Bernard Salomon van Straten, a son of Manuel van Straten and Helena Frank, was born on 31 March 1881 in Herwijnen. He married Mietje Walg 4 December 1912 in Rotterdam. A daughter of Eduard Walg and Klaartje Blok. Mietje was born on 3 March 1875 in Ouderkerk aan den IJssel. Bernard and Mietje had one son together, Manuël, who was born on 4 October 1913 in Herwijnen. He was a farmer, working in agriculture and he was unmarried.
However, on 13 December 1937 Mietje Walg passed away in Herwijnen and she was interred in the Jewish Cemetery there. Then, in December 1938 at the age of 57, the butcher Bernard van Straten remarried his 41-year old and never married cousin Sophia van der Sluis, a daughter of Elias van der Sluis and Sara Frank. She was born in Vlijmen on 27 August 1897 but from this marriage, no children were born anymore.
Notes on the registration cards from the file cabinet of the Jewisch Council of Bernard Salomon van Straten and Sophia van Straten-van der Sluis indicate that they both have been carried off from Herwijnen to concentration camp Vught in the spring 1943. However, its date is unknown. At the other hand it is known that both were transported from Vught to Westerbork on 9 May 1943, where they had to stay in barrack 58, and were deported to Sobibor two days later, on 11 May.
Notes on the registration card from the file cabinet of the Jewish Council of Bernard Salomon van Straten, made 14 May 1943 indicate that just before he his deportation to Sobibor, that for notary Deurvoorst a signed power of attorney had come available,signed by Bernard Salomon van Straten on 9 May 1943, at the expense of notary Eblé in Gorinchem, which most likely had to do with the forced sale of agricultural land from Jewish owners.
On 11 May 1943, Bernard Salomon van Straten and his wife Sophia van der Sluis were put on transport to Sobibor and on arrival there on 14 May 1943, they were both immediately killed in the gas chambers there.
Sources include the website Openarchieven.nl/certificate of birth for Sophia van der Sluis; website wiewaswie.nl/wedding certificates of Van Straten x Walg and Van Straten x Van der Sluis; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Bernard Salomon van Straten and Sophia van Straten-van der Sluis and additions of visitors of the website.