Oktje Koerts

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Christiaan Koerts
Moeder: Catharina Boven
Geboren: 14 MRT 1906 Scheemda
Overleden: 1 Juli 1973
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Geuken
First Name: Okje
Maiden Name: Koers
Date of Birth: 14/03/1906
Date of death: 01/07/1973
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Profession: HOUSEWIFE
Place during the war: Amsterdam, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Amsterdam, Noordholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding Supplying basic goods
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/8400)
Ruth Isay (later Fass), who was born in 1921 in Cologne, immigrated to Holland with her parents and brother in 1934. The family settled in Amsterdam, where her father ran a rayon plant until 1942, when a German manager replaced him. Having narrowly avoided arrest and deportation several times, Ruth and her family were sent to Westerbork in June 1943, but were allowed to return to Amsterdam. They took this opportunity to go into hiding. Mr. Isay came into contact with Hero Geuken when he donated money to the Resistance unit in which Hero was active. Among other things, this group dispatched food packages to inmates at Westerbork. The packages were put together at the Isay home in Amsterdam. Hero offered the Isays a hiding place, and at first they all moved into the Geuken home. Shortly afterward, the Isay parents and brother were given other addresses, but Ruth stayed on. When he was not involved in Resistance activities, Hero worked as a tax official, while his wife, Okje, looked after the home. For more than a year, Ruth did not leave the apartment building where the Geukens lived. In September 1944, Ruth received false identity papers under the name R.M. Jaspers and was thus able to leave the house and worked for Hero's Resistance group. Ruth stayed with the Geukens until June 1945, when she rejoined her parents and brother in their new home. During the war, the Geukens also supported a Jewish couple, the van Beeks, with food and clothing from May 1943 until the end of the war.
On February 17, 1999, Yad Vashem recognized Hero Geuken and his wife, Okje Geuken-Koers, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Hero Geuken geb. 29 Juli 1901 overl. 22 MEI 1989
Huwelijk: 7 Apr 1932 Scheemda