CHURCHYARD MARRUM
1831 - 2002
In the “Traditiones
Fuldenses” -letters of the abbey of
Fulda- some villages in Ferwerderadeel are mentioned, one of them being
Mareheim (Marrum) which may be translated as "the yard near the sea".
The
abbey of Fulda was founded in 744 by bishop Bonifatius who later on was
murdered near Dokkum. Today around the terp of the town, which mostly
remained
owing to building houses on it, is the ring road. The characteristic
radial
structure of the town is, just like in Hallum, still there. Various old
small streets lead from the ring road to the top of the terp. At the
top
is, surrounded by a unique double row of lime trees, the church and the
churchyard.
Many thousands of Marrumers will have found their last
resting
place
at the top of the terp ever since the 8th century. As from mid 1831,
the
7th of July to be precise, it is known who was burried and where, at
the
churchyard. As to the period 1926 - 2002 it is noted that 1185 burrials took place, an average of 15 per year. The oldest deceased was Dirk Boersma who was burried on October 14, 1999 at the rspectable age of 101 years. He was widower of Ruurdje Slager. Three more may be considered to be very " strong" ones: Jeltje de Boer and Hessel van der Velde who passed away in 1996, both being 99 years old, and Grietje Tjepkema who died in 1997, also being 99 years of age. The names of the deceased are spelled exactly the way they
are
mentioned
in the original records. For that reason differences occur compared to
their names in the records of the Civil Registration. In case of
reasonable
doubt about the spelling, latter records were consulted at Tresoar/It
Ryksargyf
in Leeuwarden. At the churchyard of Marrum the "hoofdnummers" (row #) are mentioned on the outside churchwall and/or small poles along the side of the path. Please note: the "ondernummers" (grave #) of each row start at the path, increasing towards the church which is the opposite of the churchyard of Westernijkerk. Andries Dijkstra
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