Researched by Zoe Merrill
Editor’s note: Our lives make a difference. The Big Sandy Mountaineer should be about collecting stories from the people in the Big Sandy area. When I was told about Cornelia Knottnerus, after her death, I was reminded how important it is to get other’s stories. This woman lived in Big Sandy for many years and I would have loved to listen to her talk about her life. I would like to talk to you about yours. I listened to the Corrie’s whole oral history, over an hour long. I took notes but the following introduction from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum; Oral History interview with Cornelia Knottnerus (Accession Number 1984.1.1.10 and RG Number RG-50.157.0010) gives a short precise description.
“Cornelia Knottnerus, born April 14, 1927 in Ermelo, Netherlands, discusses her experiences as a teenager during World War II in a family that worked with the Dutch underground; her family’s motivations for working with the underground, including their Christian beliefs and their community’s emphasis on helpfulness; the progression of their involvement from the beginning of the occupation through the end of the war; her older brother’s assignment to the police force, his refusal to follow orders to arrest Jews, and his sentence to a concentration camp for two years; her father, who worked for the railroad and helped people obtain coupons and papers; her family’s false closet in their home which was used to hide people; housing a Jewish girl, Netty van Maarsen; feeling like she was a sister and remaining in contact with her; housing a Dutch boy whose family had worked with the underground and had been betrayed; being aware of the risks of working with the underground; being taught by her parents to hide their activities; the search of her home by German soldiers, one of whom lingered at the false closet door and may have been aware of it, but moved on; the bombing of the house; her family going into hiding in a chicken coop along with a 16-year-old Jewish boy and others; using a bicycle light as an overhead lamp and taking turns using it to read; being liberated; feeling that her family did what they did “with God’s help” and that if everyone in her community had actively worked to protect the Jews many more people could have been saved; and talking with her children about her experiences and speaking at churches and schools.”
Her obituary tells us the rest of her life. Corrie Vlijm Knottnerus April 14,1927-April 26,2020. Corrie was born Cornelia Vlijm to Willem Vlijm and Jansje Van Der Does in Ermelo, the Netherlands. She was the youngest of six children.
Corrie lived in Holland during the Nazi occupation and was heavily involved in the Dutch underground, hiding and saving Jews. Her family home was seized by German sympathizers and subsequently bombed. She lived part of the time in a chicken coop. She was threatened by German soldiers. Still, she stayed strong and courageous and true to her faith throughout and continued with her family in hiding and saving Jews. There is simply too much to say about Corrie and her life at the time. A book could be written about her experiences and heroism. Corrie’s name, along with other members of her family, are written on the marble wall at the Holocaust Memorial in Washington DC, listing righteous gentiles for life-saving acts during World War II. Their names are also written at the Holocaust Museum in Israel, where a tree is also planted in her family’s name for their heroism.
After the war, Corrie left Holland and spent time in London, working in a children’s hospital. Corrie returned to Holland where she happened to meet Otto. Otto had previously immigrated from Holland with his brother, Leonard, to Montana and had returned to Holland for a visit. Corrie then again left Holland in 1956 and immigrated to Long Island New York, where she worked as a nanny. Otto, being obviously smitten with Corrie, kept track of her, traveled from Montana to New York, courted her and ultimately convinced her to come back to beautiful Montana. Otto and Leonard had approximately 5,000 acres of land that they were converting into farmland irrigation, cattle etc. Corrie then embarked on the hard, and sometimes rough, life of a farm wife. But she always brought Holland with her. She always made things clean and cozy.
Otto and Corrie had three children, Hank, Wilfred and John. She also cared for her nephews Carl and Brent and her niece Dixie following their parents passing.
In 1978, Otto, Corrie and Leonard sold the ranch. Otto and Corrie moved to Stevensville, Montana where they have lived since 1978. Otto passed on November 22, 2011. Corrie continued to live on her own in Stevensville self-sufficiently until 2016, when she fell and broke her arm. Corrie has been living in the Living Center in Stevensville since.
Corrie passed away suddenly on Sunday morning, April26, 2020. Corrie was a very strong woman with great faith. She is welcomed home by the loving arms of Jesus, Otto and all of her family who have passed before her. Here, in America, she leaves three sons, three daughters in law, two nephews, one niece, and fifteen grandchildren, all who love her deeply and will miss her very very much. She leaves countless others in Holland, who also love her and will miss her. Welcome home Mom!
