Maria E. Van Cuilenburg

April 23, 1922 - January 15, 2020

Maria “Miep” van Cuilenburg (née Legeer), beloved mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother, passed away Wednesday, January 15, 2020 in Ashland, Oregon. She was 97 years old. Miep loved people and people loved her. She lived a full life, including family, a 67-year marriage to Jacob “Jake” van Cuilenburg, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, travel, work, volunteering at local organizations like the Ashland Shakespeare Festival, serving the community through the Ashland First Presbyterian Church, and surviving World War II in The Netherlands, while supporting the Dutch Underground. Miep was born in Ermelo, The Netherlands, on April 23, 1922. During her childhood, her family owned and operated a hotel, Het Haagsche Schouw, in Voorschoten. In 1941, Miep met Jake van Cuilenburg in the church choir. After the war, in 1946, they were married and carried away in a horse-drawn carriage. In 1950, they immigrated to the United States and settled in Glen Cove, on the north shore of Long Island, New York. While in New York, Miep raised her two daughters, worked at a bank, and made her home the heart of many family celebrations and gatherings. Miep and Jake moved to Ashland for retirement in 1984. They first lived in the Green Meadows neighborhood, and later became pioneer residents of the Mountain Meadows community. In her retirement, Miep spent time with her family, including many trips to the Oregon coast; volunteered; and traveled to places such as New Zealand, The Netherlands, Italy, Switzerland, Austria, Germany, former Yugoslavia, the Caribbean, Alaska, and many other locations in the United States. Her family and friends knew her as kind, outgoing, smart, and generous with her love, time, and smiles. She is survived by her daughter, Rita (Bill) Petrocine of Ashland, Oregon, as well as five grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren: Kirsten (Mark, Sonja) Pennington of Portland, Oregon; Kyle (Esther, Walker, Bayja) Petrocine of Joseph, Oregon; Kaija (Josh, Natalie, Bryce) Johnston of Leesburg, Virginia; Sara Petrocine of Ashland, Oregon; and Cole (Brittany, Maranne, Julian) Dinse of Fairport, New York. She was preceded in death by her husband, Jake van Cuilenburg, and her daughter, Kitty Dinse. A memorial service for Miep will be held at the Ashland First Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, January 25, 2020. Donations in lieu of flowers may be given to a charity of your choice.