Petronella Suzanna Wilhelmina Verhave

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Johannes Verhave
Moeder: Maria Catharina Gerhardina Witte
Geboren: 15 Jan 1911 Watergraafsmeer
Overleden: 13 Jan 1971 Hoogeveen
Aantekeningen: Bos van den Petronella (1911 - 1971 )
Personal Information
Last Name: Bos van den
First Name: Petronella
Suzanna
Wilhelmina
Maiden Name: Verhave
Date of Birth: 15/01/1911
Date of death: 13/01/1971
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Religion: CALVINIST
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Nieuwlande, Drenthe, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Nieuwlande, Drenthe, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/1148)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 09/06/1983
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Nieuwlande Memorial
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Rescue Story
Bos van den, Jan Simon & Petronella Suzanna Wilhelmina (Verhave)
The Dutch Reformed, strictly Calvinist Reverend Jan van den Bos and his wife, Petronella, moved to Nieuwlande so that Jan could take over the pulpit at the end of February 1944. Both Jan and Petronella took part in the Resistance activities which distinguished this small village in Drenthe. In December 1944, their home was searched in the middle of the night but nothing was found besides some food. The German and Dutch SS men then moved on to the church, where for nine months there had been people hiding in a pit underneath, but under the supervision of the van den Boses, they had already been moved to the OttensÂ’* underground shelter. Although the SS searched the entire church, they did not find the hiding place, which still housed two radios belonging to Roffel*, the beadle. The next day, they did find the spot, but by this time the radios had been moved. That same day, Jan had been to Assen to complain to the head of the SD there about the Dutch-Nazi mayor of Oosterhesselen, to which Nieuwlande belonged, and had miraculously managed to free the de Graaf* brothers, who had been taken prisoner. The trip to Assen was also a great success because it led to the dismissal of the hated mayor. Tired and wet from the long bicycle ride, Jan had a rude homecoming: a German gave him a shovel and demanded that he join the others digging under the church, where they were sure they would find weapons. After several hours of digging, with the help of the village farmers, during which nothing suspicious was found, the Germans gave up and left. Those digging and those in hiding celebrated this piece of luck with a feast of sandwiches originally prepared by Petronella on the orders of the SS officers. The following Sunday, Jan used Psalm 138 in his sermon in church to express his gratitude for the fortunate turn of events.
On June 9, 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Simon van den Bos and his wife, Petronella Suzanna Wilhelmina van den Bos-Verhave, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Jan Simon van den Bos geb. 15 Dec 1901 overl. 29 Apr 1966
Huwelijk: 24 Juli 1940 Den Haag
Kinderen:
  Hendrika Johanna van den Bos Female
  Maria Catharina Gerbrandina van den Bos Female
  Ida Johanna van den Bos Female