Betjen Hemelrijk was a daughter of Jacob Barend Hemelrijk and Mala Sardiner. She was born on 24 January 1868 in Winterswijk and became the 2nd spouse of Jacob van Gelder, who was born on 15 June 1859 in Denekamp. The wedding was solemnized on 4 November 1896 in Zaandam and the Van Gelder-Hemelrijk couple had two children, viz. Robert Heiman in 1898 and in 1899 Rosetta Jacoba was born.
Jacob van Gelder was married before on 20 October 1882 in Winterswijk to Betjen’s sister Rosetta Hemelrijk and with her Jacob had six children, viz. David, Amalia, Rebecca, Barend Jacob, Helena and Sientje. However, Rosetta Hemelrijk passed away already on 16 July 1896, at the age of 39 years, after which Jacob remarried Rosetta’s sister Betjen Hemelrijk in November of that year.
Jacob van Gelder lived with his wife and children in Amsterdam at Valckeniersstraat 49, Koestraat 6 and again at Valckeniersstraat 43, after which he moved on 8 April 1927 to Amstelveenseweg 128 with his 2nd wife, where they both lived in with their son Robert Heiman van Gelder and his wife Rebecca de Souza.
Robert Heiman was married on 22 September to Rebecca de Souza and per 26 September of that year, Amstelveenseweg 128 groundfloor became their common address. In September also the 2nd child of Jacob and Betjen, Rosetta Jacoba van Gelder came living in at Amstelveenseweg 128.
Betjen van Gelder-Hemelrijk became widowed from Jacob van Gelder on 16 March 1928. Till May 1943 she lived at Amstelveenseweg but on 28 May 1943, she was arrested and carried off to Westerbork, where she was accommodated in barrack 64. She immediately started efforts to escape deportation, which in the end was unsuccessful. On her Jewish Council registration cards the following notes below were written down:
On 30 May it appeared that Betjen Hemelrijk occurred at the so-called Palestine list and at the same date is written by hand at her Jewish Council card “Albersheim declaration” (a medical certificate on the basis of which one could demonstrate that one is physically fit and suitable for the work as a Pioneer).
On 2 June 1943 is written down in letters “blue Z stamp”, “Zurückstellung”, (deferment), granted to Betjen Hemelrijk, meaning an exemption from deportation until further notice.
On 4 June 1943: Answer from Expositur: “Answer handed out”. “Request submitted”.
On 26 June the Emigration department informed: “Telegram confirmation of the Red Cross for delivery.
On 28 July it appeared that the documents present are insufficient for a Palestine request.
On 5 August 1943 the Emigration department informed: “Already telegraphed; expecting soon message about certificate”.
On 10 August 1943 the Emigration department of the Jewish Council confirmed per telegram the requests by the Red Cross.
On 25 August 1943 is stated: further steps have no use.
The day before, on 24 August 1943 Betjen van Hemelrijk had been put on transport from Westerbork to Auschwitz, where she has been murdered immediately upon arrival there on 27 August 1943 in the gas chambers of Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration card of Jacob van Gelder, archive card of Betjen Hemelrijk; the file cabinet of the Jewish Council, registration cards of Betjen van Gelder and Raymund Schütz/Presumably on transport/Emigration Palestine certificates.