* Amsterdam August 19 1929
† Amsterdam May 7 1945
Geertruida Boelen was only 15 years when she died by bullets at May 7th 1945 on the Dam. Here parents were Jilt Boelen (1898-1984) and Geertruida Feijten (1902-1967). They lived with hear here brother Jilt (1930-2015) Sassenheimstraat 14 4th floor.
Story as told by her brother Jilt:
“On the afternoon of May 7 my father came home via the Leidseplein from the area where he delivers milk and told that there was a shooting when he passed by. Because of that he told us and the friends of Truus not to go into the centre of the city, because the Germans were still armed. Too bad they ended up on the Dam with these terrible consequences. My sister died about 03:00PM and at 07:00PM my parents got the message from a nurse, I already knew but I couldn’t tell them, I was only 14 years old.
That evening was like hell at my house and later on I went to the police station to asked them were I could find my sister.
The next day I went to the Zuiderkerk with my neighbour and a picture to identify Truus, because my parents were not capable of doing that.
My sister was placed upon a bier at home, there were a lot of people who wanted to say farewell. At the funeral were a lot of people and the coffin was carried to its place by the boys from our street.
Our live has never been the same for my parents and for me.
Jilt Boelen
Jilt Boelen was seriously ill but was nevertheless present at the commemoration in the Eggertzaal of the Nieuwe Kerk, May 7 2015. He died May 22 2015.
Truus Boelen was probably with her classmates at the Dam, one of them was Willy Grenzebach. Through the son of Willy Grenzebach we received a page from a poetry album were Truus had written a poem for Willy.
Truus is buried on May 14 1945 at cemetery Te Vraag.
