Jeannette Blog, a daughter of Samuel Blog and Leentje Fransman, was the first of a twin: Jeannette was born at Ruijschstraat 64 in Amsterdam on 14 December 1914 just as her twin sister Roza.
Her father, Samuel Blog, then aged 18, went already in June 1908, together with his father Gompel Blog to Antwerp. Three weeks later Samuel’s mother Netje Vischschraper followed with his sisters Judith and Rosette and also his younger brothere Leendert.
Early February 1914, Samuel Blog returned from Borgerhout in Amsterdam, to get married subsequently on 19 February 1914 to Leentje Fransman, who was born on 3 May 1890 in Amsterdam. She was a daughter of Meijer Fransman and Roosje van Praag.
The Blog-Fransman couple then lived at the 1st floor of Ruijschstraat 64 in Amsterdam-East where on 14 December 1914 the twin sisters Jeannette and Roza Blog were born. Samuel Blog supported his family as a diamond cutter but Belgium continued to attract
At the end of October 1921, when the twins were old enough, Samuel again investigated possibilities in Antwerp, where he then shorltly stayed at Loosstraat 18. After being returned in Amsterdam, he left again – and alone – on 13 May 1922 for Antwerp, however his wife Leentje Fransman and the twins Jeannette and Roza only followed on 31 October 1922. The family came to live then at Lamorinierestraat 2.
Jeannette returned from Borgerhout in Amsterdam on 29 November 1939 and found living space at Amstellaan 47 3rd floor with room renter Schoontje Kusheron. On 5 December 1940 she married in Amsterdam Louis Salomons, a son of Meijer Salomons and Bloemen de Paauw. Louis was born on 8 April 1900 and he was a diamond cutter by profession.
After the marriage was concluded, Jeannette and Louis moved into a house at Winterdijkstraat 6 groundfloor in Amsterdam-South. Her husband however was arrested in September/October 1942 and deported to Auschwitz on 19 October 1942. Jeannette, who was left alone at the time, also had to move to the Transvaal District Amsterdam-East on 2 March 1943, where she ended up on the 3rd floor of Dani Theronstraat 3.
But Jeannette did not wait: she took her fate into her own hands and, as stated on her registration card with the Jewish Council, she had “travelled without leaving an address”. It turned out that she had fled to Belgium, where she crossed the Belgian border through the village of Meersel-Dreef on 29 March 1943, on her way to her twin sister Roza and her husband Frans Albert van Aken, who lived at Van Erstenstraat 111 in Deurne. She first went into hiding there and on 15 September 1944 she reported to authorities of the Antwerp municipality of Deurne.
There she explained in her own words the reason for coming from the Netherlands to Belgium: “because I was sought out by the Germans in the Netherlands for the persecution of Jews and I moved in with my sister Roza Blog, living in Deurne, Van Erstenstraat 111, who is married to Frans Albert van Aken, who was born in Borgerhout on 10 November 1907. (both Belgian nationals). I was there from 29 March1943 to May 1944. From here I went to Aiche and Rafail (B) from May 1944 to 15 September 1944, with widow Simon, as a maid, who lives there at Rue Chatau no. 150. For the time being I have sufficient money to provide for my maintenance.”
On 16 September 1944, Jeannette Blog was officially registered at Van Erstenstraat 111 in Deurne. She was not working at the time and received 25 Bfrs per day in support from the Dutch Consul. The next day Jeannette was also known to the Office of Foreigners in Antwerp, which confirmed on 27 September 1944 “that Blog, Jeannette, born Amsterdam, 14 December 1914, Dutch, from 29 March 1943 to 15 September 1944 has stayed with her brother-in-law and sister, named Van Aken, Franciscus and Blog, Roza, living at Van Erstenstraat 111, Deurne, was there hidden first after she fled from the Netherlands where she was sought out as an Israelite by the Germans. Her husband, Salomons, Louis, was, according to her statement, arrested there by the Germans”.
The validity period of the certificate of registration in the Register of Foreigners of 16 September 1944 of Jeannette Blog, a Dutch national, living in the municipality of Deurne, Van Erstenlstraat 111, was extended on 15 December 1944 until 16 March 1945. But a letter on behalf of the Minister for the Administrator of the Immigration Police stated, “that Jeanette Blog is not authorized to settle in Belgium and that she will have to leave the country as soon as circumstances allow.”
After the war, Jeannette Blog returned on 11 June 1945 in Amsterdam and stayed then at Geleenstraat 35 2nd floor. On 2 May 1936 she married Petrus Jacobus Verwaijen, who was born on 6 November 1912 as a son of Petrus Jacobus Verwaijen (born 3 Aug 1994) and Adriana Lamberta Mulder (born 23 Nov 1887). On 10 November 1947, both were deregistered from Amsterdam to Antwerp. Of her husband P.J.Verwaijen, nothing further is known. Known is however that Jeannette Blog eventually passed away in Culver City in the USA on 11 July 1963 at the rather young age of 48.
Sources include the City Archive of Amsterdam, family registration cards of Gompel Blog (1868), Samuel Blog (1890) and Meijer Salomons (1863); birth certificates of Roza and Jeannette Blog no's 14294 and 14296 dated 15 Dec 1914; archive cards of Louis Salomons and Jeannette Blog; the Dossier of Foreigners of the City of Antwerp, no. 175798; Residence card Amsterdam/Amstellaan 47 3rd floor/Jeannette Blog and the closed family registration cards from the Cityh Archive Amsterdam/archive 5416 no. 228/period 1930/Petrus Jacobus Verwaijen.