy some of the photos with Balt’s words beside them. Balt has made us beautiful gifts over the years but I’m old now and can’t remember all the lovely things he has done for us but I’ll never forget the good times we have had together.  Lovely memories.

Kind regards

Janet

Dear family and friends of Balt,

Undoubtedly Balt will be missed by everyone who knew him.

I was wondering how many children have known their great-grandfather.
In my family we would say that an oak had been felled.

Here are a few of my memories of Ome Balt, my father Mich’s younger brother.

When I was just a little toddler, my mom became ill and I had to stay with oma and opa Bender for a couple of weeks. It was summer (1951?) and one evening, I was sound asleep, my dad brought my tricycle. My most precious possession, so I could happily pedal around in the neighborhood. Balt was still living with oma and opa and there was a photo showing Balt carrying my tricycle. I do not really remember my stay with oma, let alone Balt carrying my bicycle, but my mom was adamant, it was Balt, full stop. She was very fond of her brother in law. So it’s sort of a memory not a real one.

I found two photo’s taken on the day Balt departed for New Zealand. The photos are taken on the quay of the Rotterdamsche Lloyd. I think the name of ship was the Johan van Oldebarneveld, also used as a troop ship during WWII. I gave Balt a teaspoon with an image of the ship.

The group picture of the Bender family who came to say goodbye shows from left to right Oom Arij and Tante Co Bender, Balt, Opa and Oma Bender and Tante Nel de Kwaadsteniet Bender with Oom Cor. The other one shows Balt on the ship among other emigrants, I think he’s the one with his hand on the railing.

The next memory is not of Balt himself but of a souvenir he left behind in his parental home. When I was a schoolgirl I often came to stay with oma and opa for a few days. There were a couple of small bedrooms upstairs and oma said I could choose. I chose Balt’s old bedroom where he (technical wizard, like all the Bender boys) had affixed a little bedside lamp to the wall. So I could read my Donald Ducks.

Much much later there were the reunions. The first one I attended was in Poortugaal hosted by Tante Jannie en Ome Ger. Every so many years (3 or so) Balt made the long journey to Holland to meet the family.

Tot slot (as we say in the Netherlands), I want to share the most vivid memory I have of Balt. During his last visit to his stomping grounds I picked him up from cousin Nel’s place and we took off to see the sights. We went to Woudrichem, a picturesque little town one hour drive south east of Rotterdam. Woudrichem is an old fortified town, I parked the car, Balt took his camera out and had a field day. Next stop was the medieval fortress Castle Loevestein. By the way, Balt had no problem climbing the many steep stairs to the roof to enjoy the view. From there we went to Leerdam, the centre of the glass industry. We visited one of the workshops and admired the craftsmanship of the glassblowers.
It was time to go home. En route we talked a lot about the old days and when we were close to my place we passed the street on which the cemetery is where my mother and sister are buried. Balt said he would like to take a look. My mom died 20 years ago and my sister died in 1956, only 2 years old. Her name was Ingrid.

We picked up a meal from the Chinese takeaway and again talked about the old days and about relatives from my mom’s side who had also known Balt. Just before dark I drove Balt back to Blaaksedijk.

I am sure that the memories of Balt will bring comfort to all of you. He was a very special member of the Bender clan.

Warm greetings to you all from Capelle aan den IJssel,

Trudi Melsert-Bender

Remembering Balt,

I had the pleasure of meeting Balt a few times. A few times in the Netherlands and once in New Zealand. With his stories about New Zealand, he inspired me to go in 2014. And there wasn't a word of it that was a lie.

I remember Balt as a loving person who welcomed me with open arms in New Zealand. I stayed with him for five days, and he showed me many beautiful places in the country.

Driving around in his red car, he proudly showed me Coromandel and Auckland. And always with his camera around his neck. He also told me wonderful stories about the history of all the places he showed me. At home he spent evenings showing me all sorts of photos from the past and telling me stories about the Bender family.

