BIOGRAPHY

Van der Es-Siewers was born as Marina Femke Siewers in Van Ewijcksluis, North Holland on 4 March 1913. She had no siblings, being an only child. She walked to school in clogs. Her father was an inland fisherman and died in his 60s. Her mother, Sjoukje Siewers-de Boer, died aged 53 in 1937.

Van der Es-Siewers married Henk van der Es in 1945, and they had one son, Jan, who later fathered their only grandchild. She voted for the first time in 1946 for the PvdA (Labour Party) and continued to support the party throughout her life. In 1974, the couple moved to the town of Hippolytushoef. Her husband died in 1998 after 53 years of marriage.

At the age of 93, in 2006, Van der Es-Siewers fell down her stairs and broke her femur. She moved to a nearby nursing home and lived there until 2020 when she had to relocate for one-and-a-half years due to the closure of the nursing home. She was able to return in 2022. Her health deteriorated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Van der Es-Siewers was believed to be the Netherlands’ oldest resident following the death of Ebeltje Boekema-Hut on 11 June 2022, but it was later reported that Helena “Leny” Mackenbach of Rotterdam was a few months older.

On 4 March 2023, Van der Es-Siewers celebrated her 110th birthday. It was reported that her health was very frail, and thus no photos were published.

Marina van der Es-Siewers passed away in Hippolytushoef, North Holland on 11 March 2024, aged 111 years, 7 days.

RECOGNITION

Van der Es-Siewers was first noted for her longevity when she voted in parliamentary elections shortly after turning 104. Every birthday since has been reported by numerous Dutch news outlets. Every year since her centenary, she was visited and congratulated by alderman Mary van Gent.

Van der Es-Siewers was reported widely in the media when she was thought to have become the oldest living person in the Netherlands.

ATTRIBUTION

GALLERY