At the age of seven, Yolt IJzerman was made a member of the Dutch Windmill Association (Vereniging De Hollandsche Molen) by his father. This gift caused quite a stir. In South Holland, as a child, Yolt just managed to witness the last professional millers on polder windmills. He became fascinated by mill culture in the broadest sense. From his studies at Wageningen University, Yolt immersed himself in the Veluwe springs, artificial streams, and the watermills situated along them. From 1982 until his passing, Yolt was an active board member of the Bekenstichting, which is dedicated to preserving this green and mill-related heritage. He was also a voluntary miller and a member of the examination committee for new millers in the province of Friesland. Although born in Amsterdam he spoke fluent Frisian.
Yolt was already a member of our society around 1970. He was still a student when the symposium was held in the Netherlands in 1973. The symposium chairman allowed Yolt to participate and to sleep in his student room in Wageningen. Since then, Yolt was a passionate fan of TIMS. This resulted in active participation in symposia, writing papers, and inspiring others. Yolt's three most important contributions are: his chairmanship of TIMS from 1993 to 2000, the organization of the TIMS Symposium in the Netherlands in 2007, and the professionalization of International Molinology.
As he wrote himself: there is still so much to do, but I have had a beautiful life.
With Yolt, we lose not only a great expert on windmills but also a valued friend.
Ton Meesters,
TIMS President
