Archives West Finding Aid

Arendje Aerie Visser (1912-2001) was born in the Netherlands. Her mother raised her and one brother alone. Her father was a government officer in the East and West Indies and was absent during her childhood. She had a difficult relationship with her mother, suffering emotional and physical abuse. She left home at age fourteen. She was involved with many political and social causes, and stood for peace and human rights. During World War II, Visser was involved with the resistence movement against the German invasion of Holland. She was also a volunteer worker for the Red Cross. In 1983 she was awarded a Resistance Movement Cross by the Dutch government, the same award that was posthumously awarded to the Netherlands' Queen Wilhelmina. At age forty-four, Visser immigrated to North America, living in Ontario, Canada. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) and settled in Salt Lake City, Utah. Her only son was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Eventually she left the LDS Church. Visser occupied her time during her elderly years clipping items of life from local newspapers in Utah.