 1941
to 1949 – The War and Recovery
By late summer of 1941, the U.S. was in a state of undeclared war
with Germany. World War II put a screeching halt to the construction
and growth of Fair Lawn. The Company, like the rest of the Country,
went into the “war mode,” producing parts and pieces
that went into the war effort. Kuiken Brothers had a contract with
Wright Aeronautical to manufacture and supply wood components that
went into the shipping crates for aircraft engines.
One by one, each of the four US-born Kuikens entered the war.
Edward was drafted March 17, 1941 into the Army Infantry and served
as a Platoon Sergeant specializing in mortars and machine guns.
He served throughout Europe. He received a Purple Heart for being
wounded in action against the enemy in Brest, France and a Cluster
(2nd Purple Heart) for wounds he suffered while fighting in the
Erft region west of the Rhine River in Germany. Additionally, he
received both a Silver Star in Brest and a Bronze Star in Normandy.
Edward was discharged in 1945.
 Richard,
then engaged to Jeanette Rienstra, enlisted in 1943. With his experience
at Wright Aeronautical, he served in the Air Force as a mechanic
in England and France. Evan entered the service the same year directly
from high school. He served in the Navy as a Seabee, a combat engineer,
in the Pacific Ocean. Both Richard and Evan were also discharged
in 1945. Lastly, in 1944, Nick H. left behind wife Jeannette and
children Muriel and Henry to serve in the Army Infantry as a mortar
gunner in Europe. He was discharged in 1946.
Within weeks of returning to the States, several of the US-born
Kuikens were given two weeks to decide whether they wanted to join
the company. Edward joined first followed by Richard. Nick H. joined
following just one day of service with his former employer, the
Fair Lawn Police Force. All worked as truck drivers and did anything
else that was needed. Company assets included three trucks. A forklift
came later. Inclusive of both generations of Kuikens, there were
just 13 employees in the company. Evan, however, enrolled at Pace
University to study Accounting and Finance. Evan earned a B.A. in
Accounting and became the first Kuiken to earn a university diploma.
Following the war, there was a great building boom and the company
thrived. Vast areas of farmlands were developed for single-family
homes and several large garden apartment complexes. The population
of Fair Lawn was nearly 10,000. Homeowners were the majority of
The Kuiken Brothers customers. In 1949, the company published the
Kuiken Hardware News, a monthly periodical. It included storage,
cleaning and gardening tips and advertised Master Locks for 35¢
and a Broom Type Rake for 69¢. The September issue announced
that the store would be open Fridays until 9 pm as of that month.
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