My Grandparents Samuel and Wilhelmina Heijmans
My grandfather Samuel Heijmans was born in Groenlo, province of Gelderland (Holland) and my grandmother Wilhelmina Heijmans Frank was born in Bedburg (Germany), My father David Heymans was born in Groenlo too.My grandparents were owners of a small preserving-factory for meat, strickly kosher. After the factory was closed down,because the nazies regime invaded Holland, my grandparents moved to Utrecht ,Hugo de Grootstraat 1. I remember my grandparents vaguely, I was probably 4 or 5 years old. My grandfather I remember more clearly, he was somewhat deaf and used an big horn from cooper and adjust this closs to his ear,when you needed to talk with him, you had to speak into this horn. This made a strong impression on me,at that time.
. When Germany invaded Holland (1940) and the Nazis regime started to affect our daily life, the prosecution of the Jewish citizens started, my grandparents , did not want to go into hidding, as most of Jewish population did, they were extremly Orthodox, "we put our live in the hands קדוש ברוך הוא of our Lord", was their opinion. In the very early beginning of the prosecution 20 of April 1943 they where taken from there home by the Germans and there Dutch participants, the (NSB) via Westerborck directly deported to Sobibor and everyone knows what happened to theme, there in 1943.
My wife Grace Heymans van West has a nephew Ernest Gompers, he works as a volunteer for the Jewish Digital Monument (www.joodsmonument.nl), 18 May 2016, he was taken by surprise, by an E.mail from 2013, by a certain mr. Jaap van der Heiden. Exactly at this time we were on a family visit in Amsterdam from 10 till 20 May 2016 !!!!!!
This was the contents of the E.mail:
I'm looking for the surviving family from fam. Heijmans, Hugo de Grootstraat 1, Utrecht. In the goods and chartels from my recent deceased mother ,I found an etching, represending the Zuiderkerk in Amsterdam. According the story, my parents found this etching in 1943, in the residence in the Hugo de Grootstraat 1 in Utrecht, directly after the family Samuel and Wilhelmina Heijmans-Frank, were deported. I'm looking for survivors from this family, with the intention of returning the etching,to this family, signed: Jaap van der Heiden, Elst Holland.
The response of our nephew:
I have no idea if you have found already family survivors. If the answer is negative, try to contact Mr. John Heymans, he is a son from a deceased son of Samuel Heijmans, dr.David Heymans z.l. You may contact him via E.mail. He is together with his wife, my niece, till Friday this week, in Amsterdam. I hope your effort to make contact with him, will have success.
Kindly regards, Ernest Gompers.
The same day ,I got a E.mail from mr. Jaap van der Heiden with almost the seem information as he gave our nephew, except the information that the etching was never hung on the wall because he knew he was not the legitimate owner of the etching. For years it was placed on his office desk. I phoned him at once and told him that I am the oldest grandson from Samuel Heijmans, and that I'm eager to take the etching to my home in Israel, were I'm living already for almost 60 years. One single day before our flight back to Israel the etch was delivered at our hotel by a friend of Mr. Jaap van der Heiden!!!!!
Ets van de Zuiderkerk Amsterdam
At Schiphol the airport from Amsterdam, the locale staff by departure proceedings were not very cooperative , the etching was not allowed on the airplane, I did not accepted this decision, after I told the highest ELAL representative the story of the etching, he was moved, and he told me: "I shall personal take care of this item, we are honored to take the etching an board the plane."
When we arrived inside the plane the cabin crew knew already the story, the etching received a VIP treatment and was stored in a special secure place. After returning home, I sent Mr.Jaap van der Heiden an E.mail and expressed my well-meant thanks, for taking care of the etching for so many years, and returning it to the surviving family. I invited him, to our home in Israel, whenever he wants to visit Israel. He will be welcomed by me and my family and by the other three grandchildren from Samuel and Wilhelmina Heijmans, born and living in Israel,and there family's, there are already great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren.
עם ישראל חי
John Heymans, Beth Juliana, Herzlia, Israel
P.s Mei 2017 ontving ik een E.mail van Jord Ruygh, deze
persoon heeft ongeveer 50 jaar geleden als student aan de Universiteit van Utrecht met andere studenten
gewoond op het betreffende adres Hugo de Grootstraat 1, het huis is intussen aangekocht door het
Utrechtste studentencorps, en wordt thans omgebouwd als een studenten woning, nadat men de
geschiedenis van het betreffende huis was gaan onderzoeken , kwamen ze de namen van onze grootouders
tegen ,zoals dat in het hier boven schreven artikel vermeld is, spontaan besloot men ten einde de
nagedachtenis van onze grootouders te eeren ,om bij de officieele opening van het huis tevens Stolperssteinen
aan te brengen met de namen van onze grootouders en tevens een plaqette in de muur aan tebrengen
Met de woorden " Vrijheid is geen gift". November 2017 is deze pechtigheid gepland.