STORIES
Faith
DONATE

Corrie ten Boom

by Arielle from North Carolina

<a href=http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/questionofgod/images/voices/boom_sidebar.jpg>Corrie ten Boom</a>
Corrie ten Boom

What is my definition of a hero? To me a hero is someone who has courage, strength, perseverance, faith, and, most importantly, compassion for others. There are millions of people who have these characteristics, but few who actually act on them.

Cornelia was one of those one-in-a-million people. Cornelia ten Boom, also known as Corrie, was born on April 15, 1892 in Haarlem, North Holland. Her family made their living as watchmaker, and Corrie was one of the first female watchmakers of her time, but they had a secret life. Her parents, devoted Christian people, hid many Jewish families and members of the Dutch Underground in a secret hiding spot during the Holocaust. The Nazis would always camp outside the ten Boom house but they never did catch them with any Jewish people in their house, and they took care of everyone in their house. One day the Nazis stormed into their house and sent the ten Booms to concentration camps.

Corrie’s family was split up; her father, Casper, was sent to Scheveningen Prison where he died. Willem was sent to Bergen Belsen and he never returned. Corrie and her Sister Betsy were sent to three different prisons, and the last prison was Ravensbruck Prison, where her sister Betsy died. Although Corrie went through a lot of hard times,she remained a devout Christian woman and never once did her faith falter. She went on to be a minister and she traveled to over 60 countries in 33 years.

Corrie was very successful in her later life, and she went on to write a bestselling book that was famous around the world. Her two most famous books, “The Hiding Place” and “Tramp for the Lord,” tell the story of her life. She was presented many awards for her brave accomplishments, such as she was knighted by the Queen of Holland, and the Holocaust Museum asked her to plant a Tree of Righteousness. Corrie received many other acknowledgments. She lived a long, prosperous, and happy life. She was an inspiration to many people. Corrie died at the age of 91 years old and she died on her birthday, April 15, 1983.

Corrie ten Boom inspired me because she overcame all of the obstacles she was presented with and she never lost faith in God and she was able to move mountains. She is an international pillar of faith and example to all who read or learn about her.

Page created on 2/11/2007 12:00:00 AM

Last edited 2/11/2007 12:00:00 AM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.

Related Links

Corrie ten Boom - Corrie ten Boom