Anyone
dealing with genealogy is able to establish the facts of their ancestors' existence
through birth and baptism certificates, marriage certificates, perhaps title deeds
to show where they lived, or school and alumnus records to show where they were
educated. Government archives are sometimes accessible to show the career paths
of employees and, of course, there is the finality of the death certificate.
One
of the frustrating issues that they have is to try and put flesh on the bones
of the ancestors they are researching. If they are lucky there may be a hoard
of letters, perhaps a diary, sometimes photographs or portraits. In the case of
the Flemmer family in South Africa, there are some of the publications that give
an insight into their lives. The
Little Dane, the autobiography of Anna Louise Distin (Flemmer) and
Reminiscences of Cradock are two such useful works.
With the future
researchers in mind, the thought occurred to Steve Herbert that it would be a
good idea to ask current family members to jot down some personal details of their
lives as part of the 150 Year Reunion. Many responded and their stories together
with their photographs and a line of descent have been published in a booklet
for the Reunion. We have not edited or altered the contributions, other than run
them through Spellcheck! They are in the words of the family members.
The
line of descent is a brief summary of the information held by Steve Herbert and
Fay Lea on their ancestry files. In some cases there is a good deal of information;
in others the information is sparse. For example, Ashleigh Flemmer has this line
of descent information: Flemmer Ashleigh ASHLEIGH LUIGINA9 FLEMMER
(JOHN MARIUS8, OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) was born 31 July 1975.
This shows that she is the ninth descendant in the record held for that part of
the family, her father being John Marius, her grandfather Owen John, her great
grandfather Marius Toger and her great-great grandfather Hans Christian, son of
Dr Christian August Flemmer, the stemvader of the South African Flemmer family.
Although, as this record shows, there is data back for four further generations,
the decision was that lines of descent would only got back to Dr Flemmer's children.
Our
thanks to everyone who contributed to what will be a unique record that will be
of enormous interest to future researchers. The entries in this section are all
those in the booklet plus some which were, regrettably, submitted too late for
publication. You can acess the stories alphabetically by surname.
If
you have a story to tell, or want to update your story or even, if you don't like
your mug shot, just click the Webmaster link below and mail us.
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ANDERSON Leila (Flemmer)
This
first story in our Flemmer and Descendants Who's Who is not that of one of the
South African Flemmers. It is the story of one of the great-granddaughter's of
Hans Christian Flemmer. Hans Christian's one son was our Stamvader Christian August
Flemmer: another son was Carl Adrian. It was Carl Adrian's son, Christian Frederick
who emigrated to America and who was the father of Leila Anderson (Flemmer). It
is written by Leila's granddaughter, Joan Merritt.
My name is Joan
Merritt and I live in Thompson Falls MT. This is my Flemmer line: Paul Anderson
(my dad), Leila Flemmer (his mom), Christian Frederick Flemmer, Carl Adrian Flemmer,
Hans Christian Flemmer, Johannes Flemmer, Friedric Flemmer, and an Anders Flemmer
(1647-1715.) After Leila died in 1969, we found a wonderful collection of typed
and hand-written notes on the family history which consequently sparked my interest
in genealogy. With the help of a Danish dictionary and hooking up with Steve via
the internet, I was able to piece together an accurate picture of my Flemmers
- except for Anders and we haven't been able to verify him!
Leila was born
in Copenhagen and lived in Odense until leaving Denmark in 1910 to marry Andrew
Anderson of Aarhus who had emigrated earlier, worked the gold fields of Alaska,
and established himself in business in San Francisco. During the depression of
1929, Andrew bought an orange grove in the San Joaquin Valley in California and
moved his family from the city to a dusty little farm town where Leila was to
spend the rest of her life. The move was difficult for her. She was a very proud
woman and maintained her cosmopolitan habits always dressing in hat, gloves, and
high heeled shoes whenever she went to town- in an environment where most women
dressed in pants and helped their husbands run the farm!
Seven babies came
along in rapid succession. My dad was number 5 and she endured a difficult delivery
complicated by a placenta previa. I remember hearing the story that a young nurse
went into her room after the birth and explained to her that she should not have
any more babies and proceeded to enlighten Leila with the nuances of contraception.
She became outraged, threw a bedpan at the poor nurse, and told her to mind her
own business! Years later she would confess to my mother than when she first suspected
another pregnancy, she would wash heavy blankets in the stationary wash tubs,
lifting them and squeezing them, hoping to encourage a miscarriage.
Leila
was a handsome woman, 5'7", brown hair and blue/green eyes. She always maintained
a slender figure. She was healthy all of her life - dying in her 80's of polycythemia,
a blood disorder. Along with being proud, she was strong-willed, fun-loving, somewhat
controlling, somewhat spoiled by her husband, and she had a delightful sense of
humor. She was very religious; her father was a priest in the Catholic Apostolic
Church; the family became Anglican after moving to the valley as the other church
did not exist outside of San Francisco.
My Dad remembers, not too fondly!,
that Leila insisted upon attending the Catholic Apostolic Church for Christmas
midnight services, an endeavour that involved driving for 7 hours at night in
often foggy weather conditions on a winding 2 lane highway from the valley where
they lived to San Francisco - the same drive today on the interstate system would
take 4 hours! Leila would have all seven children, washed, starched white shirts
and ties, hair curled, frilly dresses, sitting quietly in the car for this 14
hour round trip!
The children grew up into attractive young adults preserved
in their youth forever on 8 mm movie film taken during the 1940's. Five were in
uniform serving during World War II. These happy images hid, however, what would
become mental illness in 2 of the children: one became catatonic and died in a
mental hospital, the other a manic depressive who never really had a life of her
own.
I enjoyed hearing my aunts and uncles talk about their mother. Whenever
her "head strong" personality would emerge, they would say that she was being
"ganelli" - a word I think they coined! They frequently made disparaging remarks
about the "Flemmer nose" debating whether or not it was aristocratic or simply
too prominent! Leila never spoke Danish again even though I begged her to teach
me some words. She would, however, call people names - tosk and lort - which Dad
said were Danish slang for something "not very nice". (She would never tell me!)
(And I couldn't locate them in the Danish dictionary!)
In the 1920's she
asked Andrew if she could go to Odense to visit, and when he saw the reality of
dealing with 7 little children by himself, he offered her a Steinway grand piano
OR the trip. She chose the piano and sadly, never saw her parents again. She did
enjoy music and was talented in voice and the piano as were the children: they
all sang and played an instrument. Leila's oldest son, Ralph, sang for a brief
period of time with the San Francisco Opera Co. Singing around the piano was a
common evening's entertainment. I remember as a teenager walking into her living
room one day and finding her in a chair she had placed in the middle of the room
with "Messiah" going full-blast on a new stereo she had purchased. She told me
to hush; "We don't talk when GOOD music is playing"!
My grandmother
rarely spent a summer in the hot valley where she lived. Grandfather packed her
and the children up every June and took them to the coast returning again in September
to get everyone home for school. She did quite a bit of travelling as she got
older but oddly, she never went to Denmark. As an example of her headstrong and
stubborn ways, my Dad asked her one summer what her plans were and that she really
shouldn't be considering any trips because she was getting "too old" for that.
I can just see her eyes squinting up and her jaw set tight as she went straight
to the travel agent and booked a round-the-world cruise! I believe she spent most
of that trip in her stateroom although we do have some photos around of Leila
on an elephant in Saigon and riding a camel in Alexandria! (This at 80 years old!)
Leila
was widowed in 1949 and lived alone in the large two storey farm house where she
had raised her family until she died. I spent a lot of time with her in those
days. She introduced me to Hans Christian Andersen and we would stay up late at
night, her reading to me these very scary stories and drinking hot cocoa. She
did beautiful crochet work and several of her table cloths and bedspreads exist
today. My most prized possessions are a few Bing and Grondahl Christmas plates
that belonged to her and some raggedy leather- bound books of fairy tales. She
made kleiners for Christmas and her tree abounded with red and white woven paper
hearts and we always danced around the tree singing a traditional Danish song!
(I wish I could remember it now!) Dad recalls Christmas correspondences with the
South African relatives, but unfortunately, those letters are not with us.
Most important of all are the memories of this rather remarkable woman who, in
spite of sadness with 2 of her children, remained positive and energetic. I learned
from her not to complain about life, to gather inner strength from deep spirituality,
and to enjoy the gifts that God gives to us!
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BOOTH - Lianne Compton
(Lancaster )
(born 26.8.1968)
Booth Lianne (Lancaster) LIANNE
COMPTON3 LANCASTER (JOHN EDWARD COMPTON2, ARTHUR COMPTON1) was born 26 August
1968. Lianne is the great granddaughter of WILHELMINA AUGUSTA6 FLEMMER (HANS CHRISTIAN5)
born 2 March 1874 in Steynsburg South Africa. She married (1) CHARLES BRIGHTSON
CALEY. She married (2) HERMAN VERMAAK 13 November 1899 in Steynsburg South Africa,
son of HERMANUS VERMAAK and CHRISTINA HOLTZHAUSEN. He was born 29 April 1864 in
Uitenhage Cape Colony, and died 18 October 1918 in Central Hotel Dewetsdorp South
Africa. She married DESMOND SHANE BOOTH. He was born 15th July 1966
Schooled
at Wynberg Girls Junior for sub |A & B and then transferred to Rustenburg Girls
Junior. Matriculated from Rustenburg Girls High. Spent one year at University
of Cape Town reading a B. Comm but after the first year realised that this was
not for her. Lianne then went to the Cape Technikon and did her National Diploma
in Marketing. After a 5 year stay at the Old Mutual as a Marketing Strategist
in Employee Benefits, Lianne joined Readers Digest as their Product Manager. After
their merger with Heritage, Lianne transferred to Heritage as their Marketing
Manager. Lianne was married to Desmond Booth on 10th October 1992. They have a
son Matthew John Booth born 9th July 1998. A second baby is expected at the end
of Sept 2001 and they are hoping for a daugher.
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BRIANT Paddy (Mast)
Briant
Paddy PATRICIA ELAINE2 MAST (THEODORE MAURICE'BILL'1) was born 15 August 1937.
She married MICHAEL BRIANT. He was born 23 September 1936. Paddy is the daughter
of BARBARA ANNA7 FLEMMER (JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) was born 23 July 1910
in Boksburg Transvaal, and died 14 May 1984 in Umzumbe Natal. She married THEODORE
MAURICE'BILL' MAST 31 March. He was born 3 March 1900 in Carolina Transvaal, and
died 18 February 1996 in Durban South Africa.
I was born on 15th August
1937 in Johannesburg, South Africa. My parents, Barbara and Bill Mast had 4 children,
John, myself, Noel and Wendy. When I was 11 years old, my family moved to Durban
where I grew up. My parents had many money problems and I had to go to work very
young to help the family financially - this was hard on me then but looking back,
it gave me a good idea of how to look after money and live within my means. At
the age of 22 I was a very silly, immature young girl, fell pregnant and had a
little boy out of wedlock. He was adopted by Enid and Don Phillips. This family
also lived in Durban. At the age of 28, Timothy found me, we met for the first
time. I then also met Enid and Don - wonderful, Christian people. They became
really good friends. Tim has been married twice and has an 11 year old son, Stuart.
