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War Memorial in Aachen-Eilendorf
Limburg 1940-1945,
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Gerardine Peusens
(Paulina Jacobina Gerardine)
∗ 23-02-1926 Valkenburg † 16-04-2021 Valkenburg (95)
- Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Couriers of the Resistance - Valkenburg - Survivors - Women in the resistance -
- tracesofwar.nl Verzetsherdenkingskruis
- dedokwerker.nl wo2 onderscheiding aanvragen
- More in our story Resistance in Valkenburg
The photo on the right was sent to us by relatives.
Gerardine Peusens was a sister of Els Peusens. They both worked in the educational sector.
Pierre Schunck wrote in his notes on the Valkenburg resistance: Wielke Cremers and the Peusens sisters acted as couriers. [3]
In the Valkenburg subdistrict of the L.O. there were only female couriers. They were less conspicuous and the Germans did not consider them capable of resistance. For more about the couriers of the resistance, click on the link.
The notice below from the family on the occasion of her death shows, that she became seriously and prolonged ill during the war. Then, of course, the other couriers took over her work. Her merit is no less.
We quote that notice in its entirety below. It was sent to us by relatives.
They added the following:
Gerardine was the director of the household school in Meerssen for almost her entire working life. She had graduated as a home economist in Leiden.
But in addition this:
It has hurt both Gerardine and Els very much all their lives that they were the only ones who did not receive recognition from the Netherlands or Belgium for their role in the war. They had Belgian nationality so they were not recognized and did work for numerous Dutch people.
Perhaps that is the reason why there is little or no mention of that in the notifications of their death, see below.
The distressing thing is, that there would have been a possibility of recognition. The Verzetsherdenkingskruis (Resistance Remembrance Cross) was instituted precisely to meet this need. Anyone who could prove, to have been an active member of the resistance, was entitled to it. It was also awarded to people who were not Dutch citizens. It could also be awarded posthumously. [1]
But it had to be applied for by the candidates themselves, or as often happened in practice, by relatives, by way of surprise. So those who did not know such a thing existed did not get it. And the National Resistance Remembrance Cross Committee was disbanded.
And now? There are many, who did not know it existed, there are many surviving relatives, who would still like to have an acknowledgement from the side of the Dutch state for the fact, that their family member fought for our freedom at the risk of his own life.
Go to our page on the Verzetsherdenkingskruis (Resistance Remembrance Cross) to see, if there is still a chance for the relatives of these “forgotten” resistance fighters, to still get recognition. See also [2]
But at least they have our recognition.
Do you know more? Write us!
Here follows most of the family’s notification of her death:
The nestor of our family, Aunt Gerardine, passed away peacefully at the blessed age of 95.
She was born in 1926 as the youngest of the Peusens family. After boarding school in Schimmert, she continued her studies in Leiden and qualified as a home economics teacher. During the war she suffered from tuberculosis and was bedridden for a long time. Later she was appointed as director of the new home economics school in Meerssen. Here she worked with great pleasure until her retirement.
Together with her sisters Annie and Els she enjoyed life. Trips in winter to Garmisch-Partenkirchen, several times to Canada and every school vacation they went out. They enjoyed visits to the theater, playing tennis and eating out, with which they also delighted nieces and nephews.
The first setback came when Anny died suddenly in 1984. Together with Els, they picked up life again and decided to move to a life-proof environment. In 2004, Els died and Gerardine remained alone. More and more peers fell away. She struggled a lot with this. Life did not have to be for her anymore. Her health slowly deteriorated.
Footnotes