Jacoba Maria Vermeulen

Geslacht: Vrouw
Vader: Jacob Vermeulen
Moeder: Johanna Josephine Goeman
Geboren: 5 Feb 1906 Rotterdam
Religie: Ned. Hervormd
Aantekeningen: Last Name: Bruijn de
First Name: Jacoba Maria
Maiden Name: Vermeulen
Rescuer's fate: survived
Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS
Gender: Female
Place during the war: Rotterdam, Zuidholland, The Netherlands
Rescue Place: Rotterdam, Zuidholland, The Netherlands
Rescue mode: Hiding
File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/8158)
Housekeeper L. Frishert arranged for her former employers, the van Coevorden family, to go into hiding with her fiancé’s sister, Jacoba de Bruin. Jacoba and Cornelis de Bruin lived with their sons, Willem, aged nine, and Johannes, seven, in a small three-room apartment in a working class area of Rotterdam. Cornelis was a maintenance manager with a cooperative housing company. The van Coevordens’ daughter, 17-year-old Elisabeth, was passed off as Jacoba’s cousin from Zeeland who had come to escape the danger of flooding in her hometown. Elisabeth was given her own room while the two de Bruin boys shared the other room. As the situation of the Jews became increasingly precarious, the de Bruins agreed to shelter other members of the van Coevorden family. Elisabeth’s younger brother, Schilo, was the first to arrive. Her parents, Hartog and Duifje van Coevorden, followed and then older brother Louis and sister Betty and her husband moved in. Due to the lack of space, the various family members were hidden at other addresses in the neighborhood, including Cornelis de Bruin’s parents. The de Bruins acted as intermediaries between the dispersed family members. Whenever there was danger at any of the addresses, the refugees came to stay with Jacoba and Cornelis. At one point, there were 12 people in the tiny apartment, but a pleasant atmosphere prevailed there. When the Germans took over the housing cooperative, Cornelis de Bruin left his job. From early 1944, he devoted his life to Resistance activities, working with the van der Vlerk group. He operated under the alias van Krimpen and was involved in the distribution of money and food coupons to those in need, including the families of striking railway workers. In the de Bruin home, Jacoba maintained a strict food distribution regime, making sure there was enough food for everyone, even during the hunger winter of 1944--1945. The de Bruins believed it was their duty to shelter Jews despite the dangers they faced as a result. All the members of the van Coevorden family survived the war as a consequence of this commitment and the two families remained in close contact even after the war.
On August 23, 1998, Yad Vashem recognized Cornelis de Bruin and his wife, Jacoba Maria de Bruin-Vermeulen, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner: Cornelis de Bruijn geb. 25 Aug 1906
Huwelijk: 1 Juli 1931 Rotterdam
Kinderen:
  Willem Cornelis de Bruijn Female geb. 27 Apr 1933
  Johannes Jacobus de Bruijn Female geb. 7 Dec 1935