Ineke Bos, First Exchange Student in Missouri Returns

Ineke Bos returned to Canton for the Class of 1968 reunion. Ineke said, “When I left Holland and arrived in Canton in August 1967 I was the first exchange student to come to the state of Missouri. The idea from the program of ‘Youth for Understanding’ was and still is to get youngsters acquainted with the people and the culture of the United States.

The family Zenge hosted me and I visited the local high school, from which I graduated in 1968. It was a great year and I learned a lot about the American way of life. Just to mention one thing, the difference in food. In Holland we did not have spare ribs, donuts, corn, water melon, hot dogs in those years. The people of Canton were very friendly, so when my class mates Beverly Hall and Judy Hoffman organized a reunion for the class of 68, I decided to come.  I flew from Amsterdam to Chicago and then to Quincy and drove to Canton to be once more part of the American way of life. We had a great night of sharing memories and when I return to Holland in a few days I will bring back with me the warmth and friendliness of my old classmates.