Angelen van Gerardus

Angelen van, Gerardus In October 1942, the Hes family decided to go underground. They made contact with Gerardus (Gerard) van Angelen, the boyfriend of their employee. Gerard promised to organize a plan of action for them as soon as they felt ready to move. When the time came, Gerard took Jack Hes on his bicycle to a nearby train station, where another Resistance worker escorted him to a safe address. Gerard then returned to pick up Edith, whom he took across the Waal River in a rowboat. Once across the river, Krijn de Kock Jr.* met Edith and took her by bike to his parents home in Haaften, Gelderland. Edith was quite upset to leave Gerard, an old family friend, but she was reassured of her safety when she arrived at her hideout and discovered that she was the only person in hiding there. Edith remained with the De Kocks for two years and seven months and survived the war. In the meantime, Gerard also found a hideout in Zaltbommel for Mr. and Mrs. Hes and their oldest son, where they remained until 1944, when they escaped to Almkerk without a single possession. On January 3, 1983, Yad Vashem recognized Gerardus van Angelen as Righteous Among the Nations.