Alex van Gelder, a son of David Salomon van Gelder and of Sara van Wije, married 26 September 1905 in Borne to Eva Lievendag, a daughter of Salomon Lievendag and Rozetta Sleisner. The couple had four children, namely David Salomon in 1906, Roosje in December 1907, Samuel in 1914 and Rika in 1922. David Salomon and Samuel survived the Holocaust but Roosje and Rika – both unmarried – were killed in Auschwitz 12 October 1942, together with their parents.
Alex van Gelder was a horse butcher. They lived at Deldenerstraat in Hengelo at various housenumbers, but the latest was nr. 29. After 1941 Alex, Eva and Roosje moved again one time to Tulpstraat 27 in Hengelo; this was their last known address. Their daughter Rika went to Van Galenstraat 5 in Enschede where she lived in with Comprecht Bernard Sanders and his family (also known as Gerard Sanders). He was secretary of the Jewish Council in Enschede. It may have been possible that Rika was there as servant maid.
Early October 1942, many Jewish inhabitants in Holland were sent to Westerbork to be deported to Eastern Europe. Alex van Gelder, his wife Eva Lievendag and both their daughters Roosje and Rika arrived there in a night between 3 and 5 October. It is unknown in which barack they had to stay and wait for their deportation, however 9 October they were all put on transport to Auschwitz. On arrival there 12 October 1943, all were immediately killed.
Municipal Archive of Hengelo, family registration card of Alex van Gelder; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council of Alex van Gelder, Eva van Gelder-Lievendag, Roosje van Gelder and Rika van Gelder and an addition of a visitor of the website.