Corrie Ten Boom
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Cornelia "Corrie" ten Boom was born in Haarlem, Netherlands, in 1892, and grew up in a devoutly religious family. She was the youngest child with two older sister, and one older brother. Cornelia was named after her mother. After the death of her mother, Corrie trained to be a watchmaker and in 1922 became the first woman licensed as a watchmaker in Holland. In May 1940, the German Blitzkrieg ran though the Netherlands and the other Low Countries. Within months, the "Nazification" of the Dutch people began and the quiet life of the ten Boom family was changed forever. During the war, her house became the refuge for Jews. A secret room, no larger than a small wardrobe closet, was built into Corrie's bedroom behind a false wall. The entire ten Boom family became active in the Dutch resistance, risking their lives harboring those hunted by the Gestapo. Corrie ten Boom became a leader in the "Beje" movement, overseeing a network of "safe houses" in the country. Through these activities, it was estimated that 800 Jews' lives were saved. Corrie lived for 91 years before she died on April 15, 1983.