Maria Zoon

Geslacht:	Vrouw
Vader:	Willem Zoon
Moeder:	Weimpje Majoor
Geboren:	23 Juli 1889	Laren, Noord-Holland
Overleden:	25 Nov 1944	Laren, Noord-Holland
Aantekeningen:	Last Name: Brink van den First Name: Maria Maiden Name: Zoon Rescuer's fate: murdered Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Religion: ROMAN CATHOLIC Gender: Female Place during the war: Laren, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Laren, Noordholland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3690) In 1942, five-year-old Renate Laser (later Renée Fink-Laser) was taken to the van den Brink family, in Laren, North Holland. Gijsbertus and Maria van den Brink were devout Catholics with eight children ranging in age from ten to 24. Renate became their ninth child and was given the name Rita. She was the only dark-haired child in a family with blonde children. Renate was an only child and so she was initially overwhelmed by the size of her foster family, but she was soon made to feel at home. She was treated with love and respect for the three years of her stay, right up to the liberation. The van den Brink family lived in a good-sized house surrounded by a garden with fruit trees, a barn, and a public bomb shelter. The immediate neighbors could be trusted as they too were hiding Jews. Others, even if they suspected anything, never inquired and luckily did not speak out. Once, when the family was forewarned that the Germans were doing head counts in the houses, one of the van den Brink daughters was sent to a relative so that the number counted would be correct. In order to cover her dark hair, Renate was given a “dunce” cap that made her look silly. When the Germans visited the house, Gijsbertus and Maria insinuated to them that the girl was mentally disturbed. On one occasion, when there was no time to prepare for a German house search, Renate was rushed to bed and the Germans were told that she had tuberculosis, which caused them to leave the property immediately. During Renate’s stay with the van den Brinks, Maria died of natural causes. Nevertheless, Renate was welcome to remain with the family and Gijsbertus, his eldest daughter, Wilhelmina, and the others continued to take excellent care of her. The van den Brinks took in Renate as a natural reaction to the evils of the German regime, realizing that they were taking considerable personal risks. There was no financial arrangement made for Renate, she was simply seen and treated as another member of the family. Renate’s parents did not survive the war. After the liberation, she moved to the United States with her grandmother and her aunt and only renewed contact with her wartime foster family in the 1960s. On July 9, 1987, Yad Vashem recognized Gijsbertus Johannes van den Brink and his wife, Maria van den Brink-Zoon, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Gijsbertus Johannes van den Brink	geb. 25 MEI 1885 overl. 27 Apr 1979
Huwelijk:	15 Feb 1917	Amsterdam
Kinderen:
	Geertruida Elisabeth van den Brink	geb. 24 Sept 1926 overl. 6 Feb 1995