Michael
Briant sailed into Durban harbour onboard his authentic Chinese junk, this was
in 1962, we married a few months later and so my sailing days began. Mike and
I cruised for 6 years on 'Ying Hong'. We had two sons, John and Paul who were
born in Grenada, British West Indies. John in 1964 and Paul in 1965. From the
Caribbean we sailed up to the United States where we sold that boat.
Our
trip to England from the U.S.A. to meet Mike's parents for the first time, was
a disaster. We returned to South Africa and ended up building another Chinese
Junk in East London then Cape Town. She was launched in 1982, we sailed from there
in 1995.
Both our sons are married and live in North America. 2003 finds
us living in America having crossed the Atlantic 3 times on this boat, 'Chi Lin'
(the one we built). Mike and I sailed, with crew, to Ireland, England then back
to America via the Caribbean etc. We have now applied for American permanent residence
and hope to make our home somewhere on the West Coast of the States. We have three
grand children; John and Joelle (in Vancouver, Canada) have Kanika born 1997 and
Tristan born 1999. At the time of writing this, John has left Joelle.
Paul
and Monta have Sirena born 2000. They live in San Diego, U.S.A.
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COLE-ROUS Jenny
Cole-Rous
Jenny JENNIFER COLE-3 ROUS (MARCUS COLE2, JAMES COLE1) was born 8 April 1951.
She is the granddaughter of ANNA LOUISE6 FLEMMER (CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 28 January
1874 in Cradock South Africa, and died 22 February 1941 in Observatory Johannesburg.
She married JAMES COLE ROUS 26 March 1902 in DRC Cradock South Africa. He was
born 25 April 1874, and died in 1932.
Jennifer Cole-Rous, born 8 April
1951. UNISA BA French and Linguistics, UNISA Hons Linguistics. Works as a translator
- mainly French and English but also some Italian. Conference and other translation,
mainly for big international companies dealing with wine, petrochemical topics
and civil engineering. Also Tour Guide, mainly for Italians and preferred guiding
jobs involve ending up with the animals in Kruger National Park and being able
to photograph them! Have also worked in the wine industry, in marine research,
spending some time at sea and in media, but freelancing is tops. Have lived in
Stellenbosch, Cape Town, Hermanus, Pietermaritzburg, Rome and now for the past
32 years, in Cape Town.
Some of the most significant events in my life
are having lived in Italy; having obtained two degrees through part time study;
having fairly much mastered both French and Italian which I use daily. In 2002
was at the Inter-Congolese Dialog conference at Sun City for nearly two months.
Crewed on a 42' yacht to Luderitz - only three people on board, also on 34' yacht
to PE and got caught in a gale off Knysna - a life altering experience.
My
main loves are travel, wine and food, music, photography, wildlife, reading, foreign
movies, entertaining, bargain-hunting at second-hand and charity shops and last
but not least, my wonderful Mom, friends and cats. My interest in languages, travel,
cooking, sailing and books come from my Mom, Jeanette (née van der Lingen) and
my late Dad, Marcus.
Future plans/dreams to do a TEFL (Teaching English
as a Foreign Language) course, more travel - hopefully to France and Italy for
pleasure, throughout SA, particularly the game parks for work, more photography
and to do more renovations. To have the time to just be!
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DE VILLIERS Sally (Flemmer)
De
Villiers Sally (Flemmer) ROSALIE DOROTHY8 FLEMMER (OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6,
HANS CHRISTIAN5, was born 4 November 1941. She married MICHAEL DE VILLIERS. He
was born 1941.
PERSONAL HISTORY OF SALLY DE VILLIERS (BORN ROSALIE
DOROTHY FLEMMER) AND FAMILY - 20 August 2002
04.11.1941 : Born to Oswald
and Dorothy Flemmer in East London - the third child
1946 - 1958 : Schooled
at Convent of the Sacred Heart, East London
1959 : One year at University
of Cape Town studying a B.A. course
1960 +1961 : Completed the B.A. degree
at Rhodes doing part of a Sec. Prac. Course at the same time Met Michael Leo de
Villiers in 1960.
1960 : Did secretarial work in East London first for
an attorney then for the General Manager at Chloride.
14 December 1963
: Married Mike de Villiers
2 May 1965 : Daniel Michael de Villiers was
born
January 1967 : Mike, Dan and I emigrated to Canada to work in Toronto
December
1967: We returned to South Africa to live in East London
5 April 1968 :
Robert Peter de Villiers was born
21 August 1970 : Jacqueline Jean de Villiers
was born
The boys went to De La Salle College after nursery school until
it was closed down then moved to Selborne Primary. Jacqui went to Stirling Primary.
June
1980 : Moved to Johannesburg for Mike, a partner in Deloitte & Touche, to set
up an insolvency division for Deloitte & Touche there.
Dan matriculated
from Selborne College, remaining as a boarder after we moved. Rob matriculated
from King Edwards School in Johannesburg moving there for his High School education.
Jacqui matriculated from St Theresa's Convent in Rosebank. Dan obtained a B.Com.
degree from Rhodes University then his C.A. through UNISA. Rob obtained a B.Sc.
Electrical Engineering degree at UCT and Jacqui had one year at UCT studying B.Sc.Computer
Science before moving to Rhodes and completing a B.A. Human Movements degree.
Dan
is married to Allison (nee Wiener) and has three daughters, Katherine, Sarah-Jane
and Frances. Rob is married to Lynette (Hulley) and has a daughter, Kerri-Lynne,
and a son, Andrew.
1993 : Moved back to East London and Mike started his
own business in insolvencies. I started working for him after about two years.
2002
: Still in East London at the same job!
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ETSEBETH Lindi nee
Geyser
Etsebeth Lindi (Geyser) LINDI2 GEYSER (JOHN1) was born 6 October
1963. She married FRANCOIS CHRISTIAAN ETSEBETH 26 November 1983. He was born 10
August 1961. Lindi is the daughter of JOAN OLIVE8 FLEMMER (GEYSER) (JOHN 'JACK'
SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 28 March 1928. Joan married
JOHN GEYSER 1949. He was born 20 September 1919.
Lindi Etsebeth nee
Geyser, born, 16 October 1963. Matriculated in 1982 at Kelly Greenoaks Finishing
School. Worked for Edgars for five years. Currently working for Nedbank (12 years).
Married to Francois Christiaan Etsebeth on 26.11.1983. Two children: Kylie, born
25.1.1989 and Talia born 30.10.1990. A qualified aromatherapist, living in Johannesburg,
travelled overseas to the UK, Europe and Canada in June 2000 for a month's holiday.
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FLEMMER Ashleigh
Flemmer
Ashleigh ASHLEIGH LUIGINA9 FLEMMER (JOHN MARIUS8, OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS
CHRISTIAN5) was born 31 July 1975.
PERSONAL HISTORY ASHLEIGH LUIGINA
FLEMMER
WRITTEN 22 JANUARY 2003
I went to Kaffrarian High School
and Port Elizabeth Technikon, making my career in Marketing and Sales. I have
lived in Kingwilliamstown, Port Elizabeth and East London.
Significant
events in my life have been travelling during the year 2001, experiencing different
cultures, meeting wonderful people and realising that happiness can be found exactly
where you left, but sometimes you need to take a journey. My motto is to live,
laugh and love.
What I enjoy the most and think like most Flemmer's do,
is to socialise and be around people. I fabric paint, enjoy music, mostly all
types and a good read is always welcome. I am actively involved in my church,
we encourage each other and help each other a lot and it is really great. I am
not a very sporty person but do exercise to try and keep my figure slim and trim!
Not always easy I might add, with my height that is surely a disadvantage I am
5 foot 2 inches and have hazel eyes, brown hair and olive skin. I have my mother's
looks!
It is great to be part of the Flemmer clan and hope to meet many
more along the way.!
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FLEMMER Catherine (Cosser)
Flemmer
Catherine (Cosser) CATHERINE1 COSSER was born 7 January 1976 in Johannesburg South
Africa. She married DAVID NOLAN FLEMMER 21 September 2002 in Holy Family College
Parktown Johannesburg, son of NOLAN FLEMMER and JENNIFER BARBER. He was born 13
August 1975.
PERSONAL HISTORY CATHERINE COSSER
WRITTEN 22 JANUARY
20023
Went to Jeppe High for girls and travelled around world for 3
years. I have lived in Johannesburg and am now a Web Developer for Mweb. Married
to David Flemmer in Johannesburg on 21/09/2002. My interests are ballet, yoga,
travelling, outdoors, sleeping and reading
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FLEMMER Coll
Flemmer
Coll COLLEEN MARY9 FLEMMER (NOLAN GEORGE8, OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS
CHRISTIAN5) was born 6 January 1967.
PERSONAL HISTORY OF COLL FLEMMER
WRITTEN
23 JANUARY 2003
Recently became engaged to David John Stretch on
my birthday (06 Jan) this year 2003 in Mozambique.
I went to Clarendon
High School for Girls in East London. Matriculated 1984 and studied hairdressing
in Port Elizabeth at the PE Techical College (1 year fulltime).
Moved to Cape
Town and worked as an apprentice hairdresser in an up-market salon in Sea Point.
Qualified after a year. Worked as a qualified for another year and gave it all
up to travel to Europe for a year. Spent 3 months working on a kibbutz in Israel,
backpacking around Greece, Turkey, Italy, France and ended up in England where
I worked for a couple of months. Returned to SA and changed careers.
Enrolled
in art school at the AAA School of Design and Advertising (1 yr full time). Graduated
and got my first job as an assistant to a fashion photographer. Taught myself
DTP (Desk Top Publishing) and changed jobs to work for an advertising agency.
Spent the next 9 years in Cape Town working in the ad industry.
1998 saw
me take leave of family and friends and embark on a life-changing journey through
Asia. Spent a year travelling in India, Nepal, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia,
Cambodia, Laos, Indonesia, Phillipines and finally across to Australia.
On
my return to SA, I was offered a job in an advertising agency in Dubai (United
Arab Emirates) which I took the chance at. Spent three wonderful years there.
However I did manage to take an 8 month sabbatical to visit my life-time dream
country, South America. Had, in the interim, met my now fiancé Dave Stretch -
from New Zealand - who had since moved to Mozambique to work on a 6 month engineering
contract for Mozal Aluminium Smelter. Spent his last 2 months in Mozambique together
and then we headed to South America, visiting Argentina, Chile, Peru, Bolivia
and Ecuador. I was under obligation to return to Dubai to my old job and Dave
started a new contract in Johannesburg for 6 months. His next contract was to
be in Mozambique again, so I decided to pack Dubai in and move there.
Have
been living here since Feb last year (2002), still working for the same company
in Dubai but through the e-mail and an ISDN line. Live a wonderful colonial life-style
working a few hours every day and spending my time gardening, reading, socialising,
playing bridge and travelling on weekends. Couldn't be happier. Dave's contract
will be up end of May this year, when we'll return to Dubai again for another
year or two, before finally moving permanently to New Zealand to build a house
and settle into "life in the burbs". (and can't wait!!!!!!)
All my travels
have been significant events for me, including 2 trips to New Zealand which were
both mind-blowing.
Another significant event was when I risked a laser
eye-operation. I now sport 20/20 vision and am grateful every waking day to modern
technology. The day I decided to brave the big world and leave the comforts and
security of my life in Cape Town and travel east. That was a big day...
