John Groenteman was born on 25 January 1935 in Amsterdam, eldest child and only son of Maijer Machiel Groenteman and Lena Kroonenberg. Eighteen months later he had a sister and three years later his youngest sister was born.
The family lived at 61 ground floor Nieuwe Kerkstraat in Amsterdam. Father Meijer was a tailor and had a workshop where coats were made. His wife was a seamstress.
The school John attended is not known, but it must have been a school near his home.
In September 1942 the family was taken from their home and carried off to Westerbork. Unfortunately, they no longer had a chance to go into hiding.
John, his parents and his sisters were sent to Auschwitz with the transport of September 25, 1842, where he and his mother and sisters were selected directly in front of the gas chamber. His father was qualified for work and admitted to the camp, where he died in January 1943.
John Groenteman was 7 years old.