Roza Naarden
Dochter van Marcus Naarden en Marianne Engelander, geboren op 17-05-1919 (17 Iyar 5679) te Amsterdam. Zij heeft de oorlog overleeft en is overleden te Amsterdam op13-11-2005 (11 Cheshvan 5766)
The Righteous Among The Nations
Nijenhuis FAMILY | Nijenhuis Wolter (1909 – 1988 ) | Nijenhuis Antje (1913 – 1996? ), WIFE
Rescue Story
Nijenhuis, Wolter & Antje (Born Boerstra)
Roza Naarden worked in the crèche opposite the Hollandsche Schouwburg in Amsterdam until her parents were deported to the east, at which point she went into hiding. At first, she stayed with a family who did not know that she was Jewish but thought that she was hiding to avoid being sent to work in Germany. When they discovered the truth, they were too frightened to hide her and asked their nephew, Wolter Nijenhuis, to take her in. Wolter and his wife, Antje, lived in Oudkerk, Friesland, where Wolter worked as a junior notary. They had a young daughter and soon after Roza arrived Antje became pregnant again. They welcomed Roza and spread the word that she was their niece from town who had come to the countryside because there was more food available. They did not ask for any money towards her upkeep. Wolter taught Roza how to speak Frisian so that she would not attract attention. He had been interested in the language and culture since he was a young boy, even though Frisian was not taught in the schools. He studied it after school and actively promoted Frisian culture throughout his life (he even published a Frisian dictionary). He strongly believed in every person’s fundamental right to preserve his identity and language and was furious at the German persecution of the Jewish people because of their ethnicity. In 1943, all ex-soldiers were ordered to report for work in Germany and so Wolter went into hiding. This increased the chances that the Germans would search the house, and so Roza was forced to leave.
On June 27, 1988, Yad Vashem recognized Wolter Nijenhuis and his wife, Antje Nijenhuis-Boerstra, as Righteous Among the Nations.
The Righteous Among The Nations
Steenstra FAMILY | Steenstra, Taede (1896 – 1990 ) | Steenstra – Reitsma, Egbertje (1898 – 1981 ), Wife
Rescue Story
Steenstra, Taede & Egbertje (Born Reitsma)
In early 1944, after wandering for a long time in Friesland, Roza (Ronny) Naarden (later Leegstra), a young woman from Amsterdam, arrived in the community of Dantumadeel, situated north of the Leeuwarden-Groningen railroad. There, she contacted Mr. and Mrs. Leegstra (who were to become her in-laws), who were hiding a Jewish infant. They put her in contact with Piet Smits, who took her to Taede and Egbertje Steenstra in Driesum. Roza stayed with this family until the liberation. Before Roza’s arrival, Taede and Egbertje hid other Jews. Parents of three, they were rather poor yet did not ask her for money. Roza nevertheless paid them 12 florins a week. Taede had only three cows and sold crushed shells to the farmers of the villages. Egbertje took care of the hens. Roza was treated like a daughter and the neighbors were told she was an evacuee from Arnhem. The Steenstra’s small home was situated near to a canal and a bridge. It consisted of a single room and an outhouse where Roza slept. When raids were expected, she hid in one of the two built-in beds, or in the chicken coop. The house was such that there was no possibility of installing a hiding place. When the danger was great, Piet took Roza to Anne Leegstra in Kollumerzwaag (Spoorbuurt 26). (After the war the latter was widowed and Roza married him in 1967.) Throughout the war, Taede and Egbertje were always ready to help the Resistance: they ran an open house that functioned around the clock. Food and a place to sleep in the shed were always available. At night, arms drops were brought on boats to the house, from where they were distributed, on small boats, to various farms in the vicinity.
On January 16, 1979, Yad Vashem recognized Taede Steenstra and his wife, Egbertje Steenstra-Reitsma, as Righteous among the Nations.
Teade ‘Núnder’ Steenstra
Teade werd te Westergeest geboren op 19 mei 1896. Hij was de tweede zoon van Hermanus Cornelus Steenstra [1857 – 1922] en Trijntje van der Werff [1861 – 1942]. Teade was getrouwd met Egbertje Reitsma [1898 – 1981]. Hij werd Teade ‘Núnder’ genoemd omdat hij in de wijde omgeving van Westergeest/Driesum handelde in schelpen – ‘núnder’ is een Fries woord voor schelp. Hij ontving de schelpen van Age Vanger [en zonen Kees en Jitze] uit Moddergat en leverde deze vervolgens aan o.a. de kalkovens te Gerkesklooster.
Teade was een handige man en ontdekte al snel dat er meer handel zat in het leveren van fijn gemalen schelpen. Zeker ook nadat het fabrieksmatige vermalen van schelpen tot ‘grit’ voor kippenhokken en dergelijke een grotere vlucht nam. Teade kocht toen een Duitse ‘brekker’ in Groningen en liet de smid de machine op persoonlijk gebruik aanpassen. Maar het bleef zwaar werk.
Uiteindelijk kocht Teade een ‘walsbrekker’, maar daar mankeerde altijd wel wat aan. Zeker toen alles een keer was vastgevroren moest hij er een andere motor in kopen. Een financiële tegenvaller, maar het bleek uiteindelijk een goede zet te zijn.
Teade moest ook een oplossing vinden voor het feit dat hij geen stroom had en de benzine schaars werd. Hij kocht een Amerikaanse windmotor maar dat leverde nieuwe problemen op: stond er te weinig wind, dan waren de schelpen maar deels gebroken – stond er te veel wind, dan werden de schelpen té fijn gemalen.
Tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog werd het minder met de kippenhouderijen, waardoor Teade ook minder werk kreeg [na de oorlog trok zijn werk wel weer aan waardoor hij tot 1961 in schelpen en grit bleef handelen]. Om toch geld binnen te krijgen pakte hij veel ander werk op.
Teade en Egbertsje woonden bij de Lange Brug over de Nieuwe Zwemmer. Zij stonden voor iedereen klaar en gaven altijd het beste. Ook tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog toen door Pieter Smits Joodse onderduikers bij Teade en Egbertsje onderdak vonden. Onderduikers zoals ‘Jopie en Fie’ en later ene ‘Ronny Naarden’.