A Dutch family can call itself the oldest family in the world. With a combined age of 1101 years, the Beers family makes it into the Guinness World Records book.
The beers are tapped early in the village hall in Westwoud in North Holland. There is something to celebrate; the twins Nick and Riek Beers will blow out 95 candles on Sunday. This brings the family, consisting of thirteen siblings, to a total age of 1101 years old. With that they have achieved the world record, confirms Guinness World Records. The record holders from Ireland were 1075 years old in 2017.
The family likes to party. On the day the father of the family would have turned 100, he passed away at the age of 73, the whole family went to the cemetery. “Where’s the birthday girl?” then one of the brothers shouted. “We have on that” He won’t live long, he won’t live long, in the Gloria’ sung,” says brother Harm (79).
45 grandchildren
Parents Jan and Ali Beers produced fifteen children, two of whom are now deceased, as well as 45 grandchildren, 77 great-grandchildren and 24 great-great-grandchildren. In such a large family there is always something to celebrate. “We have had eleven weddings in a year and a half.”
The family grew up in Heerhugowaard-Noord. Mother Beers was caring and in control. Father Beers was a bit stricter. It was a Catholic family. “There was always a nice atmosphere, we got good food and we never really argued with each other,” says sister Gre (92). They had to share beds, but they didn’t think that was a problem. “The two of us slept in a double bed, but we also knew friends who had to sleep with three in a bed,” says brother Jos (73). “So we didn’t have it that bad at all,” adds Harm.
It was always very busy at the Beers family. Sister Riek has always found that very pleasant. “I never really have my mother not seen pregnant,” says Riek. When her twin brother lived in America for 25 years, she never really missed him. “It was always so busy that sometimes I didn’t even realize we were missing someone,” she says with a laugh.
Shocked
When the grandfather of the family learned that he was going to be a grandfather to twins, he was so shocked that he walked out into the street without looking. “A car then hit him. In those days, fortunately, they didn’t drive as fast as they do now,” laughs the eldest twin sister Riek.
Sister Nel (75) actually just had bad luck. She is the second youngest of the family. Below her is a little brother and above her are five brothers. The youngest daughter, next to Nel, is ten years older. “Because I was the only girl among all those brothers, I had to go to my mother’s domestic science school. I hated that. I wanted to be an analyst, but I also understood that I had to help in the family.”
It is not clear what exactly was in the mother’s milk, but they are all still healthy and full of life. The eldest brother Nick recently renewed his driver’s license for five years. So he can still make the road unsafe until his hundredth birthday.
