Jo Laan, the Ezelman from Zuidoostbeemster, has passed away. He turned 96. He was a well-known Beemsterling who traveled through the polder with six and in the past even eight donkeys in front of his cart, attracting a lot of attention. “Everyone here in the Beemster used to take a picture of Jo and his donkeys,” says Geert Heikens of Binnendijks, the magazine for the Beemster.
He also became a well-known Dutchman when André van Duin visited him at home for the Animal Crackers program. Jo also appeared in Van Zuks Dus and Man bijt Hond. He was able to live in his own house until the end. “He would have liked that very much,” says Geert, who has not seen him on the street in recent years. Jo’s last donkeys had already been moved elsewhere.
Those donkeys were his lust and his life. “They are my children”, Jo said when asked. He himself was never married and lived with his brother. He loved it so much that the donkeys were allowed to come into the house. One of them, Jaap, could easily open the kitchen door and in no time three or four donkeys would be crowding each other in the kitchen. What did Jo like so much about donkeys? The reporter wanted to know. “That they are stubborn, just like me,” he replied.
donkey girls
He has had eleven in decades that he has recorded by name in one painting. So they stayed with him forever. He was busy every day with his donkeys in and behind his house on the Volgerweg; to care for them and to paint them. His whole house is full of donkeys on pendants, frames and incorporated into clocks.
In 2015, Winfried Baijens visited Jo and his donkeys in the Neighborhoods programme.
Jo Laan de Ezelman van de Beemster in 2015 in the program Neighborhoods. – NH News
To take care of those donkeys, he often asked girls from the neighborhood to help him. “These horse girls”, says Geert, “and when they started dating Jo would say ‘and then she will go to another donkey’. Wonderful!”
Prices
Jo graced many a party in the Beemster with his donkeys. At Sinterklaas parades, the annual Open Day, for a living nativity scene or children’s parties and weddings. And Jo also really enjoyed showing off his donkeys. Dozens of cups are in his house. All prizes that Jo won at donkey inspections throughout the Netherlands.
The donkeys had been out of the house for a few years but Jo was able to enjoy his cats until the end. And with the help of home care and neighbors, he was able to live at home until the bitter end. Jo will be cremated on Friday in a private circle and on Thursday between 6.30 pm and 8 pm he can be said goodbye to him in his house on the Volgerweg.
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