In her younger years she won numerous skating competitions and as one of the earlier feminist she began her own hairdresserŐs salon. As the business grew, she added a beauty parlor including perfume and jewelry sales. Next door, her husband, Abraham Jacob Snijders, opened a fabric store. His entrepreneurial spirit caused many pleasurable events like; Enkhuizer Flower Parade, ownership of a small plane, raising doves, and investing in antiques. They had a very joyful and happy marriage as Mrs. Snijders-Bakkert often recalls. They were blessed with two children, Marianna and Bram.

The losses they experienced during WWII (1940-45) were substantial. Pietertje not only helped people to stay hidden but brought food supplies to Amsterdam and after the Kosher transports were forbidden, she smuggled food to her friends and family members. She continued that until they were all deported to Germany, never to return. Their names are now engraved on the walls of the Amsterdamse Schouwburg (the Amsterdam City Theater), which became a war monument. Her family had to vacate their home for the Germans. They lost houses, businesses and goods, which never was restored.

A very difficult time followed where the family tried hard to restore their life and capital by working to rebuild their businesses. Unfortunately, Mrs. P.Snijders-BakkertŐs husband became very ill and they were forced to retire earlier than planned in 1960 and sold all the businesses. They moved to Zwanenburg to be closer to their daughter, who had just moved there with her husband Ger de Lang, In., from NetherlandsŐ Indie and two children, Marc and Judith. Shortly thereafter Mrs. Snijders-BakkertŐs grandson Marcje died and her husband passed away not a year later. Their retirement plans of extensive travel and life without constant work stress were abruptly shattered. She therefore devoted her life to painting and her passion for flowers.

She moved with her son to Wilnis where he started a ground drilling company. Her daughter became the ŇprocuratieholderÓ and enjoyed the outdoor living while visiting mostly every weekend with Ger, Judith and Debora, the new addition to the family.

Mrs. Snijders-Bakkert lived a Bohemian life at the small quiet farmhouse along the water. She rowed the boat often, took long rides on her bicycle, and enjoyed the surrounding nature grounds. All this inspired her to paint. She became quite a modern impressionist and painted on canvas, pots, vases, and other medium. She dried flowers and arranged bouquets of flowers. She made her own fruit juices from the fruit in her garden or the small apple orchid. She donated some fruit to the local school and to the Montessori school her grandchildren attended in Amsterdam. Her flowers, and her nurtured wild flowers surrounded the small farm. She took care of some pets like rabbits, chickens, a sheep, cats, dogs - large Fila Brazilero and a Shetland pony.

Later Mrs. Snijders-Bakkert relocated to Eindhoven, where she was introduced to Carnaval and developed a close group of friend called: De club van 6! They were socially very active and went to events like; concerts, museums, country trips and bike rides. It was not until she became 85 and moved back to Amsterdam that she was forced to stop bicycling due to the heavy city traffic. Many of her friends in Eindhoven died, including her son in law. His sudden death brought great grief again to the family.

Together with her sister, she survived all her brothers. Rens became 95 just before she died in 2006.

After a tremendous dip caused by depression that she suffered while living in the Assisted Living Facility De Werf, she moved to a nursing home de Amstelhof. Her granddaughter and her husband in their little motorboat brought Mrs. Snijders-Bakkert there. The level of care was so bad that after a two-week stay they took her out of that facility to live with them in California. She enjoyed her son inlawŐs Reed Gratz piano playing very much and playing with her great grandson Joachim of 2 (2004). The lovely trees in the park next to the house were an inspiration and along with proper care and intensive activity program, she perked up out of her depression and worked up a good appetite. She picked up drawing again, worked some in the yard, and learned some English.

The greatest disappointment was to take her back to The Netherlands where she is required to sit in the Buitenhof in Buitenveldert in Amsterdam. The slogan: ŇUse it or you lose itÓ has not been adopted in the older adults reform movements or in the politics that need to support it. There are no treatments used for people with AlzheimerŐs disease or old age Dementia. Mrs. Snijders-Bakkert depends on the visits by her daughter and granddaughter who brings her husband Peter and two daughters Danielle and Dewi along.

On the 5th of April Mrs. Snijders-Bakkert becomes 100 years. Her whole life she maintained a positive attitude and helped out many people. Even now wrestling her old age dementia she is an inspiring person and offers her help where possible.

Press release /Archive

Enjoy looking at some of her painting. The site is not completed so I like to invite you to return to the site some time to discover more about her intriguing life. Thank you.-

Persberichten / archief:

click here for(article from Stadsblad when she was tranported at 97 through the Amsterdam Canals. Een voorproefje van de Kijk op Westerpark Amsterdam artikel Stadsblad: