Ode to Cornelia Gerardina Groot | Well cared for - a virtuous head nurse from Amsterdam-West

Aunt Corrie as we know her, was the third child in a solid Reformed family consisting of father Reindert Groot, mother Anna Johanna Maria Groot-Boxman, brother Reindert jr and two sisters: Mies and Reina. The second girl, Bertha had died at an early age. The family lived in Frederik Hendrikstraat 10 until 1922, when they moved to Eerste Helmersstraat 54-hs.

Father worked as a procuratiehouder at the Rotterdamsche Verzekering Sociëteiten, in the ‘white house’ in Raadhuisstraat, between Singel and Spuistraat. Mother was a nurse which no doubt inspired Corrie to become one. Reindert jr became a radio technician at the Dutch Christian Radio Association in Hilversum, while Mies became a teacher and Reina a pharmacy assistant. All serious hard-workers, meticulous with a great sense of responsibility.

You couldn't afford to be sloppy in the pharmacy, while at school class schedules were sacrosanct. In broadcasting too, time was not a flexible concept, as the radio news service was not allowed to start early or late. Father Groot dealt with large sums of money, so for security reasons he kept a real pistol in his desk drawer. In the family, this had to remain a secret.

Faith played a leading role in society; there were several Catholic and Reformed institutions. Our country was completely segregated. How far this went shows the ‘Juliana Hospital Regulations’: ‘All student nurses are obliged to attend theological courses to be given by the minister appointed for that purpose. At the end of a course year, an examination must be taken.’ The Reformed Union was calling the shots. This meant that as Roman Catholic medical staff, you could forget about a job in a Reformed hospital. For Corrie, that was very convenient, because in that hospital she could fulfil her wish to become a nurse. But first she had to complete the 2nd Public Household School with a certificate. Although timid and inexperienced, her application went well. In 1933, she could start as an aspiring student nurse for six months with a monthly salary of 30 guilders.

Being of service was the learning objective. In those early days, you were not yet allowed to take care of patients, but you were given the tedious chores such as making beds, emptying bottoms, kitchen work, mopping and scrubbing floors. Whenever there was a day off, people complained at home, ‘I can't stay there, it's like a prison.’ Mother then said ‘’tis not a convent, you can get out.’ But then again, Corrie didn't want that.

Officially, internal training took three years plus a year for maternity nurse training. Diploma A, including secrecy and distinction, was awarded to her in November 1938. Six and a half months later, the Chief Medical Inspector of Public Health added the maternity nursing endorsement to this, again with a badge, this time with stork. From 1941, the hospital offered Corrie a room in its own building, complete with board and lodging, pension, free medical treatment and washing of clothes. Here she lived until independent accommodation, also from the hospital, at Bilderdijkkade 13 I became available. Meanwhile, she had been promoted to head nurse. That entailed organising and supervising the nursing care of a particular ward, in her case the class ward.

After 25 years of loyal service from 1933, Sister Cor became a jubilarian in 1958. Although she was not initially looking forward to it, management and colleagues were able to organise a big party for her. She received many speeches, hymns, poems, letters, congratulatory telegrams, even a piece in the newspaper and of course edifying words in which the Lord God played a leading role. This great attention was generated by an excellent relationship with all sections, from the management, the medical director Dr W. Dijk, medical specialists, the nurses who assisted her to the other nursing staff.

In 1973, the job was over, the retirement age had been reached. Now a grand farewell was organised. One of the surgeons thanked Sister Cor once again for the outstanding care he had once experienced when, as he himself wrote, ‘he was carried into hospital as a novice wreck.’ She herself was far too modest to describe her qualities as excellent; well cared for was enough. As head nurse at the Reformed Nursing Association ‘Juliana Hospital’, Sister Cor had been appointed a Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau by Royal Decree on 7 November 1973 and received the Gold Medal of Honour.

Leaving the hospital also meant a new address, which became her own flat at 275 Nachtwachtlaan in 1974. It was there that Corrie regularly organised dinners for the family, all well taken care of, with fancy tableware. Except on her birthdays, as these were often celebrated at the Apollo Hotel on the waterfront, which was the height of luxury all the way. Her last birthday was lived sadly by the family, no fancy dinner, but coffee and cake, as it was exactly the day of her funeral.

Prior to that, a funeral service took place in the Thomas Church on Prinses Irenestraat, on the gloomiest day of the year with rain, thunder and lightning.

Cornelia Gerardina Groot was buried at Zorgvlied aan de Amstel. There are two graves next to each other, the left one of her sister Mies with husband and the right one where Corrie is with her father Reindert, mother Anna Johanna Maria and sister Reina rests.