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Gerard Voorn

Gerard Voorn was a representative of Gies & Co.

Person

Fotograaf onbekend. Afkomstig uit privécollectie
  • Gerardus Petrus Voorn
  • Rijsenburg, Nederland Dec. 3, 1907
  • Valkenswaard, Nederland June 15, 1974

Gerard Voorn, rond 1949

Fotograaf onbekend. Afkomstig uit privécollectie

Rechthebbende(n) onbekend

Gerard Voorn was the son of Gerrit Voorn and Francisca Maria Agnita van Bemmel. He had two brothers: Piet (1906) and Adriaan (1910).[1] The family lived in Rijsenburg (Utrecht), where Gerrit was an agent in life insurance.[2]

Around 1933, Gerard moved to Karel van Manderstraat 82 in Haarlem, where he traded in coffee and tea.[3] At some point, he decided to switch to selling cheese as a trader, until he wound up his business in October 1937.[4]

Two months earlier, he had moved to 102 Hoofdstraat in Hillegom,[5] where he moved in with J. H. Rusman, owner of a grocery shop.[6] And his future father-in-law, because on 9 January 1939, his daughter Johanna (Ans) Jacoba Catharina Maria Rusman married Gerard in Hillegom.[7] The couple moved to Valkenswaard in North Brabant, where they were registered at Parallelweg Noord 34 on their wedding day. Around 1940, they moved into an upstairs appartment at Markt 26.[5] Between 1940 and 1951, eight children were born.[1]

Gerard was working for Verstegen, a Rotterdam-based trading company in spices. The reason for their move to Valkenswaard was his new appointment as representative for the company in North Brabant and Limburg. On 13 December 1941, his employment with Verstegen ended.[8] It is not known when he subsequently joined the firm Gies & Co, the company that had previously replaced Otto Frank's company Pectacon, due to anti-Jewish measures. It is possible that his departure from Verstegen coincided with a move to direct competitor Gies & Co.

According to Gerard's children, their father occasionally went to Amsterdam for work during World War II and had good contact with the Frank family.[1] Otto Frank noted in his diary on 10 July 1945 that he had an appointment with Voorn. His surname appears in Otto's diaries and address book several times thereafter until 1952.[9]

In 1947, Gerard Voorn's phone number in Valkenswaard was first mentioned in advertisements by Gies & Co.[10] He represented the company out of Valkenswaard for the south of the Netherlands. Hendrik Daatzelaar did so from Haarlem for the west and Martin Brouwer from Zwolle for the east of the country. A son and daughter of Gerard Voorn recalled that their parents had friendly contact with the Daatzelaar family and also visited each other several times.[1] A photograph is known, taken around 1949, showing Gerard Voorn, Hendrik Daatzelaar and Martin Brouwer together, representing Gies & Co. at a trade fair.[11]

Around 1952, Gerard was diagnosed with MS, which meant he could no longer work for Gies & Co. as a representative. His wife Ans then took over his duties for a short time, but he was eventually let go around 1953. As a result, they lost a significant part of their income and the family moved to Wilhelminapark 64 in 1955. There is said to have been a correspondence between Otto Frank and Gerard Voorn in the 1950s, and Otto may also have sent the family financial contributions.[1]

In March 1964, Gerard moved to a nursing home in Bakel, and then moved to another nursing home, back in Valkenswaard, in January 1967. There he passed away in 1974 at the age of 66.[5]

Source personal data.[2] Adresses: Rijsenburg; Hoofdstraat 102, Hillegom; Parallelweg Noord 34, Valkenswaard; Markt 26; Wilhelminapark 64; Roensel 3, Bakel; Antwerpsebaan 3, Valkenswaard.[5]

Footnotes

  1. a, b, c, d, e Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenarchief, Voorn: Correspondentie kleinzoon van G. Voorn, 2024.
  2. a, b Het Utrechts Archief, Burgerlijke Stand van de gemeenten in de provincie Utrecht 1903-1942 (toegangsnummer 463), inv. nr. 189-05, akte 17: geboorteakte G.P. Voorn.
  3. ^ Noord-Hollands Archief (NHA), Krantenviewer, Adresboeken Haarlem, 1 januari 1934, p. 430: G.P. Voorn.
  4. ^ NHA, Krantenviewer: "Faillissementen", IJmuider Courant, 6 oktober 1937, p. 1.
  5. a, b, c, d Centrum voor Familiegeschiedenis (CBG). Persoonskaart van Gerardus Petrus Voorn. (1939-1994). [Scan uit het Nationaal Register Overledenen].
  6. ^ NHA, Krantenviewer: "Advertentiën", Nieuwe Haarlemsche Courant, 20 mei 1921, p. 4.
  7. ^ Erfgoed Leiden en omstreken, BS Huwelijk, Ambtenaar van de Burgerlijke Stand van Hillegom, met Bevolkingsregisters, archief 0831a, inventaris­num­mer 30, 9 januari 1939, Huwelijksregister van Hillegom, 1938-1940, aktenummer 3: Huwelijksakte G.P. Voorn en J.J.C.M. Rusman. 
  8. ^ In Slagersvakblad (Butchers' Journal), his former employer warned that they could no longer keep him as a representative: "Waarschuwing!", R.K. slagersvakblad; officieel orgaan van den Ned. R.K. Hanzebond van Slagerspatroons, jrg 23, 1941, no. 27, 12 december 1941, p. 327.
  9. ^ AFS, Otto Frank Archief (OFA), reg. code OFA_2: zakagenda Otto Frank, 10 juli 1945; OFA_6: 17 september 1949; OFA_9.2: 17 mei 1952; OFA_42: Notitieboekje Otto en Fritzi Frank, 1952-1960; OFA_57.1: Adresboek Otto Frank, ringband groot.
  10. ^ Previously, only the address and/or phone number from Amsterdam and Zwolle were listed in advertisements; "Gisco Bloedworst-kruiden", R.K. slagersvakblad; officieel orgaan van den Ned. R.K. Hanzebond van Slagerspatroons, jrg 25, 1947, no. 45, 8 november 1947, p. 362.
  11. ^ The same advertisement, seen in the photo in the background, appeared in the Slagersvakblad (Butchers' Journal) on 9 April 1949: "Gisco-Universal", R.K. slagersvakblad; officieel orgaan van den Ned. R.K. Hanzebond van Slagerspatroons, jrg 27, 1949, no. 14, 9 april 1949, p. 124.

Digital files (1)

V.l.n.r. Hendrik Daatzelaar, een onbekende man, Gerard Voorn en Martin Brouwer, vertegenwoordigers namens Gies & Co op een vakbeurs, rond 1949.

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Photographer: De collectie kan worden ingezet voor het publiek

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