Abraham Leman, usually called Bram, born in 1905 in Dedemsvaart, municipality Avereest, as the fifth child of Mozes Leman and Hendrika Tof, married 25 November 1937 in Velsen Annette Henriët Kroonenberg, born in Velsen in 1907, usually called Annie and a daughter of Meijer Kroonenberg and Johanna Blazer. Bram Leman was butcher by trade, lived originally at the old address Kalkwijk F94 in Dedemsvaart, which is named today Julianastraat 20.
Their first born child was stillborn 25 August 1939. Later Bram and Annie had another two children, namely Henderika, born 27 October 1940 and Meijer 1 December 1941.
A few weeks before Annie Leman-Kroonenberg and her children were summoned for the so-called “provision of additional work” in the East and were taken to Westerbork in the late evening of 2 October 1942, Abraham Leman had to report for this already earlier. He was interned in Westerbork, where he stayed in barrack 85 and from 7 November in barrack 55. His wife, Annette Henriët, daughter Henderika and baby-son Meijer followed that late evening of 2 October and were locked in barack 39. From 7 November, they were transferred to barrack 55 too.
The Leman family was put on transport to Auschwitz 16 November 1942 which involved 761 persons. However, the train stopped in Kozel, about 80 km. west from Auschwitz, where 100 men between 15 and 50 years of age were forced to leave the train, to be employed then as forced labourers in the surrounding satellite camps of Auschwitz. It might have been very well possible, that Abraham Leman has belonged to that group; about one-and-a-half year later, he has lost his life somewhere in Mid Europe and his date of death was officially established as 31 March 1944.
The remaining deportees in the train were transported further to Auschwitz and on arrival there 19 November 1942, Annie Leman, her daughter Henderika and baby-son Meijer were immediately killed.
Sources among others: the book “De Joodse Gemeenschap van Avereest”, pages 55-59, by Peter Makaske, published in 1992 by Servo Publishers, Adolph van Ansenlaan 16, 9451 GR Rolde (Drenthe). (ISBN 90-71918-44-0); website wiewaswie.nl; list of Jew-transports from the Netherlands and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Abraham Leman, Annette Henriët Leman-Kroonenberg and Henderika and Meijer Leman.