Elsje Oudkerk was the second youngest of the seven children of Meijer Oudkerk and Maria Cohenno and was born on 7 March 1882 in Amsterdam. Her father was previously married to Grietje Trijbetz, who however died at the birth of her first and stillborn daughter on 15 August 1872.
Her father had seven children with his 2nd wife Maria Cohenno, namely Heiman in May 1874, but died 4 weeks later. Then Jo…