The Latest from Diet Eman
The first week of June was quite a week for Diet Eman.The Grand Rapids resident – noted for her part in the Dutch Resistance movement against the Nazis during World War II – was honored by King Willem–Alexander and Queen Maxima of The Netherlands on June 2 during the couple's royal visit to West Michigan.
At Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park the 95 year-old Eman was honored with a performance of a ballet called "It Is Well" performed by Turning Point School of Dance.
The dance was based on Eman's book about her Resistance experiences titled "Things We Couldn't Say."
Eman shared some private moments with the King and Queen immediately afterward.
Meanwhile, a dramatic play also based on the book was completing its run at Master Arts Theatre in Byron Township. It was there that actor Richard Wylie told a Saturday matinee audience that Eman took a fall later in the week and broke her hip. He said she was having surgery that same day.
The actor noted that Eman has remained quite active into her '90s, and had been planning a mission-style trip to the Dominican Republic to teach English.
After the play Wylie said he had received word that her hip procedure had been successful.
Eman had visited several of the play's performances during May, and also appeared during a "meet the authors" event with playwright James Schaap who co-authored the original 1999 book.
Her story was also told last year in an original musical-drama production at Blythefield Hills Baptist Church in Plainfield Township.
