Gerritdina Johanna ten Thij

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Wicher ten Thij
Moeder: Gezina Hermina Lansink
Geboren: 6 Juli 1911 Lonneker
Overleden: 2 Juli 1979
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Bruggert
First Name: Gerritdina
Maiden Name: Thij ten
Date of Birth: 06/07/1911
Date of death: 02/06/1979
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Enschede, Overijssel, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Enschede, Overijssel, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/7647)
During the war, a young Jewish woman, Vogelina Wilmink (later van Gelder), was working as a housekeeper for a Jewish family in Amsterdam. A farmer who sold milk to the family offered to shelter 22-year-old Vogelina in his home, an invitation which she later took up. At one point, she returned to Amsterdam for a week, but to avoid being caught up in the razzias she fled again to Enschede. This time, the farmer sent her to live with his brother, Gerrit Jan Bruggert, who was a factory worker. Gerrit, his wife, Gerritdina, and their daughter, Sini, welcomed Vogelina into their home as a member of the family. The Resistance supplied Vogelina with an identity card under the name of Els zu Slochteren and a weekly contribution of money and food coupons. Other than Gerrit's brother and his sister, Geertruide Beltman-Bruggert, no one knew that Vogelina was Jewish. The new guest helped out around the house, knitting clothes for Sini as well as socks, which were exchanged for other goods. Seven-year-old Sini never mentioned her new "sister" at school. When asked who had knitted her beautiful clothes, she always said that it was her mother. Whenever visitors arrived at the Bruggert house, Vogelina hid in her bedroom, and, when raids were imminent, concealed herself in a haystack or in the hen house. She remained at the Bruggerts even after the liberation, until a house could be found for her and her mother. After the war, Vogelina kept in touch with the Bruggerts until they died and maintained her sisterly relationship with Sini.
On August 31, 1997, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Gerrit Bruggert and his wife, Gerritdina Bruggert-ten Thij, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Gerrit Jan Bruggert geb. 4 OKT 1903 overl. 15 Aug 1963
Huwelijk: 29 Dec 1934 Enschede