Ladies and gentlemen welcome to Huize Ecury or the house of Ecury Built in 1870 the house belonged as the name implies to the Ecury Family. A well-known merchant family of Aruba consisting of Patriarch Dundun Ecury, matriarch Annie Ernst and 13 kids. The reason families were so large back then was because: Infant mortality rate was high, Life was mostly rural, (more hands made lighter work), and finally there was a severe lack of entertainment.

Of this illustrious brood lucky number 7 would become synonymous with duty, bravery and equality for the Arubian people. Born on April 22 nd , 1922, Segundo Jorge Adalberto Ecury affectionately known as Boy Ecury was the 7 th child of Dun Dun and Annie. It was obvious from an early age that Boy had a fighting spirit which would sometimes land him in trouble at home and at school.

In 1937 young Boy accompanied by his brother Nicky decided to complete and further his studies in the Netherlands. By the time he finished the first length of his studies in July of 1939, Austria and the Sudetenland had already been annexed under Germany, with Poland falling in September of the same year. In early May of 1940 Rotterdam lay in ruins marking the start of the German occupation of Netherlands.

Boy was 18 at the time and was firsthand witness to the discrimination and atrocities perpetrated by the Nazi’s. This prompted him to join the resistance. His tasks as a resistance fighter included:

1. Monitoring Nazi movement and radio it to the Allies (US and England)
2. Conduct raids on Nazi depots and storage centers
3. Disrupt resource transportation by way of derailment and blown-up bridges
4. Protect and grant safe passage for downed US and English fighter pilots underground

Our Fallen Soldier: Boy Ecury

He stood fast and never broke, uttering these last words: “There’s no room for traitors in my father’s house.” And with that he sealed his fate. Jorge Segundo Adelberto Ecury was executed by firing squad on November 6th , 1944, in The Hague.

It took almost 3 years for his body to come home, but when it did on April 25 th , 1947, he was buried with military honors. Our fallen Soldier Boy Ecury. The Ecury House is now home to the National Archaeological Museum of Aruba, which you can visit freely and learn about the Preceramic and the precolonial era, as well as some extra details about the House and the family.

Guys, that’s it for today’s episode. I hope you enjoyed the tour, as always, once a guest always a friend.