Rika van Gelder was a daughter of Alex van Gelder and Eva Lievendag. She was born in 1922 in Borne as youngest of four children. Two brothers, David Salomon and Samuel have survived the Holocaust. Her elder sister Roosje has been killed in Auschwitz, together with her parents and she herself.
Rika van Gelder lived at home with her parents at Deldenerstraat 29 in Hengelo (O), who later have moved to Tulpstraat 27. It is unknown when she has left for Van Galenstraat 5 in Enschede, which was her last known address as stated on her registration card of the Jewish Council. That address was of the family of Comprecht Bernard Sanders (better known as Gerard Sanders), who was the secretary of the Jewish Council in Enschede and managing clerk at the "Stoomweverij Nijverheid", owned by the Van Gelderen family. Rika may have been living in with the Sanders family as domestic help.
Eventually was Rika deported to Westerbork together with her parents and sister and arrived there in the night between 3 and 5 October 1942. From there she was put on transport to Auschwitz 9 October and on arrival there 12 October 1942, her parents, sister and sheself have been killed immediately.
Municipal Archive of Hengelo, family registration card of Alex van Gelderen from the Peoples Registry; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration card of Rika van Gelder and an addition of a visitor of the website.