Of
course my biggest love is travelling. anywhere. I love the great outdoors and
any form of adventure although I have a crippling fear of the sea and watersports
(which I wish I didn't have). Love hiking, tennis, reading, have a wild passion
for books of any sort, love good design and interesting architecture, fashion
and trends, gardening, history, cooking and fine dining, and of course my friends
and family. Love life!!!!!!!
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FLEMMER Dan
Flemmer
Daniel DANIEL WILFRED GRAHAM8 FLEMMER (OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5,
) was born 30 April 1943 in East London South Africa. He married PATRICIA MARY
ANDERSON 28 December 1968 in Salisbury Rhodesia, daughter of JOHN ANDERSON and
FLORENCE ELVIDGE. She was born 30 August 1945 in Choma Zambia.
Born
30th April 1943 at Mater Dei Hospital East London.
Eyes: Blue Hair: Brown &
curly Height: 6'1" Weight: approx 85kg Build: Medium.
Daniel started school
at Mrs Fuller's nursery school and spent 2 years there. Then he attended the Sacred
Heart Convent School in East London for Sub A and Sub B. Thereafter he attended
De La Salle Primary School until Std 6 (aged 12). He attended senior school at
St Aiden's Grahamstown, where he matriculated in 1960. He excelled at athletics.
He went to Rhodes University where he gained his degree, a Legal B Comm. in 1964.
In 1965 he went to Cape Town to do his 3 years' articles at Findlay and Tait
while studying for his Law Diploma. He returned to East London in 1968, married
Pat Anderson in Harare in December of the same year.
Dan went on to become
an attorney, Notary and Conveyancer with Drake, Flemmer, Orsmond & Vermaak.
He
and Pat had three sons, Justin, Keith & Peter.
Interests: Golf, Rugby,
Cricket, Fishing & Opera.
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FLEMMER David
Flemmer
David DAVID NOLAN9 FLEMMER (NOLAN GEORGE8, OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS
CHRISTIAN5) was born 13 August 1975. He married CATHERINE COSSER 21 September
2002 in Holy Family College Parktown Johannesburg. She was born 7 January 1976
in Johannesburg South Africa.
PERSONAL HISTORY David Nolan Flemmer
Date Of Birth 13/09/1974
I went to Selborne College East London and have
lived in East London, London, Johannesburg. I travelled overseas for 3 years,
Studied Chiropractic for 4 years.
My interests are rowing, snowboarding,
outdoors life, hiking, fishing, and socialising. Grew up at St Anthony East London,
enjoyed the life on the river, started studying chiropractic at Wits Tech in 1993
left in 1997 for Kibbutz In Israel, then Egypt, followed by work in London for
2 years Then backpacked around South East Asia for 11 months (Thailand, Laos,
Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, India, Nepal). Worked for Tiffindell ski resort
for 2 ½ years before starting this year at Canon South Africa.
Married
to Catherine Cosser Johannesburg 21/09/2002
That's me
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FLEMMER Dennis
PERSONAL
HISTORY DENNIS PATRICK FLEMMER DATE OF BIRTH 30/10/1960
Attended Witwatersrand
University, Rand Afrikaans University, University of South Africa to establish
a career as a Counselling Psychologist in Private Practice
Married to Yvonne
Sylvia (Jeanes). Children - Devon born 05/05/1989 and Natasha born 28/06/1992
I
live in Randburg, Gauteng, South Africa and the significant events in mylife have
been my trip to Israel; my Marriage; being selected to be a Psychologist; the
birth of my son Devon; the birth of my daughter Natasha
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FLEMMER Jack and Family
Flemmer
JSD JOHN 'JACK' SWEET DISTIN7 FLEMMER (JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5,) was born
15 January 1905, and died 1980. He married MURIEL BENTALL. She was born 6 May
1902, and died 15 March 1994 in Johannesburg.
The J S D Flemmer
Branch of the Flemmer Family Tree
By Joan Olive Geyser.
A short family
history written by Joan Olive Geyser nee Flemmer.....sent to me (Ludvig) shortly
after Maurine passed away and Joan requested that I add to this history facts
& anecdotes as I saw them......& pertaining to the John Sweet Distin Flemmer's
in particular.
Joan's book reads as follows:- "John Sweet Distin & Muriel Flemmer
were born on the 16th January 1905 & the 6th May 1902 repectively..Muriel being
the eldest of the couple.
"My grandfather, John Distin Flemmer (Jack)....brother
of The Little Dane - Louie, was born in 1872 & had seven brothers & sisters. The
children grew up on a large farm in the Cradock district where they all worked
very hard. Later in life John Distin (Jack Snr) left to work on the Rand Mines
on the Witwatersrand..ERPM in Boksburg....LF thinks...& married Maud Croxford
in 1899.
John Distin & Maud Flemmer had seven children:- Madge, Doris, John
(Jack Jnr) Ludvig (Lollie), Neville (Nick)Gwenneth (Gwen) & Barbara (Bobby).
The
twins, Ludvig & John or "Lollie & Jack" were born in Morekwen, Bechuannaland...(Botswana
now). The family were sheep farming but this area was too hot & the grass too
long for good sheep farming. When Jack contracted Polio at the age of 4, the family
returned to the Rand to be near to doctors etc. Later the family bought the farm
Schoongezicht ...east of Klipriver and Henley - on - Klip. Jack senior died in
1920 at Schoongezicht. Maud then moved to Johannesburg and lived in Yeoville with
her seven children.
In 1928 Ludvig & Neville immigrated to Kenya to join Madge
who was staying with Marius & Salvator Flemmer. Both young men did well. Lollie
obtained a forest concession to cut timber for the production of charcoal for
the East African Railways & later he opened a motor garage. Nick did well with
Pyrethrum plants for the manufacture of insecticides. During a hunting expedition
Nick was mauled by a lioness & his eldest sister Madge nursed him day & night
back to health....he finally succumbed at the age of 76 in Madge's cottage on
her daughters farm...near Howick South Africa.
My Dad, John Sweet Distin (Jack
junior), married Muriel Bentall in 1926 & they had five children:- Maurine, Joan,
Ludvig, John & Joyce. Jack was a farmer at heart and had a farm shop & butchery
at Schoongezicht. During hard times Jack found work in Johannesburg & lived with
his mother Maud returning week-ends to his family on the farm at Schoongezicht....riding
his "free-wheel" bicycle and pressing half-way forward with his stronger leg.
When the farm shop burned down...they had an Indian tenant Mohammed...Jack & Muriel
moved to Johannesburg. However we eventually returned to a dairy farm at Schoongezicht
when World War 2 was declared. Dad kept saying that a City was the most dangerous
place to be in during wartime from the point of view of saturation bombing...
and on the farm we stood a better chance. As Dad was a polio cripple with both
legs badly affected he could not go to war.... but his twin brother Lollie was
a Major in the East African Rifles in Kenya & did service in Burma.
Dad had
a dairy farm at Schoongezicht during the war. As part of his war effort Dad &
Mom used to invite young airmen to the farm for a break away as their parents
were in England.
Dad had to be up at 2 o'clock in the morning to see to the
milking and to get it to the depot in Johannesburg on time.
Weekends it was
great fun riding the donkeys & feeding the calves, chickens & pigs. Ludvig was
put in charge of the vegetable garden & was very proud of the quantity & quality
of the produce. All done with Muriel's encouragement and Jack's support. Our visitors
would return to their homes with loads of pumpkin, potatoes and greens of all
descriptions. On Sunday afternoons Ludvig loved to make a batch of pancakes for
the family.
We children were not happy at boarding school so chose to cycle
six miles to catch the train to school. What wonderful support Ludvig got from
his two sisters whenever he was involved in a fight with school friends. When
a stone-throwing match broke out one afternoon after school Ludvig was struck
by a stone on the head. Blood cascading down his face he was taken into the railway
station waiting room in Meyerton by his two devoted sisters and doctored most
anxiously with tears running down their pretty faces. So protective to their little
brother, Maurine & Joan have always been quietly in the background giving me their
support in all my many battles through life.
In rainy weather the sand roads
on the farm were muddy & when the wind blew against us, cycling was tough going
for children. We developed massive calves & thighs & Dad was proud that his children
had strong muscular legs. Winters were bitterly cold & cycling to school we were
smothered in balaclavas, scarves, double socks and thick sheepskin gloves to protect
us from "jack frost". Near the Klip River we would stop & make a small fire from
bluegum leaves to warm up for the last lap to Daleside railway station. We survived
to become a pretty tough group of kids. By this time John Oliver was big enough
to join us cycling to school & we used a "riem" from his bicycle to Maurine's
to pull him along when he was tired or when the wind blew against us. He soon
grew up strong as a horse & did his own pedalling.
Jack was an active man despite
his disability, & I (Joan) remember how he taught us to cycle by giving us a push
& saying "Peddle" & we finally came to a dead stop against a fence. We were taught
to swim the same way. Jack wanted to ensure that his kids were well equipped for
the life ahead and he spent a lot of time & petrol teaching us to drive his old
Ford car. He succeeded just fine. He also was a man of culture and could recite
Shakespeare and play the violin and the banjo. His vamping on the piano was sufficiently
expert to enable us to enjoy singsongs and happy hours on the farm, as we did
not have radios & TV to entertain ourselves with. Muriel used to see that we kept
up with our homework and exercised a firm yet kindly discipline.
Sundays we
climbed the hill nearby & at the top Dad always played his banjo & sang our favourite
songs until lunchtime. A big roast lunch cooked by mother Muriel awaited us at
home. We all still love the area in which we grew up.
I (Joan) remember my
first horse ride on a neighbour's horse. The horse decided it was time to go home
and bolted. As he rounded the corner at great speed I flung my arms round his
neck which made him stop. Dad was on his way in the car to pick up the pieces!!!
He was mightily relieved to find me shaken but not hurt.
A pet kicking rooster
& buffing calf ruled the roost in the farmyard. It was fun dodging them until
the calf grew too big. Grandpa Bentall was a sharp shooter with Ludvig's pellet
gun as he used to shoot for the pot in Basutoland were Muriel grew up. He loved
animals, especially Flash our Alsatian.
Maurine remembers:-
Before the war
was declared in 1939 , we lived in Johannesburg for five years. The Wemmer Pan
& Pioneer Park were nearby & our Alsatian dog enjoyed swimming in the Pan. One
day Dad took us boating on the Wemmer Pan & Flash swam after us & climbed into
the boat, nearly tipping us all out.
We owned a huge oxwagon on the farm...cappy
tent & all, which was drawn by eight oxen & one day we all went for a picnic at
Klipriver. What fun....slow progress....so we could jump off the wagon & walk
alongside picking flowers & playing.
At the river while swimming we saw a
snake swimming past....rather frightening as Mommy & Daddy had just got out of
the water!!!
This wagon was used to take us to "Nagmaal" in Heidelberg. Ludvig
remembers the 1938 trek
to commemorate 100 years of the Groot Trek.
On the
farm we entertained our friends and neighbouring farmer's with a gramophone. We
had cardboard cartoons which we could place on the turning record and this would
give an amusing animation. We had running red indians and dancing skeletons and
the farm kids thought this was magic!! Or Dad Jack would play the piano & sing
our favourite songs so we had good fun.
Prisoners of war from Zonderwater,
near Culinan, North-east of Pretoria, worked on the farm for a year & they sang
beautiful Italian songs. Mother Muriel had to include pasta & wine in their supper
daily. They had to report regularly to Klipriver police station.
