Saartje IJer was a daughter of Abraham IJer and Kaatje Stad. 17 August 1921 she married Hijman Sanders, a cabinet maker by trade and a son of Abraham Sanders and Esther Fransman. The couple had two children, namely Esther 20 June 1922 and Abraham was born 14 January 1924. Both children were killed in the Shoah.
30 June 1933 the marriage of Saartje IJer and Hijman Sanders ended in a divorce and Saartje and her children Esther and Abraham left Rotterdam for Amsterdam, were they were registered per May 1934 at the address Valkenierstraat 47 2nd stock.
10 June 1936 Saartje married again, to Abraham Walvis from Amsterdam, merchant, a son of Levie Walvis and Grietje Italiaander. From this marriage no children were born. Since 11 January 1939 the Walvis family lived at 2e Oosterparkstraat 81 3rd stock. 19 Februray 1940 Saartje, Abraham and the two children moved to Nieuwe Kerkstraat 10 1st stock and on 9 July 1941 to Weesperstraat 34 3rd stock
22 October 1942 Abraham Walvis was killed in Auschwitz. As there is no registration card made out by the Jewish Council, there could not be established when or from where Abraham Walvis was deported to Auschwitz.
Saartje IJer was deported to Camp Westerbork 28 November 1942, registered there and put on transport to Auschwitz 12 December. Upon arrival 15 December 1942 she has been killed immediately.
Esther Sanders, Saartje’s daughter from her 1st marriage, married 25 March 1942 in Amsterdam the 21-year old Abraham Vreeland, a son of Levie Vreeland and Rachel Kokernoot. Esther and her husband were deported 26 May 1943 to Camp Westerbork, where 6 July 1943 their son Louis was born. 21 September this family was put on transport to Auschwitz, where Esther and her little son of 2 months old, were killed immediately upon arrival there 24 September 1943. Abraham Vreeland forcedly had to do hard labor till he lost his life 24 November 1943.
Abraham Sanders was summoned for employment in Germany but obviously he did not react to the 1st call. 7 August 1942 he was brought in Camp Westerbork with the note on his registration card made out by the Jewish Council: “o.b.v. 2e Aufruf” (based on 2nd call). That same day of 7 August, Abraham was put on transport to Auschwitz were he eventually was killed 30 September 1942.
City Archive of Rotterdam, family registration cards of Hijman Sanders and Saartje IJer; City Archive of Amsterdam, archive cards of Abraham Walvis, Saartje IJer, Esther Sanders and Abraham Vreeland and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Saartje Walvis-Yer (IJer), Esther Vreeland-Sanders, Abraham Vreeland and Abraham Sanders.