The likely names of the people in the photo, so we have, even though we cannot support the son of the two. Then perhaps the most mysterious question remains; How did this photo of a family from Oldenzaal land in a front garden in Emmer-Compascuum? That will remain a bit of a mystery for the time being, although we have devised a theory at the editors of RTV Drenthe. One in which photo finder Stephanie Bosch-Oraends and cousin of the photographed couple Jonnie Stegink can come in.
In a telephone conversation with Stegink, he tells between nose and lips that this year he happened to get hold of some old family photo albums. We work on that, because what did he do with that? “Those albums passed several family members and everyone took photos that are valuable for them. I was the last one in line, so I was left in the gray container.” We ask him when this was. “Phoe, that must have been at the end of February, early March,” says Stegink.
Then suddenly all kinds of puzzle pieces seem to fall into place. Because Stephanie Bosch-Arends found the photo in her garden in March. When we hear from Jonnie Stegink where he comes from, there is suddenly a kind of Eureka moment. Stegink and his family are originally from Overijssel, but he moved to Emmen a few years ago. Not far from Emmer-Compascuum, where the photo was found.
On the editors of RTV Drenthe, the scenario seems clear: the photo ended up via a garbage truck from Emmen in Emmer-Compascuum. Perhaps blown out of the garbage truck on a route of Jonnie Stegink’s house towards the house of finder Stephanie Bosch-Astens. Stephanie himself can confirm that the photo was in a place in the garden, near where containers are on the street. So as far as she is concerned, the theory is very likely.
A spokesperson for Area cleaning, the company that provides waste collection in Emmen and also Emmer-Compascuum, sees less salvation in this theory. “No, that seems very unlikely to me. Emmer-compascuum is really a completely different area, so a garbage truck that first does a round in Emmen, then does not go directly to Emmer-Compascuum. The waste ends up in a well-closed container, so there cannot just go out for something. I can almost certainly exclude this, but it is an interesting story,” said the AREASvoard.
Despite that, we don’t let the garbage truck theory completely loose, but we will never know for sure how that photo ended up in the garden in Emmer-Compascuum. Anyway, the photo mystery has fueled a good portion of curiosity in a lot of people. Tips about and additions to this story remain welcome, mail them to [email protected].