In Johannesburg
while cycling to school the chain slipped off Maurine's bicycle & she sped out
of control down a steep hill in Rosebank. Much to our relief a black man rescued
her by grabbing hold of her back-satchel. On the farm Maurine also had a bad experience
while cycling to school: A car passed too close & her wheels skidded on the slope
of the road, landing her face first in the dust. Blood gushed & her face & body
was badly grazed & bruised, especially her lips & mouth.
In Johannesburg, 9
year old Ludvig decided to make a boat out of a halved drum & was nearly drowned
when it sank in the middle of the Wemmer Pan. Ludvig & 5 year old John were always
exploring the Wemmer Pan area, climbing the mine dumps & digging tunnels & generally
giving Mother Muriel grey hairs. One day a car in the street ran out of control,
heading for our garden gate on which John was swinging. Luckily he swung the gate
open when he saw the bakkie coming so he was not hurt!!!!
Ludvig remembers
so well how Maurine & Joan used to keep a sharp eye on the two boys with a little
of a wild streak in them.
When Ludvig was 8 years old he was very ill in the
Johannesburg Children's Hospital with double pneumonia. After 7 months when there
was no hope left, he was miraculously healed by the dear Lord. During Ludvig's
illness , Joan had a very sore throat & was confined to bed for a time. Months
later doctors diagnosed diphtheria as her throat was scarred & she had a speech
defect and had to have therapy at Wits University clinic.
Maurine was 20 when
our youngest sister Joyce was born. Maurine & Joan were working in Johannesburg
at the time, staying with Aunt Doris in Joubert Park. Ludvig was on the farm with
Mom, Dad & John. Ludvig distinctly remembers the night Mother Muriel started getting
contractions. This was a grown up experience happening.....a baby coming!!! What
excitement & anxiety!!! Dad & I got the old Ford out of the garage & loaded blankets
& warm clothing into the car as it was bitterly cold with an early winter starting
at the end of May. We set off for Vereeniging to the maternity home and with mother
Muriel letting out a cry of agony from time to time Dad could not go any faster
for fear of bringing on the birth of the baby. We got as far as the old power
station at Redan, just 5 kms from Vereeniging when the old Ford decided that that
was far enough!!! We looked in the engine but could not make the old car go!!!
Dad was getting frantic listening to Muriel's cries. So he walked out into the
roadway on his crutches and forced a car to stop and take Muriel & himself to
the nursing home. I stayed in the freezing car to take care of it and to explain
to anybody who wanted to know that a baby was coming!!!
When it was light Dad
came back to the car and found me half frozen....but happy, saying I had a baby
sister & that we had to think of a good name for her. How proud I felt at having
had a hand in the birth of Joyce.
"Later Ludvig left the farm to start his
apprenticeship as a Telephone & Telegraph Electrician & stayed with Aunt Doris,
& cousin Leslie; with Maurine & Joan in the flat in Joubert Park.
Jack, Muriel,
John at 12 & Joyce at a tender 1 year old left Schoongezicht for Kenya as Lollie
suggested they come to Kenya & help him with his business. They returned to Schoongezicht
after a year, as there was no future for them in Kenya & they missed the other
three children so much.
Soon after Maurine married Frank & went to live in
Durban. A year later Joan married Johnny Geyser & as they did not have children
until the seventh year, Joan enjoyed sewing, walking & playing with Joyce, who
was such a cute little girl.
Through the years we always had family gatherings
on birthdays & Christmas, so have always been a closeknit family. Grandpa Oliver
Bentall lived with us on the farm & our Uncle Oliver also lived with us for a
few years, working on the farm in every way.
Jack died in 1980 aged 75 years
& Muriel passed on 14 years later aged 92, leaving five children & their spouses;
12 grandchildren & 7 great grandchildren.
With seven Flemmer males to carry
on the Flemmer surname.... the John Flemmer surname. May we have many more "Jacks"
in the pack!!!
The Ludvig Austin Dean Flemmer side of the story with requests
to Peter Dean & Dennis Patrick Flemmer & their children to continue this family
history, adding anecdotes & incidents as time goes marching on:-
I (Ludvig....Lu)
was determined to be the farm boy who went to the ....B I G C I T Y ....and made
good!!! Well I was very well equipped with determination and fine physical health....so
I had a good start.
I wrote the S A Railways entrance test & succeeded in getting
a job as an apprentice Telephone & Telegraph Electrician. This was a tough & lonely
time in my life but I was determined that I would make the very best of it and
some how turn this knowledge I was getting into a fine advantage. It is tough
growing up to manhood when your family is far away in Kenya...or even if you are
at home with everybody. You see, as a young boy I did not know exactly what it
was I wanted out of life apart from getting enough money to live on. A year or
two later I learnt to let the daily events of work & play take their natural course
without forcing things into impossible shapes etc.
Most evenings were spent
in doing homework on the technical courses I had to do to qualify as a T & T Electrician.
I enjoyed radio technical repairs & finally qualified enough to get a good position
in the Automatic Telephone Exchange in Germiston. Apprentices had to spend 4 months
of each year doing intensive theoretical training. We attended a college in Kroonstad...O
F S. This college was a converted airforce base and is still used as an airstrip.
On
the farm we used to have church services on the Kent Farm at Henley - on - Klip.
The Anglican Minister was a Reverent Burness with a fine voice with a fascinating
way of putting his point of view across. When we arrived in Johannesburg we found
that Reverent Burness was the minister at the Bezuidedhout Valley Anglican Church.
I lived with Dad & Mom in Troyeville so Sundays we went to Mr Burness's church
in Bez Valley. I was put in charge of the church's Boys Brigade... and met every
Thursday evening for fun evenings, boxing, musical sing songs and of course Boys
Brigade business....drilling planning walks & camping expeditions. We also had
to raise funds for the church charity organisation.
One evening I called upon
the young people to help me get a dance organised.....& we would charge one pound
(sterling) per couple & hold the dance in the church hall. We would hire the services
of a 3 piece band & I then delegated several young folks to do certain jobs......Estelle
was one of them!!!
Estelle has two old friends...Nick & Maureen Els...they
were full of fun & always took us dancing with them. It was a regular monthly
outing & we all became pretty good dancers. I later was Best Man at Nick & Maureen's
wedding. I only just got to the church on time as I was on "stand-by" call-out
service as a Telephone Technician & was called out to repair a line fault at Jupiter
Station. As a young, unmarried, Technician on the S A R & H; my monthly salary
was pretty small, so I decided to try my luck "outside" the "safe" employment
of the Railways.
I joined up with a contracting firm doing electrical installations
in power stations at a higher salary; but was sent to Vierfontein; in the Klerksdorp/Orkney
district....a long distance from my lady-fair. Since love can not span distance
very successfully. I decided to give up this job & come back to Johannesburg.
I
resumed my Telephone career & felt very much better. I worked for Communication
Systems of South Africa (Pty) Ltd. CSSA was a subsidiary of ATE - Automatic Telephone
& Electric, Liverpool, England. I stayed 14 years & really enjoyed my career as
I was placed in charge of Port Elizabeth Branch & was my own boss. After a year,
I proposed to Estelle & we got married on the 21st May 1955. I was 26 years of
age & felt INVINCIBLE.
Peter was born on the 10th July 1956 & man - o - man
I was the proudest of proud Dad's!!!
We stayed in P.E. for 2 years & paid off
our furniture, which was on a 2 year Hire Purchase contract. We decided to return
to Johannesburg as Estelle missed her family terribly & wept & wept for them.
So
we started over again in Pretoria. Dennis Patrick Flemmer was born at the Maryfont
Maternity Clinic & as the two boys grew up I enjoyed planning all sorts of things,
like radio controlled boats, U - control aeroplanes & long touring holidays to
all our wonderful game parks. We managed to get a used caravan from Estelle's
Dad & with our Austin-A55 we travelled slowly along. We were frightened by a large
bull elephant who came charging with ears flapping!! I released the clutch too
quickly at full rev's & we could not get away as the wheels were spinning on the
gravel roadway!!! The weight of the caravan behind was holding us back!!!! With
all the noise the elephant decided to back off & leave us to recover our breaths.
On another occasion the car stalled in the game reserve, so I had to get Estelle
to drive while I tried to push the car to start it. It started & Estelle kept
on driving & I had to run full-speed after the car, fearing that if I was left
behind, I would be eaten up by a Lion!!!
I worked very hard at my job in Pretoria
& pretty soon the Company CSSA was making good money. Just as I got everything
organised; Plessey UK acquired all the assets of AT & E in Liverpool. This meant
that the Pretoria Branch had to close down. I was moved to Johannesburg to become
assistant National Sales Manager. I ended up doing all the Public Tendering work.
Then I became manager of the Mine & Spares Division & spent weeks away from my
family travelling around to all the Gold, Platinum & Coal Mines in South Africa.
An
acquaintance, Neville Baldwin, was General Manager for AEI Henley Telecomm division;
& unknown to me, had intended to resign & start his own business as he had purchased
a "Golden Egg" franchise in Durban. The day he left AEI Henley, I was given the
opportunity to apply for the now vacant position as GM Telecomm. I got the job!
After 2 years I left to join STC, now owned by Bill Venter - now Dr. Bill Venter.
At last we had a fully South African Telecommunications industry. STC's factory
is located in Boksburg; I received a very thorough training in sales technique
with important colleagues like Trevor Heunis, David Keemer, Dave Rock, Archie
Kirby & Les Vijoen. Our sales target in 1976 was R1million each per annum; somehow
we all achieved this enormous amount of money for the Company.
My greatest
motivation to achieve this target; was my driving determination to provide my
two sons with a University Education as both showed great promise at school. Strange
how a man gets motivation; whenever I felt discouraged & depressed, I would give
myself a "PeP" talk....."you don't owe it to yourself or your wife...but to your
children." So I would pick myself up & get stuck-in & sell, sell, sell. I was
very keen & successful & grew very fussy about my general appearance; my shoes
had to gleam......there is only one chance to make a first impression!
Peter
was at Wits University for 2 years but decided to pursue a career in the South
African army. He did well & received a commission as Lieutenant in the Heavy Artillery.
Peter
spent hair raising times at the front in Angola; being bombed & shot at & having
all manner of close shaves. Still a daredevil, he bails out of aeroplanes & does
bungy jumps off the Storms River Bridge & white-water rafting down the Victoria
Falls Gorge!
Peter is a very devoted "Dad" & dotes over his daughter Aiden
& son Oliver Dean. Both red headed good lookers. This is Peter's greatest motivation...."he
owes it to his children" to succeed in business. Peter has his own electrical
contracting concern & is now a 40% member of Telephone Installation Management
cc; trading as T I M cc.(Ludvig's business). Peter is married to Laurette (nee
RODE). Laurette, a highly qualified nursing sister, has done long duty in ICU's
& has specialised in baby care & baby problems of a very heart-breaking nature.
