Jacob Stodel was born on 20 March 1872 in Amsterdam as a son of Joseph Stodel and Betje Metz. He was a diamond worker by profession and married on 26 May 1897 Elisabeth van Stratum in Zaandam, a daughter of Lion van Stratum and Alida Pije. The couple had four children, namely Alida in 1901, Josephine in 1906 (who only lived to be four days old) and the twin Leo and Joseph in 1908, of whom Joseph d…