- Date Of Birth: December 15, 1920
- Date Of Death: May 12, 2010
- State: Florida
Jan Hendrik Postma of Marianna, husband of Emily Postma, died on May 12, 2010. He was 89. Mr. Postma was born in Zutphen, The Netherlands, in 1920. He graduated from H.B.S. and attended Delft University as a student of civil engineering. During the Second World War, Mr. Postma escaped from Holland after first fighting German soldiers who parachuted into his country during the invasion. Using the underground, he managed to reach Switzerland, escape through occupied France, cross the Pyrenees, and leave Spain to reach England to join Allied Forces. He was sent to the United States where he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Marines at Quantico. He graduated from Bomb Disposal School at American University in Washington, DC. He joined the Netherlands Brigade which was deployed to Indonesia to relieve the British troops there. He returned to Holland as a Captain to complete his tour of duty after which he and his wife returned to the United States. They bought a cattle ranch near Marianna in 1948 where he spent the remainder of his life nurturing his family. Mr. Postma was a Past President of the Rotary Club of Marianna and a Paul Harris Fellow. He was a member of the Florida Cattleman’s Association. He is survived by his wife, Emily, with whom he shared 64 years of marriage; four sons: Dr. Jan H. Postma, Jr., of Spartanburg, SC, Dr. Duncan S. Postma of Tallahassee, FL, Dr. Tom W. Postma of Dallas, TX, Dr. Michael P. Postma of Columbus, GA; a daughter, Nancy P. Baxley of Houston, TX; and 15 grandchildren.
