Yvonne Fenijn

Yvonne (Dauvillier) Fenijn On September 2nd, 1932, Yvonne Dauvillier was born in Soerabaja, Java, Dutch Indies and raised on a sugar cane plantation, along with her younger brother Ro, by her parents Stella (Same thini), and Lex. She survived the Japanese occupation of 1942 (of what would later become Indonesia) and the internment of her family in prison camps. After allied liberation, she was reunited with her brother and father, and continued to live in the camps until Indonesian sovereignty in 1950. After arriving in Holland, the Dauvillier family lived in the Hague, where Yvonnes little sister Marcelle was born. They resettled in the Town of Dordrecht two years later, where Yvonne began her working carrier, and where most of her family still lives. At the age of 19 she was wooed by (and later married to) Chris Fenijn of De Bilt, who offered her an umbrella, on a perfectly sunny day, and immediately won her heart. It was a marriage admired by those who knew them; deep and soulful. In any photograph of the two, their regard for one another is obvious, electric and timeless. They were married on March 16,1952. Chris, and his new bride Yvonne immigrated to the US, and in 1954 they passed through Ellis Island en route to a bucolic farm in Lincoln, Massachusetts; a community that reminded them fondly of Holland. This land would be the Fenijn home for over sixty years, seeing the growth of two daughters, and subsequent generations of proud Dutch-American grandchildren. Her 'oasis' on the banks of Valley Pond was lush with fragrant gardens, fruit trees, and countless species of plants which the family cultivated. In later years, Chris constructed a greenhouse for the orchids which Yvonne loved, and which he tended religiously for decades until his passing on August 3rd, 1993. Yvonne was a beautiful woman, a devoted wife and mother, gardener, and a voracious cook; much to the delight of family and close friends. She was most content spending time in her home, with her family, and being an advocate for animals in need. She sheltered innumerable cats and dogs during her life, and instilled that compassion in her children and grandchildren. She is preceded in death by her brother Ro, and survived by her beloved sister, Marcelle Poelman, husband Wim, and nephews Rainier, and Maurice Dauvillier and their families in the Netherlands. Yvonne leaves behind two daughters, Karin of Acton, Massachusetts, and Inga of Fairplay, Colorado. Son-in-laws Rene Malo and Mark Hanks, as well as grandsons, Alex and Nick Malo, and Erik Hanks. May she now be reunited with those that she has lost, and may she rest in eternal peace knowing that she will be fondly remembered, deeply missed, and always loved. As per her wishes, she will be buried alongside her husband Chris in the Summer of 2017. Donations can be made in honor of Yvonne Fenijn to: Buddy Dog Humane Society, Inc. 151 Boston Post Road, Sudbury, MA 01776. (978) 443-6990. info@buddydoghs.org.