Dennis has the tenacity of a Bull Dog!! Once he gets the bit between his teeth
it's "goodbye nice guy" - hello strong Brains!! Dennis also did his bit for "King
& Country" & achieved an army commission as Lieutenant.. Den-Den qualified himself
by correspondence education through the University of South Africa. Have you tried
to study by correspondence!?........You have to work like a horse!! Well Dennis
Patrick Flemmer is now fondly known as "Dr. D" He gained a degree Bachelor of
Arts, majoring in psychology & has an extensive practice in place in Johannesburg
North. Dennis has two children; Devon & Natasha, He is married to Yvonne, (nee
Jeans) a qualified nursing sister who is also tough as nails in defence of her
family but generally of a fine nature. Dennis is a champion archer in his spare
time. Represented RSA in New Zealand & has achieved a top status as RSA's number
1 Archer. He is fond of camping & when his two children have school holidays;
he closes his practice & takes them all on a camping holiday.
Today is 21st
February 2001. I am very fortunate to have come through a major operation to remove
a malignant tumour from my colon. Yesterday's catscan & tests proved that my surgeon
did a fine job of removing this obstruction & I can continue with a happy, active
life in the Telecommunication Industry. Peter Dean Flemmer will take over 100%
in December 2001 & T I M cc will become his business. Selling, installing & supporting
PABX telephone system to customers. We are Hymax PABX Dealers. I will retire properly
at age 71.5 years of age!!
Our 4 grandchildren are doing fine. Two Flemmer
Boys & 2 girls.
Estelle & I hope to be with the Herberts over Easter, with
Joan. Estelle & I will find accommodation at a nearby B & B. What a wonderful
gathering of Flemmer's & relations this will be!!
Regards,
Ludvig Austin
Dean Flemmer. 21/02/2001.....
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FLEMMER Johnny
Flemmer
Johnny JOHN MARIUS8 FLEMMER (OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) was born
25 February 1947. He married (1) MARIJKE KEEMING. She was born 16 February 1954.
He married (2) PETRA LOURENS 29 May 1981 in East London South Africa. She was
born 18 March 1957 in East London South Africa.
Born on 25 February
1947, schooled at Milton High and Bulawayo Tech in what was then Rhodesia. Have
lived in Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia and have worked in purchasing and
store management. I have two children, Ashleigh and Marius.
I have always
enjoyed a good game of squash and won two squash titles in my time. I used to
do a lot of road running but unfortunately my age has caught up with me and my
knees have packed up, but I enjoyed it while it lasted. I am still an avid pigeon
fancier and a proud owner of a stud. One of my highlights was winning a racing
pigeon championship. Reading is also one of my passions.
In the past I
have served on a number of organisations/committees and have had the privilege
of acting as chairman and enjoyed the fulfilment of helping others in need. I
was President of Lions Club.
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FLEMMER John Oliver
Flemmer
John Oliver JOHN OLIVER8 FLEMMER (JOHN SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN
LUDVIG5) was born 6 February 1934 in Schoongezicht Transvaal. He married (1) RUTH
RATHBONE. He married (2) JOAN JENKINS.
I was born on the 6th February,
1934 in a trading store house in Schoongezicht, Tvl. It stood at the base of a
'koppie' which was to be the backdrop to many youthful adventures. Shortly after
my birth I believe this store burnt down. We moved to LaRochelle, Johannesburg,
near Wemmer Pan. When I was five my father moved to 'the farm' in Schoongezicht,
situated about 2 miles from the trading store where I was born, My best memories
are of this period. Dad built various outbuildings around the house. One of these
was a garage with storeroom and also contained an apartment for my mother's father.
Grandpa Oliver Bentall, even from my earliest memories of him, was an old man,
widowed in 1920, given to enjoying his own company.
Bicycles played a big
part in my life. When I got to schoolgoing age Maurine, Joan, Ludvig and I rode
six miles into Daleside to the station to catch the train to Meyerton for school
and reversed the routine coming home. During the war years we had Italian prisoners
of war working for us. When I was 13 years old my parents were asked by my Uncle
Ludvig (Lolly) to join him in Kakamega, Kenya, to help with the running of a garage
and the felling of trees for charcoal, businesses which he owned. The farm at
Schoongezicht was rented out and Mom, Dad, Joyce and I set out for Kenya via Durban,
in the SS Tyreha, a British India line. Maurine, Joan and Ludvig were working
in Jhb living with Aunt Doris and son Leslie.
On arrival at Kakamega we
stayed first with Uncle Lolly in his own house and then later moved into a bungalow
on an adjacent property. A year later we returned to the farm at Schoongezicht.
Back on the farm I was pleased to meet up with my siblings and old friends, especially
Oscar Hunzinger, who shared my enthusiasm for bows and arrows I had brought back
from Kenya. The farm didn't however prove a viable proposition and when I was
about 15 it was sold and my Dad went into partnership in a greengrocers in Rosettenville.
I remember spending one holiday in Rivonia at Gran Maud Flemmer's cottage adjoining
Aunt Barbara's house. This was also about the time of my sister Joan's marriage
to Johnny Geyser. Previously our holidays were spent at the south coast with our
aunts and cousins in cottages rented by Gran Maud Flemmer. Great fun.
Dad
had a 'thing' about doctors, having been disabled at the age of 4 by polio. Whooping
cough was cured by being near a goat and home remedies. Ludvig's six months in
hospital with double pneumonia was a total deviation. Joyce was the only child
born in hospital ... and that was because mother insisted, having lost the baby
Grace, born two years before Joyce.
Dad was fond of music and played the
piano and sang at family gatherings and parties. He also could recall quite large
sections of poetry which he had learnt at St. Andrew's, Grahamstown, and recited
these pieces regularly as I know some of them even now.
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FLEMMER George (Ludvig)
and family
Flemmer Ludvig 'George' LUDVIG 'GEORGE' CHRISTIAN7 FLEMMER
(JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) was born 15 January 1905 in Bechuanaland, and
died 20 May 1984 in Hunua Papakura New Zealand. He married MILDRED KATE SMITH
6 August 1933 in Nakuru Kenya Colony. She was born 2 October 1902 in Harrowgate
Yorkshire, and died 8 April 1986 in Hunua Papakura New Zealand.
Notes
on What I Know by Beryl Pickford (Flemmer) New Zealand , January 2003
Ludvig
Christian Flemmer twin son of John and Maude Flemmer (nee Croxford) arrived in
Kenya about 1927 and stated working for William Prentice who named him George,
commenting that he would never remember his real name and couldn't pronounce it
anyway. So George he remained to everyone except his family for the rest of his
life.
Ludvig remained in the Nakuru area until 1933, when he decided to
try his hand at gold prospecting, without very much success. This same year he
was married to Mildred Kate Smith, Nursing Sister at the Nakuru War Memorial Hospital.
Mildred was born in Harrogate, Yorkshire England in 1902 and stated her nurses
training in 1920 in Hope Hospital in Manchester. She remained there until 1929
when she left for Kenya. Mildred left Hope hospital as a very highly trained nurse
being Senior Sister in charge of surgery. Ludvig and Mildred were married on 6
August 1933 and moved to the Kakamega, in the Nyanza Province of Western Kenya.
Ludvig was at that time employed by Brooke Bond Tea Company recruiting labour
to work on the big tea estates which were being established in Kericho. This entailed
a lot of travelling. Ludvig then bought his own garage business and bought an
old hotel which he transported to a new site and modified it into a house. It
was a lovely, big old house with so much character. We lived there all our lives
and the house was eventually sold in 1980.
In 1935 Ludvig volunteered
for war service with the Kenya Regiment which saw him serve in Abyssinya until
the end of hostilities and then transferred to the Burma Campaign where he remained
and did not return home until 1946 when he decommissioned with the substantive
rank of Major.
Ludvig and Mildred had three children - Beryl Mildred born
18th March 1935- Eric Ludvig born 10th December 1936- Avril Jennifer born 24th
January 1939.
Beryl Mildred married Sterndale (Dale) Todd Matthew Pickford
- 22nd February 1958. We have three children and have lived in New Zealand since
1963.
Sarah Yvonne b 5th September 1960 m Geoffrey Ross Taylor. Both are
accountants and together with Geoff's brother and sister in law own a cosmetic
manufacturing company. They have four children Marie Katrina b 11th June 1990-
Lucienne Amy b 16th December 1992- Sophie Jacqueline b 4th May 1994 - Matthew
Alan b 8th March 1998.
William Andrew Sterndale b 26th July 1962- m Megan
Davies now divorced. Andrew is an airline pilot for Cathay Pacific based in Hong
Kong. He has one son James Todd b 11th January 1994
Murray Christian b
18th January 1965 m Jennifer Huston. Murray is a Master builder and Jenny a nursing
sister. They live in the Brisbane area in Australia and have just finished building
their own magnificent home. They have two children - Lara Jayne b 30th October
1993 - Seth Alexander b 9th February 1996.
Marius and Salvator Flemmer
lived and farmed in Kenya near Nakuru, Rift Valley Province in the Great Rift
Valley at the foot of Mt. Menangai an extinct volcano. Dry stock and arable. Married
into the Hopley family. Buried in Nakuru. Were still living there when Neville
Distin Flemmer youngest son of John and Maude Flemmer arrived in Kenya about 1925/6.
Neville
(Nick) Flemmer started farming on arrival, but in what capacity I do not know.
He eventually purchased his own farm in Linette, near Nakuru where he lived with
his wife Daisy Flemmer nee Alison. Her family ere connected with the Nolan Neylans.
Being a reservist in the Kenya Regiment Neville volunteered for war duties. And
served for a while in Abassinya but was recalled to civilian duties to work his
farm. He was given two Italian P.O.W.'s to help him. They also built a nice stone
farmhouse for him. Although the Italians were housed in the POW camp many of them
were given licence to travel to work in vehicles provided and trusted to return
at night. Monies earned were given to the Red Cross. I understand that for the
period of the war there was only one attempt to escape. On being repatriated at
the end of the war many of them immigrated to Kenya and made very good citizens.
In 1954 Nick and Daisy sold their farm and moved to 'Rhodesia" for a while and
then on to Durban where they lived out their lives.
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FLEMMER Justin
Flemmer
Justin JUSTIN MICHAEL OSWALD9 FLEMMER (DANIEL WILFRED GRAHAM8, OSWALD NOLAN7,
MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5,) was born 31 January 1971 in Mater Dei East London.
Born;
31st January 1971 at East London Mater Dei Hospital.
Eyes: Blue. Hair: Brown
& curly. Height: 6'3" Build: Well Built.
Justin went to Playways, (East
London) nursery school at age 3 to 6 thereafter he went to Selborne Primary School
'77-'83 where he excelled at swimming. His eyesight was not good, so he had a
bit of difficulty with ball games. He took up horse-riding which seemed to come
naturally to him, he did very well.
At age 13, '84, Justin went to Selborne
College for his Std 6 year. He went to St Andrews College in Grahamstown ('85-'88)
thereafter. Although swimming came naturally to him, he chose not to compete.
He got his matric exemption in 1988 age 17 years. He attended call up for the
army in Kimberly for 22 months ('89-'90) Justin then took up Mechanical Engineering
('91-'92) at Port Elizabeth Tecnikom. He did not complete the course as he was
waiting to get an entre to BMW, which he achieved 18 months later. He did his
apprenticeship at BMW East London for the requisite three years, ('92-'95). He
enjoyed this and won a National Award for "Apprentice of the Year" he then went
to England ('96) and worked for BMW at Maidenhead for two year.
Unfortunately
Justin was deported because it was found he had been working too long at one place.
He returned to Johannesburg to a BMW dealership ('98-'99) found it without prospects
and is now studying computers and working for Dimension Data.
