Joseph Franciscus van Hooren

Geslacht: Man
Vader: Hendrik Michiel van Hooren
Moeder: Maria Sophia Custers
Geboren: 8 MRT 1913 Gronsveld
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Hooren van
First Name: Joseph Franciscus
Date of Birth: 08/03/1913
Date of death: 12/01/2002
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Male
Profession: TRANSPORTATION WORKER
Place during the war: Heugem, Limburg, The Netherlands ; Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Heugem, Limburg, The Netherlands ; Maastricht, Limburg, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/11283)
Francicsus and Anna van Hooren lived in the hamlet of Heugem (Limburg), now part of the city of Maastricht. Franciscus worked delivering packages by horse and carriage. Anna was at home with their two young children, seven months and two years old, and helped her husband work the small piece of land they owned. They lived a very modest life.
In the fall of 1942, the van Hoorens visited with friends who had promised an underground group that they would take a Jewish child who needed a place to hide. However, when four and a half year old Jacob Rubens (b. 8.4.1937) was indeed brought to their home, they were afraid to take the risk after all. Seeing the frightened child, Franciscus and Anna immediately took pity on young Jacob and took him home with them.
Jacob came to the van Hoorens after a long trip from the west of the country with an underground worker, who had already told him, that from then on his name would be Jacky Kloet. He was warmly welcomed in the van Hooren home and was introduced as a cousin of Francicscus from bombed-out Rotterdam. As Franciscus had a dark complexion just like the boy, this story was generally accepted by the neighbors. He became especially close to Franciscus, whom he called Uncle Jos, and was even taken on trips with Franciscus when delivering goods in the city of Maastricht. He was able to go to kindergarten and later to first grade, where in both cases the nuns in charge of the schools knew his real identity and watched over him. Each time unexpected visitors came, Jacob was sent out of sight.
Even though there was a permanent German presence in the area, Jacob’s identity was never questioned. An official German barbershop was installed in the next farm over, where haircuts were also given to the local children for free. One of these children was also Jacob – and luckily again no questions were ever asked. Jacob stayed until the liberation of the area in September 1944.
Jacob Rubens felt very much at home with the van Hoorens and found it difficult a half a year later to return to his own parents who had survived the camps. It soon turned out that his parents were still so traumatized by their ordeal that they could not take good care of their child -- Jacob returned to the van Hoorens for another two years.
On March 16, 2008 Yad Vashem recognized Joseph Francicsus van Hooren and Anna Maria Catherina van Hooren-Lebon as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Anna Marie Catherine Lebon geb. 15 Dec 1917
Huwelijk: 9 Juli 1940 Eijsden