Fun Facts Friday: Hilda Gerarda van Stockum

Hilda Gerarda van Stockum (9 February, 1908 – 1 November, 2006) was a writer and artist from the Netherlands. Ms. van Stockum is known for her book The Winged Watchman.

Books by Hilda Gerarda van Stockum*

1)      She was born in Rotterdam to a Dutch Royal Navy officer.

2)      Her grandfather, Charles Boissevain, was the editor of an influential Dutch newspaper.

3)      Her brother was famous mathematician Willem Jacob van Stockum, not only was he a pioneer of the then new theory of gravitation (general relativity), he also volunteered to be a pilot for the Allies in WWII where he unfortunately found his death during a bombing run.

4)      Her husband, Ervin Ross Marlin, was a friend of her brother. Together the couple had six children.

5)      As a child she lived in the Netherlands and Ireland. Later she lived in the US, Canada, and England for many years.

6)      A Day on Skates: The Story of a Dutch Picnic (1935), was Ms. van Stockum’s first book and won honors from

the Newbery Medal committee.

7)      Her best known book, The Winged Watchman, describes true events of how windmills were used for signaling the Dutch Resistance during World War II.

8)      In 1983 she was elected to the Honorary Council of the Royal Hibernian Academy in Ireland.

9)      In 1993, one of Ms. van Stockum’s paintings was selected to be featured on an Irish postage stamp.

10)   Ms. van Stockum passed away at her home in Berkhamsted, England. She lived to be 98 years old.

Books by Hilda Gerarda van Stockum*

Zohar — Man of la Book
*Ama­zon links point to an affil­i­ate account