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FLEMMER Keith
Flemmer
Keith KEITH DANIEL ANTHONY9 FLEMMER (DANIEL WILFRED GRAHAM8, OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS
TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5, ) was born 1 June 1974 in Mater Dei East London.
Born:
1st June 1974 at Mater Dei Hospital East London.
Eyes: Blue. Hair: Brown &
curly. Height: 6'1" Build: Medium. Weight: approx. 80 kg.
Keith attended
Playways nursery school followed by Selborne Primary School. Keith took part in
School plays, took the lead in the Musical "Pinocchio".
Keith went on to Selborne
College, became captian of Border Cross Country. He then got M.E. which put a
stop to sport at age 15. He matriculated in 1992 and was Head Boy.
He completed
his business science degree at U.C.T., then did his G.D.A. the following year.
He spent three years with De Loittes & Touche in Johannesburg, thus qualifying
as a Chartered Accountant.
He was seconded by De Loittes & Touche to New York
in January 2001, where he spent three months. He will write his final exam for
the CFA in June in Johannesburg and then plans to travel in Europe.
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FLEMMER Lu
Flemmer
Lu LUDVIG AUSTIN DEAN8 FLEMMER (JOHN SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5)
was born 1934. He married MARGO ESTELLEMAY DE STOPPELAR.
For Lu's story
see FLEMMER Jack and family - The J S D Flemmer Branch of the Flemmer Family
Tree
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FLEMMER Mario
Flemmer
Marius MARIUS OWEN9 FLEMMER (JOHN MARIUS8, OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5)
was born 12 January 1987.
I have lived in Kingwilliamstown, East London
and Pitermaritzburg, attending three very good schools - Dale College, Selborne
and now Pietermaritzburg College where I am currently.
Like my father I
am an all rounder in sport. I love rugby, my position is scrumhalf. I play cricket
and many other sports, squash, tennis etc. I have just bought a new set of golf
clubs - another sport that I really enjoy.
I also belong to the drama club
and act and sing in school concerts. I have quite an extensive CD collection as
I really enjoy music. My favourite music at the moment is Rhythm and Blues.
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FLEMMER Nolan and family
Flemmer
Nolan NOLAN GEORGE8 FLEMMER (OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) was
born 28 February 1938 in East London South Africa. He married JENNIFER MOLLIE
BARBER in East London South Africa, daughter of WALTER BARBER and EDITH RAWLINS.
She was born 4 August 1942 in Boksburg South Africa.
A SHORT VERSION
OF THE HISTORY OF THE NOLAN GEORGE FLEMMERS
Nolan George Flemmer was
born in East London on the 28th February 1938. His parents were Dorothy and Ossie
Flemmer. Nolan was the eldest of 4 children.
Nolan went to school in East London,
his junior years were spent at a Catholic School called De LaSalle, and he then
went on to another Catholic school called St. Aidan's in Grahamstown. He stayed
in Grahamstown and studied part time at Rhodes University. He obtained his degree
in Law.
Nolan was a good sportsman and played rugby, cricket and hockey for
border.
On the 11th July 1964 Nolan married Jennifer Mollie Barber… that's
me. I was born in Brakpan on the 4th August 1942. My parents were Edith Mary Barber
and Walter Kelson Barber. I was the youngest of 3 children. We moved around a
bit, and after the war, my father was Compound Manager of the Kimberley diamond
mine, we then moved to Natal and ended up in a small town at the foot of the Drakensberg…..Matatiele.
I
went to the local school, until STD 3 and then on to St. John's Girls School,
in Pietermaritzburg. For some reason I then chose to come to East London to do
a Commercial Matric. And met Nolan when I was 18. And I have been here ever since.
Nolan
and I moved into the family home St Anthony, after our marriage. His Dad had just
died so we converted the house into two flats, with his Mom living upstairs, and
us downstairs. Good Catholics as we were, it was only a few months and we were
expecting our first child.
Shirley Athalie Flemmer was born on the 8th June
1965, then came Colleen Mary Flemmer, born on the 6th January 1967, then our third
little bundle of joy, Helen Claire Flemmer, born on the 7th February, 1969. A
great shock to the system to find myself pregnant once more, this time 6 years
later, and our son David Nolan Flemmer was born on Friday 13 September 1974. It
is now 37 years later, and a brief summary of the kids is….
Shirley married
Hercules van den Berg on the 23rd March 1996 in East London at the Holy Immaculate
Catholic Church.
She and Herc have a wonderful little girl Athalie Jane van
den berg, with Aeron Shelby van den Berg (girl) to arrive on the 12th June 2001
- isn't modern technology marvelous?
Colleen Mary has taken the route of being
our "Happy traveler" she lives and works in Dubai as a Graphic Designer, and is
at the moment in South America on a 6 months sabbatical.
Helen Claire went
to Rhodes and did her Junior Primary Education and she has been teaching ever
since. She teaches grade 1 at the Junior School in Jeffreys Bay. On the 24th September
1999 she married Stuart Richard Shelver; he was born and schooled in East London.
They got married in the Church of the Holy Spirit and had their reception at home
at "St. Anthony's" They will be having their first child in October 2001. Sex
unknown!
The 3 girls all went to Clarendon High School for Girls, in East London.
David
Nolan, the last born went to school at Selborne College, he Rowed for the 1st
Rowing team, played squash and dived for Border.
He studied at Wits Technikon
and then left on his travels to Israel, and London. He traveled extensively with
Catherine Cosser his girlfriend and has now settled in Johannesburg.
We are
very proud of our family.
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FLEMMER Pat (Anderson)
Flemmer
Pat (Anderson) PATRICIA MARY2 ANDERSON (JOHN BRIAN WOODSIDE1) was born 30 August
1945 in Choma Zambia. She married DANIEL WILFRED GRAHAM FLEMMER 28 December 1968
in Salisbury Rhodesia, son of OSWALD FLEMMER and DOROTHY DALBY. He was born 30
April 1943 in East London South Africa.
Born: 30th August 1945 at Choma,
Zambia.
Eyes: Blue. Hair: Brown now grey. Height: 5'9 3/4" Weight: Approx.
57 kg.
Mother born in 1908 in Canada of English parentage (Florence Violet
Anderson)
Father: born in 1908 in Durban, SA of Northern Irish parents. (John
Brian Woodside Anderson.) was district Commissioner & Native Courts Commissioner
in Northern Rhodesia now Zambia.
Patricia has one brother, Colin Brian,
born 5th October 1943. Patricia grew up in Zambia, living in many different towns
and attending various government schools, sometimes being schooled by correspondence
course she went to senior school in Cape Town from 1958 to 1962 at Herschel, where
she matriculated. After a year spent partly in England she went to Rhodes University
from 1964 to 1966 she got a B.A. Degree in French & English. At Rhodes she met
Dan Flemmer. Patricia did a secretarial course in Salisbury (now Harare) went
to Cape Town and did various jobs, including working as a legal secretary. Dan
& Pat went to East London in 1968 and married in Harare in December 1968. Dan
and Pat had three sons, Justin, Keith & Peter.
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FLEMMER Peter
Flemmer
Peter PETER JAMES9 FLEMMER (DANIEL WILFRED GRAHAM8, OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6,
HANS CHRISTIAN5) was born 3 October 1978 in Mater Dei East London.
Born:
3rd October 1978.
Eyes: Blue. Hair: Brown & curly. Height: 6'1" Religion: Catholic.
Peter was born in East London at St Dominic's Hospital.
He went to Playways
Nursery School (1982-1984) Followed by Selborn Primary School. There he played
rugby, played the Euphonium in the School band and participated in Eisteddfords
and School plays.
He went onto Selborne College, (1992-1996) continued with
his euphonium, ended up playing 1st team rugby, and Craven week and rowing in
summer. He was drum major and a prefect in his final year.
He went to Stellenbosch
to do a B. Comm Degree, (1997) he carried over one subject and went on to Cape
Town to the triple A Advertising School to do a year's post graduate course in
marketing. He graduated from that but was still carrying his financial accounting
major. So he is now back at Stellenbosch to complete his B. Comm degree.
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FLEMMER Rupert
Flemmer
Rupert RUPERT CHRISTIAN7 FLEMMER (CHRISTIAN LUDVIG6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) was born
11 April 1920 in Middelburg. He married (1) LORNA LOUVAIN STRAUSS-SMITH 6 February
1943 in Florida Transvaal. She was born 24 September 1918 in Lichtenburg Transvaal,
and died March 1997 in Cowies Hill Natal. He married (2) BARBARA ANN BARTLET 4
November 1997 in Pinetown Natal. She was born 6 April 1938 in Johannesburg.
Schooling:
Convent - Graaff Reinet
Gill College - Somerset West
Matric 1936 : S.S.B
1937
Civil Service as Trigonometrical Draughtsman till 1938
Rand leases
Gold M.C. till I enlisted in 1st Division Signals in May 1940 as a ? and then
a Dispatch Rider.
Saw Service in Kenya and West Desert- Home leave in 1943.
Married
in '43 and returned to North Africa till SA troops returned and we were demobilised
in '46.
Governor General War Grant paid for my degree at Wits which we were
allowed to shorten if results were OK. Odd jobs during vacs. Children; Peter '43
Rory'45 Dain '49 Punch '51 Mark '57. All boys attended university with success.
My wife of 54 years whom I met in 1938 and who died of a heart attack nearly 60
years later was a qualified sister but she didn't practice except pro deo.
In
'58 I got itchy feet and moved to Bulawayo for 2 years but came back to SA in
53 where I taught till I retired in 1980 with the post of Chief Education Planner
for Natal.
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FLEMMER Wally
Flemmer
Wally WALDEMAR7 FLEMMER (WALDEMAR KJELDBERG6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) was born 23 December
1925 in Johannesburg South Africa. He married WILLIAMINA GIVEN THOM 11 April 1953
in Johannesburg South Africa. She was born 13 June 1923 in Edinburgh Scotland.
Transcribed
from an article in the MOTH Gaicka Shellhole Magazine
When Wally left
school he started work as an articled clerk/ accountant in Johannesburg with G.K.
Tucker and Wilson. He joined up with the Transvaal Scottish in 1944 based in Potchefstroom.
Wally had been classed as a B1 because of poor eyesight and should never actually
have left the Union of South Afric at all. By 'devious means' he had never denied
that he was B1 but had never told anyone that he was one either… When the Colonel
of the Regiment had interviewed everyone who wanted to join up, and he came to
Wally, he asked him to remove his glasses. He said he didn't want anyone to shoot
him by mistake! After asking various questions about schooling and Cadet career,
he asked Wally what position he Wally was applying for? Wally said on account
of his being a Signaller in the Cadets, he thought a Wireless Operator- which
was not the most popular job - would be most suitable because of his eyesight.
Upon being dismissed, Wally saluted, and with his specs still in his hand, turned
sharp right and marched straight into the marquee tent pole…. To his amazement
he was accepted.
Wally did three months training at Potchefstroom before
going by Dakota in December 1944 to Cairo North Africa. Then on to Taranto on
the boat 'Victoria Castle'. From there they travelled by cattle truck to Santa
Barbara in Italy.. Then they found that there were no more Transvaal Scottish
there and so they were recruited into the Pretoria Regiment (Princess Alice's
Own).
