Gosse Hiemstra

Geslacht:	Man
Vader:	Jacob Jans Hiemstra
Moeder:	Antje Piers Bosch
Geboren:	6 Apr 1885	Foudgum, Westdongeradeel
Overleden:	19 MRT 1971
Aantekeningen:	Last Name: Hiemstra First Name: Gosse Date of Birth: 06/04/1885 Date of death: 19/03/1971 Rescuer's fate: survived Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Profession: FARMER Place during the war: Ternaard, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue Place: Ternaard, Friesland, The Netherlands Rescue mode: Hiding File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/2746) Ten-year-old Robert Jaap Meijer was living with his parents in Amsterdam in June 1943 when a big roundup of the Jews took place. An underground worker nicknamed "Aunt Liesje" took him to Friesland, where he hid with the van der Heide* family in Ferwerd until January 1944 under the name Robbie van Zijl. This hiding place soon became unsafe and the village doctor, Albertus Smit*, who was active in the Resistance, found him a new hiding place with the Hiemstras in nearby Ternaard. Gosse and Johanna Hiemstra owned a large farm on which they were already hiding 13 fugitives when Robert arrived, among them Gosse and Johanna's own sons, who were evading the call-up for forced labor in Germany. The Hiemstras' daughter, Saakje (later van der Laan), who was 22 years old in 1944, was also active in the Resistance and risked her life to help those fleeing the Nazis. The Hiemstra family was suspected of being involved in illegal activities and so the Germans often searched the house. During one of these searches, Robert, who was sleeping in one of the son's beds, was saved by the grandmother, who posted herself at the door and would not let the Germans into the room. Robert's false name at this point of the war was Robbie de Klein and his cover story was that he was an orphan. The Hiemstras never received any payment for his upkeep. Since the family was so active in the underground, staying with them eventually became too dangerous and he moved again, first to the Hoekstra* family in nearby Engwierum and, in January 1945, to his parents, who were hiding in the vicarage in Oldekerk, Groningen. They all survived the war. On January 12, 1984, Yad Vashem recognized Gosse Hiemstra, his wife, Johanna Maria Hiemstra-Hania, and their daughter, Saakje van der Laan-Hiemstra, as Righteous Among the Nations.

Gezin 1

Huwelijkspartner:	Johanna Maria Hania	geb. 10 Dec 1887 overl. 18 MEI 1979
Huwelijk:	30 Apr 1908	Kollumerland c.a.
Kinderen:
	Saakje Hiemstra	geb. 12 MRT 1922 overl. 22 Sept 2012
	Lolkje Hiemstra	geb. 25 Feb 1909
	Jacob Hiemstra	geb. 2 Juni 1910
	Simon Hiemstra	geb. 13 Juni 1911
	Jan Hiemstra	geb. 1913