Parklaan 14a

Elisabeth (Betsy) Speelman was the middle daughter in a Rotterdam family with three daughters. She married Lion Cats, who owned a textile wholesaler. When Lion died in March 1940 at the age of 54, Elisabeth continued to live with her daughter Minny Hanny at Parklaan 14A. Elisabeth owned the property downstairs, which had been used as business space for her husband's textile wholesaler. She had no profession, but is mentioned as a representative of a Haarlem branch of an association for the protection of Jewish girls.

In October 1942, the Haarlem police issued a search warrant against Elisabeth Cats-Speelman and her daughter Minny Hanny Cats because they were suspected of having 'changed their place of residence without having the required permit'. This means that they were in hiding. Because their house had been requisitioned by the Nazis, they lived at Schotersingel 7 for a short time, after which they went into hiding near Breda. There they were discovered, possibly through betrayal.

On February 26, 1943, Betsy and Minny arrived in camp Vught. From here they were deported to Westerbork on March 31, 1943 with a penal transport. There they ended up in barrack 57, where the prisoners had to dismantle batteries. On April 6, 1943 they were transported to Sobibor. On arrival in Sobibor on April 9, 1943, Elisabeth was immediately murdered.

On October 14, 1943, an uprising broke out among the prisoners of Sobibor. Because those involved in the uprising had a duty of secrecy, Minny was not informed in advance. In the chaos of the uprising, she failed to flee. During or immediately after the uprising, Minny was shot by an SS or camp guard.

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