His first action came in the line outside Bologna when the Driver,
Co-Driver and Gunner were all wounded in his tank. The Crew Commander and Wally
managed to limp back to the Regiment. When the new replacement recruits arrived
Wally had become the Second in Command and Gunner-by natural succession. Their
tank was called 'Bashful' but was better known as 'Boozeful'. Only after the war
was it discovered that Wally should never have been out there at all. After peace
was declared Wally flew back to Pretoria by Dakota on compassionate leave, as
his mother was very ill.
Wally returned to articles working for G.K. Tucker
and Wilson in Johannesburg and completed his Articles in 1948 but never qualified.
He then worked as a Bookkeeper/Accountant for various different firms in Johannesburg.
Horses had always played a large part in Wally's life and he took part in show
jumping at the Rand Easter Show and also hunted with the East Rand Hunt Club and
rode in the first steeplechase authorised by the Jockey Club. He later became
a show jumping judge and was active in the Transvaal for fifteen years before
moving to Bulwer in Natal. Wally's sons all inherited their Dad's love of horses
and each excelled in various aspects of riding. Guy in show jumping, cross country
and steeplechase, Mark in show jumping, instructing and race horse training and
Kevin in endurance riding, stable management and farriering.
Wally married
Nina Given nee Thom formerly Brownie on 11th April 1953. Nina was born in Edinburgh
on the 13th June 1923. She joined the WRNS at the age of 18 in 1941. After training
she was posted to London 'HMS Stag' and worked at Port London Authority. From
there she was later posted to Port Said where she met and married Major Wilfred
Howard Brownie of the Transvaal Horse Artillery in December 1944. Nina was demobbed
in Port Said in 1945 and returned to Johannesburg with her husband. They had a
son Timothy Graeme Brownie, to whom Wally was the godfather, but the marriage
was later dissolved.
Wally and Nina moved to Cathcart in 1992 to help
their son Guy and his wife Teresa to run the Astoria Café which they had bought.
Wally has since spent several years in the employ of McEwans Nissan.
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GEYSER Bruce
Geyser
Bruce BRUCE2 GEYSER (JOHN1) was born 1955. He is the son of JOAN OLIVE8 FLEMMER
(JOHN 'JACK' SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5. She married JOHN
GEYSER.
PERSONAL HISTORY BRUCE GEYSER JANUARY 2003
Fiancée
: Cheryl
Sister: Lindi
Brother-in-law: Francois
Nieces: Kylie(14) and
Talia(12)
My Schooling: Robertsham Primary: Sir.John Adamson High School.
University:
B.Compt. Degree at Univ. of S.A.
I have my own business: B.G.Accounting
and Tax Services/ Consultants. I have lived in Robertsham, Bassonia and Glenvista,
Johannesburg.
Significant events in my life: The day I Matriculated: The
day I completed my army service on the Caprivi Strip and Bethlehem,OFS: When I
graduated and received my B.Compt.Degree : The death of my grandfather John Sweet
Distin Flemmer in 1980 and my grandmother Muriel in 1994.
Overseas trips
to Australia, America, U.K., Continent, Mauritius, Sea Voyages, etc.
SPORT
- Golf : My Dad is a talented and keen golfer so at two years of age I had a mini
golf set! My Mom and I accompanied Dad on his weekly outings to The Daleside Golf
Course where we played as a family. Much to everyone's surprise, Mom got a "hole-in-one"!
Dad and I now play five mornings a week at Crown Mines Golf
Club. Running my
own business has the advantage that I can work flexi-time so we tee off at 6 a.m.
and at midday I am hard at work in my office. Cheryl teaches ART and we have a
mutual love of dogs - two Boxers.
At the golf course two resident dogs
- Labradors - accompany Dad and I round the course and enjoy sharing breakfast
after ten holes.
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GEYSER Joan (Flemmer)
Geyser
Joan (Flemmer) JOAN OLIVE8 FLEMMER (JOHN 'JACK' SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN
LUDVIG5) was born 28 March 1928. She married JOHN GEYSER 1949. He was born 20
September 1919.
For Joan's story see FLEMMER Jack and family -
The J S D Flemmer Branch of the Flemmer Family Tree
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GILFILLAN Ted
Gilfillan
Ted EDWARD CRAWFURD5 GILFILLAN (EDWARD MOUNSEY4, EDWARD THORNHILL3, EDWARD STOCKENSTROM
LODEWICUS2) is the great grandson of CHARLOTTE MARIE LOUISE5 FLEMMER (CHRISTIAN
AUGUST4) born 18 April 1844 in Korsor Denmark, and died 17 June 1934 in Wilsonia
nr. East London South Africa. She married EDWARD STOCKENSTROM LODEWICUS GILFILLAN
7 September 1864 in St.Peter's Cradock South Africa, son of WILLIAM GILFILLAN
and ANNA THORNHILL. He was born February 1838, and died 20 July 1908 in Cradock
Cape.
Ted married RUTH MARY MCJANNET in East London 17 Feb 1968.
Schooling
and University: St Andrews College Grahamstown: University of Natal PMB (BSc Agric):
UNISA (Bcomm)
In the Sugar Industry (Tongaat Sugar and then Tongaat-Hulett
Sugar) for my entire career with Tongaat Sugar as Agronomist from 1964 then running
a small farmer development Company within Tongaat then as General Manager Agric
in northern Natal and finally as General Manager of the Açucareira de Xinavane
sugar mill and Estates in Xinavane Moçambique from 1998 to the present 2003. Have
lived in Tongaat, Umhlali, Empangeni, Xinavane (Moçambique)
My Grandfather
was Edward Thornhill Gilfillan the 2nd son of Edward Gilfillan and Charlotte Flemmer.
Our
children are all married and living in Australia, Scotland and UK. One grandson
in Australia.
I grew up at Conway on sheep farm half way between Middelburg
and Cradock. Will retire to Eastern Cape (Kenton-on-Sea)
Have met and kept
in touch with some of the descendants of Adam Gilfillan the brother of William
who also came out to SA with William on the Zoroaster.
Interests include
woodwork, metal work, electronics, the study of trees, cycling, canoeing and flying
a microlight and fishing.
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GRIFFITHS Wendy ( Mast)
Griffiths
Wendy ( Mast) WENDY2 MAST (THEODORE MAURICE1) was born 1944. She is the daughter
of BARBARA ANNA7 FLEMMER (JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 1910. She married
THOEDORE MAURICE MAST born 1900.
Born in Johannesburg, my earliest
memory is the day that our neighbour, Mrs Telfer popped in for a friendly visit
and I asked her if she would please make me some ice cream as my mother wouldn't.
I still remember the embarrassment on my mother's face, when Mrs Telfer said "Of
course". She picked me up onto the counter and borrowed all my mother's ingredients
to do the necessary!
We had a huge garden with rose bushes as far as you
could see, a swimming pool, which in those days was a major problem to keep clean,
as my dad told me later on, and a little room which they called the Sanctuary,
in which us kids got up to all sorts of nonsense.
The other highlight of
those days was my Gran, Maud Flemmer, who stayed in a cottage built next door
to our house. Whenever we popped in to say "hello", she would offer us a barley
sugar stick which was kept in the bottle right inside her front door. She would
put me on her piano stool next to her while she played beautiful music for me.
She gave me a love for music which has lasted all my life.
We moved to
Pietermaritzburg for a short time where I started school at age 4, and then to
Gillitts for a short time. The nearest school at Kloof said I had started my education
too young so there was a slight reprieve in the learning process. (The start of
a bumpy school career). The next move was to Kloof to Sykes Road which was down
the road from what is now the Thomas Moore School. We got to know the family who
lived in that house quite well, especially as my brother dated their daughter
for a bit.
My mother's sister, Doris was a great knitter. As a child she
was found knitting furiously on two long nails (all that was available to her)
with a bit of wool dangling. When asked why she was knitting so fast, she replied
"My wool's nearly finished and I'm trying to beat it!". Naturally, she was the
one who taught me to knit with the unique style of securing the left needle under
the armpit which makes for great speed. She was never without her knitting and
took orders as long as she lived.
When I was 11 we moved into Durban to
a lovely double-storey house which had a fish pond in the garden, before my parents
finally settled in a little place in Cherry Ave which is where I met my first
boy friend. I started working as a shorthand typist when I was 19, and met Dave
between the passage and the lift, as we worked on the same floor.
Dave
also loves music and when the kids were old enough, they each learnt an instrument.
Gavin and Travis did really well on classical guitar, though Travis has since
moved onto a more "versatile" mode, Paula got going with the flute and Jene on
clarinet.
Dave is now doing water colour painting quite seriously, and
I still type for a living!
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HERBERT Anthea (Woolridge)
Herbert
Anthea (Woolridge) ANTHEA RUTH2 WOOLRIDGE (PERCIVAL CHARLES1) was born 7 July
1939 in Durban South Africa. She married TERENCE RONALD HERBERT 7 October 1967
in Durban South Africa, son of RONALD HERBERT and KATHLEEN FLEMMER. He was born
7 February 1942 in East London South Africa.
PERSONAL HISTORY
OF ANTHEA RUTH HERBERT (WOOLRIDGE)
BORN 7 JULY 1939. WRITTEN IN JANUARY 2003.
My
parents were Percy and Millicent Woolridge (Hunt-Pinker). My father had two sisters
and my mother had a brother who died young at age 18. My father's parents were
Charles and Ethel (Stonely) Woolridge and my mother's parents were John and Frances
(Chapman) Hunt-Pinker. I have one brother - Graham Athlone Woolridge, currently
living in Australia with his wife Molly (Parsons). They have two daughters - Leigh-Ann
and Perry-Jane and a son Graydon and three grandsons.
I went to Penzance
Road Junior School and then went on to Durban Girls High School. I didn't really
enjoy any school subjects and got more pleasure from my studies of music singing
and drama. I appeared in many stage shows.
I joined the Durban Municipal
Telephone Department in May 1955 and worked there until 1963. During my leisure
time I managed to do quite a bit of cabaret work with bands at various nightspots.
I had a lot of fun and the money I made from these shows all helped me achieve
my goal of my first trip overseas. I also did gigs for the Durban Publicity Association
and appeared in a number of stage and ice shows, although my skating was never
really of a professional standard.
I had always wanted to travel and had
a list of six places I wanted to see. The Pyramids, The Blue Grotto at Capri,
San Francisco, Hong Kong, Rio de Janeiro and Acapulco and I set sail on the "Southern
Cross" in May 1963 for a working holiday in the United Kingdom. I took temporary
jobs with Alfred marks Bureau and shared a flat in Holland Park with two girlfriends.
I traveled several times on the Continent, even getting behind the Iron Curtain
with a trip to East Berlin and the infamous Wall, years before it was demolished.
I also did a trip around England and Scotland by car with some friends and after
a skiing holiday in Leysin, Switzerland I returned to South Africa via the Suez
Canal on the Italian liner "Africa".
I had the chance to see the Pyramids
on a stop in Egypt, and we also went ashore at Mogadishu, Aden, Mombasa, Dar-Es-Salaam
and Beira.
Back in Durban, I worked for a year in the office at Stuttafords
and then joined Royal Insurance in 1965, where I met Terry. We were married in
October 1967 and moved to Cape Town where our son, Matthew, was born in 1971.
Fortunately
Terry shared my love of travel and we have had a very interesting life together.
