National monument
The former bakery at the Gele Eker in Wergea is a national monument which has number 22930 in the register of protected monuments of the national Office of Cultural Heritage. The property is described as 'beautiful located property consisting of a high portion under gable roof between two gables, of which the one on the street side has three water lists, checkered arches above the floor windows and a toppilaster and with decorative anchor. Facing brick with 1663. Rods in the floor windows. Lower construction against the side wall under cross gable roof. Windows with nine window panes and wood gutter on profiled bobbins.'

Foundation of the House
The place where the house was built is an excellent place for traders and merchants. Who built the house is not known, but the foundation of the house was in 1663 as evidenced by a facing brick in the front of the bakery. In view of the construction and the original format it probably intended to be a merchant's house, with the store to the right side and a storage place at the left side. The builder had sufficient means which is proved by the size of the house. The long low wing in line with the facade of the main building is of about 1690.
 
There's a story in Wergea that the first occupant was a Frisian of birth who has earned his fortune in Holland. He has probably not for long enjoyed his home, because the house is quite soon owned by the Plecker family. In 1685  Stephanus Plecker, schoolmaster, organist, village judge and tax receiver in Wergea, sells the house to the first baker in this huse, the merchant Jacob Hilles and his wife Antie Jans. The deed shows that trade is already existing: 'free passage towards and storage at the canal'.
Stephanus Plecker is a son of Abrahamus Plecker, reverend in Wergea of 1611 to 1664. By his marriage he was half owner of the Âld Manor or Popma estate. He was one of the founders and administrators of the Popma Infirmary at the Kleine Buren in Wergea.

1685 - 1691   The first baker . . . Jacob Hilles

To be able to buy the house Jacob Hilles should have had sufficient means. He was the second son of Hille Juckes Juckes and Bauck Jacobs, who had various possessions in Wergea. As a mennonite he married on October 2nd 1671 to Antie Jans van Swichum. Before he moved to the bakery he was a merchant. Not much is known about the family because as mennonites they did not baptize their children. Jacob Hilles starts a bakery in the house.  During his stay, the wing was developed, in which the baking oven was created.

The bakery at the Gele Eker in 1941, photo of the Friese Bouwkring (Ryksargyf Fryslân, nr. 18458)

1691 - 1754   Wibe Abes and son Piter Wibes

Baker Hille Jacobs has not lived here for long, because in 1691 he sells the business to Wibe Abes and Tiets Anders. From the deed you can concluded that Jacob Hilles builded a separate 'baking house' at the house: 'in a certain new and well to do house on the corner together with a baking house at the Inbuyren'.

Afterwards son Piter Wibes is baker on the same place. In 1717 Tiets Wibes is owner and occupant. Her husband was deceased and the name of Tiets Anders changed into Tiets Wibes. With the help of son Piter she managed the bakery until her son on May 13th, 1725 married with Eeke Lieuwes, a girl from Wergea. His mother then could rent a house of the mennonite municipality at the end of the Gele Eker.

Piter Wibes did well with his bakery, because in 1749 was written about him: 'a baker who easily gains his income'. Piter Wibes not only bakes for the people of Wergea but also for the ship-owners who come to Wergea with their ships. We know this from a process in March of 1746 against 'Hessel Alberts skipper at Wergea' because  of 'supplied bread for him and his crew'.

1754 - 1796   Hyltsje Johannes Boonstra

On February 21, 1754 Piter Wibes sells for 750 gold guilders and five pennies his company to Durk Jans, master schoemaker, and Antsje Sikkens. They don't buy the house for their own use, because the old shoemaker became a year before farmer on an estate of the presbytery. The bakery was intended for their daughter Martsen Durks, who marrie on February 24th, 1754 with Hyltsje Johannes Boonstra. According to the deed they are buying 'a bakery, fronthouse and baking house, as well as an old baking house and courtyard belonging to the house', which shows that Piter Wibes builded a new baking house. This was still there at the beginning of the 20th century. 

After his marriage Hyltsje Boonstra starts as a baker. The marriage is short  because of the early death of Martsen Durks, leaving Hyltsje behind with a daughter Akke. On May 8th, 1760 Hyltsje remarries with Jeltsje Easges Teernstra. In 1763 Hyltsje and Jeltsje have a financial benefit if the inherit from the late Reinder Bockes, grandfather of Hyltsje on his mother's side.

A postcard from 1904 taken from the Wergeaster Canal. In the middle the Baptist church of Wergea, currently having eight residential apartments and the name 'De Koepel'. To the left surrounded by a wooden fence you see partly the notary house. On the right the facade of the bakery of Jelmers Grytje, to whom the bakery is called the 'Golden Angel'. The property had at that time shutters for the windows.

1796 - 1823   Durk Reinders Steenhuizen

Their middle daughter Antsje married on June 12th, 1796 in the Formanje in Wergea with Durk Reinders Steenhuizen and becomes the bakers wife in her parents home. Her father Hyltsje died years before. The young couple is renting the bakery from their mother(-in-law), who lives together with them.

Bakkerij, tavern, liquor store and flour trade

The business is flourishing. The number of inhabitants of Wergea was still not so big and probably bake Durk baked twice a week, especially since the morning and supper consisted mainly of rye bread that could last longer.
In addition to the bakery shop his tavern, liquor store and flour trade were a main part of the business of Durk Steenhuizen. For years alcoholics drinks were sold in this company, while one could buy a small drink illegaly. For the trade in cattle food he had a warehouse at the Waterfront. Given quite a few worries and manpower it is clear that he recruited a servant. Hyltsje, the oldest son of Johannes Hyltsjes Boonstra, was his servant for a long period of time. When he gets married 1815 and starts his owny bakery in Wergea, his eight years younger brother Reinder became servant with his uncle.

