Roel Boonstra

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Taede Boonstra
Moeder: Geesje Tijben
Geboren: 27 Apr 1906 Hemelumer Oldephaert en Noordwolde
Overleden: 28 Jan 1967 onbekend
Aantekeningen: Boonstra Roel (1906 - 1967 )
Personal Information
Last Name: Boonstra
First Name: Roel
Date of Birth: 27/04/1906
Date of death: 28/01/1967
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Profession: BLACKSMITH
Organization/ Religious order: LO - Landelijke Organisatie
Place during the war: Hommerts, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Hommerts, Friesland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
Other
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/6731)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 14/09/1995
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Rescued Persons
van der Sluis, Sonja
Rescue Story
Boonstra, Roel & Trijntje (Winia)
In August 1944, 18-year-old Sonja van der Sluis was forced to leave her shelter with Jeltje van der Ploeg* and her family in Leeuwarden, Friesland. The Germans had begun to suspect them and they had contacted the underground and asked them to relocate Sonja. The LO turned to Roel Boonstra of Hommerts, Friesland, and he and his wife Trijntje immediately agreed to take in Sonja. Roel was a blacksmith working out of the village where he lived with his wife and their four young children. He had been a key figure in the local LO, involved in locating hiding places for scores of Jews and others forced into hiding. In order to avoid arousing suspicion, the Boonstras told their neighbors that Sonja was a live-in maid. With this fabrication, Sonja was free to move around the village and on Sundays she accompanied her foster family to church. She went by the name Coby and was treated well by the Boonstras, with whom she remained until the liberation on April 15, 1945. During her time with the Boonstras, the Germans suspected the Boonstras of hiding illegal materials in the home---and rightly so. The house was searched but nothing was discovered. After the war, SS papers were found giving specific orders to liquidate Roel Boonstra.
On September 14, 1995, Yad Vashem recognized Roel Boonstra and his wife, Trijntje Boonstra-Winia, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Trijntje Winia geb. 26 Dec 1903 overl. 28 Juni 1990
Huwelijk: 6 Dec 1930 Bolsward