Wietske Balsters

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Wiebe Balsters
Moeder: Annegien Vos
Geboren: 4 Jan 1917 Groningen
Religie: geen
Aantekeningen: Bonnema Wietske (1916 - ? )
Personal Information
Last Name: Bonnema
First Name: Wietske
Maiden Name: Balsters
Alias: WIES
Date of Birth: 25/05/1916
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/1592)
Commemoration
Date of Recognition: 24/05/1979
Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor
Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands
Ceremony held in Yad Vashem: Yes
Honorary Citizenship of the State of Israel: Yes
Rescued Persons
Vries de, Henri
Serphos, Vries de, Josefine, Jos
Rescue Story
Bonnema, Wietske (Balsters)
Holwerda, Jan
Jan Holwerda* and his (later ex-) wife Wietske Bonnema-Balsters from the city of Groningen, looked after Henri de Vries, a Jew from Amsterdam, from May 1943. In November 1943, Henri’s 14-year-old daughter Josefine (Jos) joined him with Han and Wietske, after she had to leave her earlier hinding place with Catherina Wijnker-de Git* in Alkmaar, because of safety reasons. Wies and Jan had a son and daughter of their own and they all welcomed the Jewish refugees into their home as well as another Jewish family, who was later arrested when they went out into the street. Jan was active in the local Resistance movement. In July 1944 the Dutch police raided the Holwerda-Balsters household. Henri was hidden in a cupboard and both father and daughter de Vries remained undetected. Jan was arrested and imprisoned at the Vught
concentration camp, from where he was released several months later. After Jan’s arrest, Henri and Jos were forced to move elsewhere, and they were taken to Cees and Gerritje de Ronde* in Amsterdam. When Jan returned, he went into hiding at an address in Baflo, Groningen. Also his father and uncle wer also arrested due to their Resistance activities. In 1947, Wies and Jan divorced. Contact with the de Vries family was only renewed in 1966, long after Josephine Serphos-de Vries had immigrated to Israel.
On May 24, 1979, Yad Vashem recognized Wietske Bonnema-Balsters as Righteous Among the Nations.
On September 8, 1996, Yad Vashem recognized Jan Holwerda as Righteous Among the Nations

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Gerard Klei
Huwelijk:

Gezin 2

Huwelijkspartner: Jan Holwerda geb. 5 Juni 1918 overl. 13 Juni 1997
Huwelijk: 24 MRT 1941 Groningen
Scheiding: 18 Juni 1948 Groningen
Kinderen:
  A. Holwerda Female
  Kasper Holwerda Female geb. 16 Sept 1941 overl. 26 MEI 1993