Rachel van der Molen, born 26 January 1900 in Amsterdam as a daughter of Meijer van der Molen and Esther Appel, married 20 March 1940 in Amsterdam the one-year younger trader of vegetables Barend Presser, a son of Mozes Presser and Betje de Hond. The couple had no children.
Till Rachel and Barend were married, they lived at home: Rachel in 2e Oosterparkstraat 23 1st floor , where also her mother lived, and Barend in Marnixstraat 202 parterre. After their marriage, Rachel stayed in 2e Oosterparkstraat and her groom moved in with her. Rachel’s mother Esther Appel (widowed since 1930) lived in with Rachel but per 12 December 1940 she left for a few months to Marnixstraat 202 parterre, where Mozes Presser lived, the father of her son-in-law. In April 1941 she moved again for a short time to Pension Hertzberger in Titiaanstraat 17 in Amsterdam.
Since 29 June 1942 had Barend Presser this job with de Jewish Counil as supervisor distribution vegetables at Nieuwe Herengracht 23 so he was exempted from deportation for the time being, reason why his wife Rachel had a “Sperre” too. She suffered from asthma and had no job anymore since 1942. Barend used to be working in the vegetable trade.
On 25 May 1942 were both arrested during the big raids that were held by the Germans the end of May in Amsterdam. In Westerbork they ended up in barrack 63 till they were deported 1 June to Sobibor. There, on arrival on 4 June 1943, Rachel van der Molen and her husband Barend Presser were immediately killed.
Sources among others: City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Meijer van der Molen and Mozes Presser, archive cards of Rachel van der Molen, Barend Presser and Esther Appel, residence card of 2e Oosterparkstraat 23 and the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Rachel Presser-van der Molen and Barend Presser.