Vooren Wilhelmina (Bouwman)

Vooren, Wilhelmina (Bouwman) Wilhelmina (Mien) Vooren-Bouwman’s involvement in the underground began in the summer of 1942 when she got engaged to the young Wim Speelman, one of the distributors of Trouw. She decided to help Wim with his work, serving as a courier, and soon became known as “Mien from Trouw.” Mien often had to travel to Amsterdam on newspaper business from the couple’s hiding place in the city of Groningen. Starting in the summer of 1943, she and her courier colleague came back each time with Jewish children. These children were mostly hidden in Friesland and Groningen though some were taken to addresses in Drenthe and Overijssel. Once, Mien took two-year-old Barend Stempel by train to the north. After a nerve-racking trip, Mien arrived safely with the little boy at a temporary shelter. Occasionally Mien received a direct request from Jewish parents to hide their children. After the closing of the crèche in September 1943, Mien’s work in rescuing children slowed down. In January 1944, she moved to Amsterdam and together with her fiancé began once more to work for the newspaper. Despite the arrest of Wim in January 1945 and his execution on February 17, she continued with her Resistance work until the end of the occupation. On July 6, 1992, Yad Vashem recognized Wilhelmina Vooren-Bouwman as Righteous Among the Nations.