1823 - 1939   three generations De Vries

Because Reinder Boonstra marries the same year as his brother a foreign servant is recruited. His name is Fedde Piters de Vries, a young man from Marssum. He learned at his fathers bakery in Marssum his bakers craftmanship. Fedde is going to live with the Steenhuizen family. The close contact with the family mean that Fedde marries on May 27th, 1818 with daughter Jeltsje. The couple probably married in the skippers inn at the end of the Hillebuoren by the old baker Nolke Oevering.

Baker Fedde gets help of his son Piter who in 1848 marries with Klaeske Romkes Zetstra, a daughter of the Wergeaster schoolmaster Romke Rikels Zetstra. Shortly after the wedding of Piter Feddes de Vries (grand)father Piter dies on August 7th, 1848. Mother Jeltsje is taking up the business, but son Piter is mainly in charge. He becomes an independent boss as his mother dies a year later on September 9th, 1849.

Piter Feddes now is the baker, who had his youngest brother Jelmer at home and learned him the bakers trade. The cooperation did not work long because Piter dies on September 1st, 1857. His wife Klaeske runs the business and was in charge of the bakers shop. Her brother-in-law Jelmer Fedde de Vries runs the bakery. The family business can continu.

Jelmer marries on June 8th 1871 with Grytsje Gerbens de Jong, a daughter of the shoemaker Gerben Tsjerks de Jong of the Gele Eker. The couple is the new bakers pair at the place. They have three sons, but the marriage luck is not for long. On May 2nd, 1884 Jelmers gets a brain hemorrhage and dies, just 48 years old.

1920's picture of the bread and biscuit bakery at the Gele Eker in Wergea. On the picture baker Gerben de Vries and his wife Lokke de Jong. The current resident has restored the facade board. The box to the right of the windows - on which the inhabitants of Wergea could attach advertisements - also is remade. Here you can read the history of the house.

Jelmers Grytsje . . . the Golden Angel

As a result of a pneumonia her eldest son Fedde dies at the age of seventeen. He can not take over the business of his mother. And so his mother Jelmers Grytsje has to do the bakery all on her own. Because of her role grows her name Jelmers Grytsje is getting well-known in Wergea and in the memory of the older inhabitants in Wergea it is still 'the bakery of Jelmers Grytsje'.

When during the years of the big crisis the workers did not have sufficient means, they always could come to the bakers widow Jelmers Grytsje. 'As long as flour is made and we have flour, you will have bread' was her saying and many workers wife went home without paying for bread. This was remembered and if they talked about her it was said: 'In Wergea we only have one angel and she is the lady with the golden hair'. By this they meant Grytsje, because she was working from early in the morning until late in the evening with her golden hood behind the counter. The name of the house is in honour of her: ' Golden Angel '.

In order to be able to continue the business she had to hire a stranger. From about 1900 this was bakers servant Sybren van der Ploeg. But he soon meets Sanderina de Boer and together they started a bakery at the Hillebuorren. Grytsje loses her servant and has another competitor. His successor is Simen Elgersma from Surch. He lives in the same house of the old bakers wife, but will also not stay for long. He meets Ljoekje Kleefstra and when in 1908 one of the bakeries at the Nijehoek in Wergea gets available Simen and Ljoekje take over the business. Again Grytsje loses a servant and she gets more or less a competitor.

Until 1914 Grytsje is the bakers wife, when her son Gerben de Vries and his wife Lokke de Jong take over the business. After the couple has taken over in 1914 the bakery Lokke soon has to manage on her own, because of the mobilization of 1914-1918 Gerben has to do his military duty all these four years. In 1939 Douwe de Jong from Dokkum takes over the bakery from Gerben and Lokke. After two centuries of family business the last member of the family De Vries stops.

The bakers couple Douwe de Jong and Hiltje Jongeling behind the bakers house at the Gele Eker, photo about 1950. Douwe de Jong was the last baker in this bakery. He arrives here in 1939 from Dokkum and because of the remidiation of the bread bakers he stops in 1960. With it came an end to the olde bakery at the Gele Eker as a commercial building.

1939 - 1960 De last baker . . . Douwe de Jong

Douwe de Jong is from Dokkum. On May 3rd, 1939 together with his wife Hiltje Jongeling he takes over the bakery at the Gele Eker, at that time still called Nieuweweg. In 1960 Douwe and Hiltje move to Huzum close to Leeuwarden. Douwe has a decease and is not allowed to bake any longer.  By means of a benefit from the Restructuring Fund for Bread Bakeries he stops the bakery. He undertakes 'never in the municipalityi of Idaarderadeel a bread baking company, nor to exercise the resellers business for bread'.

 
1960 - present

After the last baker has left the house is owned by an Amsterdam antiques dealer Koffijberg, who demolishes much of the interior to sell it, then by poor maintenance the house is decaying. He removes the familiar white-blue tiles from Makkum ceramics from the wall of the former living room.

In 1962 the property is owned by Jan de Jong, who sells it in 1973 to Lolke van der Meer. He prevents further decay by the most necessary interventions. In 1991 the house is bought by photographer Fenna Orre de Jong, who is married to Gerard Wolters, director of theater Het Posthuis in Heerenveen. They have the house substantially restorated in 1998.

In 2003 the presen inhabitant Bert Finke buys the house, who has redesigned the nine rooms. In the course of the following years the necessary alterations and major maintenance have taken place. The wing on ground floor level has been transferred into a library. In addition, two new bathrooms and a new kitchen were installed. In 2016-2017 restoration maintenance has been executed to the property.