Indo Profile
By Bianca Dias-Halpert, USA
Case and Martha van der Linden
Case was born in Surabaya, Indonesia in 1939. After one year in Holland in 1948 the family returned to Indonesia in 1949 and then left for good in 1954. In 1960 he came to the USA by himself by plane. In 1961 he married Martha and they had three kids Jennifer, Johnny and Jessica. He obtained his U.S. citizenship in 1970.
Case embodies the legendary American melting pot. His beautiful wife is Puerto Rican whom he met shortly after immigrating to the USA. Their children have a wonderful blend of European-Asian-Latin influences.
His mother was a math teacher and his father was a civil attorney and legal advisor to the mayor of the city of Surabaya. His mother was a great communicator and maintained contact with all her former students throughout her lifetime. The students were from all different ethnic groups and races. Another example of what a small world we live in is that one of his mother’s former pupils is Rene Creutzberg, Editor of De Indo magazine (Walnut, CA).
Case returned to his old neighborhood in Surabaya in 1976 while his parents were there visiting. They went to one of the oldest cemeteries called “Peneleh” where his great-grandparents and young aunt were buried. He has wonderful memories of his childhood growing up in the former Dutch East Indies – one of them was how his father painted numbers on the backs of turtles in order to identify them later on.
Successful assimilation into the American lifestyle is reflected in his daughter and grandson. His daughter Jessica is an accomplished softball player having played pitcher/outfielder for the Florida State University Seminoles and later pitched for the Puerto Rican National Team. His grandson Tyler Wilson is a midfielder playing soccer for the Puerto Rican Islanders. At the tender age of 22, he is featured in Wikipedia.
Jessica van der Linden, Florida State
Tyler Wilson, Puerto Rican Islanders
My grandmother was Barbara van der Linden, born in Ternate in 1889. Her father may have been Christoffel van der Linden. I am trying to find out more about my grandmother. Does Case know if my grandmother was related to him?
Barbara Filet
2019 Santa Monica, California
Please send my email to him.
Hello Case and Martha,
Looking good, Kees. What about your love for music?
Interesting to read about your parents, gorgeous wife Martha, and wonderful family.
Love you all,
Babes
the credit belongs to Bianca Dias
The Indo Project aims to bring the community together and one of the ways is to illuminate a particular individual. The life journey of Case is a point of interest as he established himself in America. So we lift up our fellow Indos and all those who have connection to the Dutch East Indies. Case, as so many others, demonstrates the resiliency and fortitude that are the hallmarks of this community.
Kees
Real cool!!!!!!!
Proud of you and family.
Johnny Davila
Kees goed zoals jij dit schrijft liefs je zusje
Ik heb ook een bericht achtergelaten voor Case (Kees?). Mijn grootmoeder was Barbara van der Linden, geboren in 1889 in Ternate. Haar vader was misschien Christoffel van der Linden. Is uw familie familie van mij?
Barbara Filet
Santa Monica, Californië
Stuur zijn zus mijn e-mail.