I will remember Balt as a sweet, cheerful, helpful and hospitable man.

Balt, thank you for all the beautiful memories

Lars Bender

I’ve lived directly across the road from Balt for about 25 years.

In the early years, I always knew when Balt was coming home, and I didn’t even have to look out the window. From inside my house, I would hear the squeal of his brakes, his car being slammed into reverse, and then the sound of his red Honda being backed down his driveway. It became so common that it just blended into the background noise at home.

I think that red Honda was eventually written off, so he had no car for a while. My brother happened to be selling an immaculate, low kilometre Honda Accord at the time, so I was happy when Balt saw it and agreed to buy it. I was chuffed, it couldn’t have gone to a better person.

After a few weeks, I went over to see if he was enjoying the car. He wasn’t. He was struggling with it because, being an automatic, it had no clutch pedal. I guess after 15 years of slamming his old car into reverse, it was a hard habit to break. Eventually he got the hang of it, although the reversing down the driveway became a lot more cautious.

Many years ago, I often heard another noise coming from Balt’s house during the day. Eventually I found out that the repetitive squeaking was him turning something on his lathe. This was meaningful to me because my grandfather was also a fitter and turner. Balt made a few things on that lathe for me, and whenever I asked for something, it was usually done the next day. I think he got so much enjoyment out of using that skill he’d learned many years ago to do something for someone else.

One day I found some old tungsten cutting bits in my grandfather’s toolbox and showed them to Balt, asking if they were any use. “Shit, they are…” he said. He knew exactly what they were and put them straight into his pocket. I never saw them again, but I’m glad they went to someone who could really use them.

I always enjoyed my chats with Balt in his driveway. Whenever I saw him checking his letterbox or putting his bins out, I’d walk over and we’d talk about anything—family, work, his history, his house. Just good chinwags. Balt often dropped a few shits and maybe an f-bomb here and there.

A few years back, I started noticing a car parked in his driveway and a woman, much younger-looking than him, coming and going. I thought, “Oh, Balt’s got a caregiver.” Then I noticed the car staying overnight and leaving early in the morning. One afternoon, while we were chatting, he told me he was repairing something for his friend Martha—maybe a hat stand or a table. He was clearly excited about doing it for her.

I asked if it was Martha’s car that I often saw. He said it was, and then the penny dropped… Balt had a girlfriend. I walked home thinking, Good on ya, Balt but where is she sleeping??

I was very fortunate to have Balt as a neighbour.
He will be missed.

To all of Balts family and friends, Thank you for the wonderful words and tributes to a very special friend.

I was sorry I could not be with you this afternoon Balt would have loved the service and your tributes.

What an amazing character he was. Over the many years I knew him Balt endeared himself to all of us who worked with him. Building, repairing, designing, organising Balt was a Kiwanis member who helped fund raise for many children at Carlson school. He was instrumental in establishing a toy library, a SMILE centre to support parents and their disabled children, he was in hot demand to smoke trout for the staff, he cooked meals for Starship, he made specialised tables and chairs, he organised truck shows. He worked tirelessly for those in need.

He always had a smile. He loved classical music, birds, the bush, he wrote wonderful stories

He loved his girls and the grandchildren.

It was such a pleasure to have him in our lives, Did you know he loved broad beans !!!

Thank you for being part of my life Balt, Rest in Peace.

Pam Robinson

Balt was een graag geziene gast bij zijn familie in Nederland. Ook was hij gastvrij en behulpzaam voor zijn familie uit Nederland die hem bezochten. Broers, zussen. Schoonzussen en zwagers, ook nichten en neven. Heel enthousiast liet hij ons veel van New Zealand zien. Kilometers reed hij ons rond. Bedankt Balt voor je vriendschap. Rust zacht. In liefdevolle herinnering Arie en Co. Tonie en Aat, Jelle en Femke.

Our condolences to the family in NZ.