I managed to notch up the second of my target destinations when we went on a cruise
on the "Reina del Mar" to Rio de Janeiro and other South American ports in 1969.
We didn't do much travelling for some years after that - providing for a child
and house purchase took care of all surplus funds. But in 1981, Ter was posted
to Zimbabwe where we had six very happy years and were able to travel extensively
to Europe, America and the Far East. By the time we left Harare in 1987 for Australia,
Ter's next posting, we had managed to get to San Francisco and Hong Kong. Most
of our holidays were in the Northern winter as all three of us loved the cold
and snow, although none of us were winter sports people.
We lived in Sydney
on the North Shore for 18 months until Ter was made General Manager and we moved
to Head Office in Melbourne. His job took him all over Australia and New Zealand
and we had some wonderful trips including our Silver Wedding Anniversary at Milford
Sound on New Zealand South island.
Although we enjoyed our life in Australia,
we missed South Africa and our friends and so were very happy to return to Cape
Town at the end of 1995, where we were able to purchase a nice house in Kalk Bay.
We
still travel extensively and are so pleased that cruising is back in fashion because
that is our favourite way of travelling. On one Mediterranean cruise we took in
the Blue Grotto which was better than I had ever imagined it to be and on another,
out of San Diego, we finally made it to the last destination on my list - Acapulco.
Ter has a contract with people on St Helena so we have had two most enjoyable
trips on the last mail ship afloat - RMS St Helena. The first of these trips was
especial fun because we were travelling with Steve, Judy, Paddy and Ronel, although
we could all have done without the five days on Ascension Island before we flew
out on the RAF flight to Brize Norton.
But the best cruise we have had
to date was the one we took at the end of 2000 with Matt and our lovely daughter-in-law,
Dani. We went from Hong Kong to Singapore, via Vietnam to celebrate the new millennium.
That was really special for all of us, especially sailing out of Hong Kong on
Christmas Eve with all the buildings brightly decorated and the entertainment
crew singing carols.
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HERBERT Dani
Herbert
Dani (Rostan) DANIELLE ROSE MARIANNA CLAIRE2 ROSTAN (FRANC1) was born 6 November
1973 in Melbourne Australia. She married MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER RONALD HERBERT 20
June 1998 in Slovenian Catholic Church Kew,Melbourne Australia. He is the grandson
of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914
in East London South Africa, and died 31 October 1972 in Cape Town South Africa.
My
name is Danielle Rose Marianna Claire Rostan-Herbert, wife of Matthew Christopher
Ronald Herbert. My name was long to begin with, but chose to add Herbert as I
truly became part of this wonderful family. When I was asked to write about my
life, I thought my life was not very interesting to tell.
I was born in
Melbourne, Australia on November 6, 1973, second daughter of immigrant parents
Franc and Lubica Rostan (Talevska). My Dad comes from a farm in Slovenia, where
he worked hard from a young age. He was very smart at school, particularly with
Maths, but he was unable to finish high school when the school was bombed during
World War II. He came to Australia in 1961 with one suitcase, looking for better
opportunities for his future family; a good education and a good job, which did
not involve manual labour. I love my Dad and never thought I would find anyone
as great as him to share my life with. He is the most loving, understanding and
gentle, giving person I know. He is quiet and listens to everything I say.
My
Mum, on the other hand, is a real chatterbox - probably where I get it from. She
came to Australia at the age of 26, when her Mum thought it was time she got married.
Her older brother said he knew a nice man from Slovenia, and suggested she send
a photo of herself, with her details on the back. On receiving this photo, my
Dad thought she would be a good bride, and asked her to marry him without actually
meeting her. Mum flew halfway around the world to meet her future husband. Their
traditions from Europe came to their new home with them. Even though they lived
in an inner city suburb of Melbourne, they had a flourishing vegie patch, and
made their own tomato sauce, wine and pork products.
Although I was born
in Australia, my first language was Macedonian on my mother's side and Slovenian
on my father's side. English came third, and I spoke it with my sister, Tania,
who is eight years older.
I loved my childhood. I went to Wales Street
Primary School and on Sundays to St Mary's for church school. I was a good Catholic
girl; I had my first Holy Communion when I was ten. I felt special dressed in
a white dress with lace trims and a double veil. Being chosen to take the wine
to the altar on the day made me so proud. It happened to be my birthday, so there
was a big party for me. I must have been really important, as I had a number of
my uncles over the night before preparing the pig for the spit.
I remember
swinging on the clothesline in my parents' backyard; hanging upside down on the
lemon tree; and feeding stale bread with water to my favourite chicken, Penny.
She loved it. Well, having European parents, when they saw Penny they saw food.
When I saw Penny, I saw a good friend. Penny got older… and my good friend ended
up as soup stock. Now you can understand the vegetarian in me. My poor parents
thought I had gone mad.
I was a bit of a nerd. Because my parents did
not have the opportunity of a good education, it was the number one thing on the
agenda for me. So I had my head in the books ever since I could remember. I must
have a good education in order to have a good job and it was important to be self-sufficient
if necessary. Having quite strict parents, it was difficult for me to go out until
the age of 18. To make up for my lack of social interaction, I had a very creative
and imaginative life. I thought a better path would be to marry a prince and he
could look after me. Anyway, that thought did not last too long.
In 1990
I completed my VCE, studying mainly maths and science in order to give me the
most options at University. I did well and studied Engineering at RMIT, and then
went on to complete my Masters of Engineering in Environment. My real passion
was dancing - but that was not a real job, according to my parents. In 1997 I
started working at the University of Melbourne, where I am an Engineer in the
area of Environment, Health and Safety. Having completed my higher education and
secured a good job, it was my turn to do something I love to do. I studied to
became an aerobics instructor, teaching four classes a week. I love to see my
participants excited about exercise.
I met Matthew while working at the
Crossley Hotel in 1995, while completing my Masters. I was 21. The moment our
trolleys bumped into each other that was it. I had found my soul mate. He is my
best friend and treats me like a princess. I didn't travel until Matthew proposed
to me on December 20, 1996, prior to our trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. Not
only was it my first time overseas as an adult, but such an exotic place.
Matt
and I married in June 1998, on a cold winter's day in Melbourne, but perfect for
our honeymoon to Germany, Austria and Slovenia in the European summer. My favourite
part was Salzburg: iced tea and apple strudel. But the best part was the surprise
my beautiful husband had organised: the Sound of Music tour, singing all the theme
songs, and going to the church where Maria married Captain Von Trapp.
Until
I married, I lived in the same house, in the same area, with the same friends.
While I didn't leave Thornbury, moving in with Matthew after we married was like
moving to a different world. We built our house together. One made of mortar and
wood and the other, love and trust.
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HERBERT Judith Ann
(Delbridge)
PERSONAL HISTORY WRITTEN JANUARY 2003
I was born
on 30th September, 1948 at the Kingsbury Maternity Hospital in Cape Town. My father
was Victor Stephen Delbridge and my Mother Irene Goles. Her father was Greek.
I have two brothers, David and Patrick, both younger than me. I was educated first
at Rosebank Junior School and then at Wynberg Girls Junior and Senior Scgools.
My father died in 1958 and our family moved to my grandmother's home in Kalk Bay.
It is the same home that Steve and I live in today.
After school I worked
at the Standard Bank and then as a ground hostess for SAA. When I turned 21 I
took a small inheritance and set off for 'overseas' on the Windsor Castle. Lived
and worked in London, travelled Europe and finally landed a job as a 'disc-jockey'
on a Greek ship the Jason. Spent 8 months on board mostly in the Caribbean, and
later in the Greek isles.
On my return to South Africa in 1972 I met up
with Steve whom I had known for many years. We were married on 15th September
1973. We lived in Durban for 4 years where I worked for Castlemarine Travel and
S.A. Nylon Spinners in the marketing department. I also started studying for a
BA degree through Unisa, majoring in Philosophy and Sociology. I graduated in
1977.
Steve was then transferred to Pretoria - I was 4 months pregnant
at the time with Kate. Kate was born on 22nd March 1978. In 1979 I started studying
again for an Honours degree in Philosophy through Unisa. In 1982 we moved to Johannesburg
where Nick was born on 25th November,1982. We spent several years in Johannesburg
and were then transferred back to Cape Town.
After a year and a half in
Cape Town Steve was seconded to Sun Alliance Canada. In 1991 we moved to Oakville
Ontario where we spent one and a half happy years. I was devastated when the company
was sold and we had two options - either to return to SA or for Steve to take
a contract in Holland. We then moved to Holland for 4 and a half years, and finally
when Steve took an early retirement package we moved back to Kalk Bay Cape Town
in 1997.
Once back in the Cape we purchased the family home which we renovated
extensively. It was amazing to have gone full circle and to have ended up at the
place one started off in!
Since returning to Kalk Bay I have become very
involved with community issues. I am on the ratepayers committee, and was instrumental
in starting a tourism project which benefits the fishing community of Kalk Bay.
Steve is also involved with the project.
Kate completed a degree in English
Literature at the University of York and graduated in 2000. She is presently living
and working in London- Nick is still at home and is starting his second year at
AAA College in graphic design. After all the wanderings I am delighted to be back
home again. We are very fortunate to be in a position to see Kate at least 2 or
3 times a year, which makes being apart from her so much easier.
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HERBERT Kate
Herbert
Kate KATHERINE ANN7 HERBERT (STEPHEN WILFRED6, RONALD HAROLD5, HAROLD4, JAMES
BROADBENT3, JAMES BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 22 March 1978 in Moedersbond Hospital
Pretoria South Africa. She is the granddaughter of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS
TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in East London South Africa, and
died 31 October 1972 in Cape Town South Africa.
I was born on 22 March 1978 in Pretoria
- of all places! My parents are Stephen and Judy Herbert. Of my grandparents,
I only met two - my father's father, Ronald, and my mother's mother, Renee. When
I was four years old, we moved to Johannesburg and shortly after that my brother
Nicholas was born.
We spent seven good years in Johannesburg and I have
lots of fond memories of this time. It's still the longest time I have ever stayed
put in one place! We then moved on to Cape Town where I spent a year at school
in Claremont, before we were off AGAIN (it's a theme!) - this time to Canada.
It was completely different to anything I had ever seen and was quite hard initially
- being an awkward 13 year old - to fit in. Still, Canada proved quite a good
place to be - despite fact I never really learnt to ice skate or ski! However,
my dad's company had other plans and just two years later we were moved to Holland.
Again, was a completely different experience but we soon settled into a lovely
house near The Hague. I went to the British School in the Netherlands and really
enjoyed it - still in regular contact with lots of my old friends from those days.
In fact most of us have ended up living in London.
After finishing school
in 1996 with some good A-level results, I spent a year in Cape Town having fun
before starting university in York, England. I decided to do an English Lit honours
degree - and it turned out to be a good choice, as we only had one two hour class
a week and no compulsory lectures!!! I made some really good friends at York -
and living in York itself was a treat as it is a lovely city, still surrounded
by Roman walls. It's also true that everyone is much friendlier 'up north'. York
was also a good base to travel from, being half way between London and Edinburgh,
so I did get to see most of England, Scotland and Wales.
After graduating
in July 2000 (mum, dad and brother flew from SA to witness it!), I moved to London
and after doing some temping work landed a job with a PR company. The work itself
was very interesting, lots of media training for big corporate types - the company
itself couldn't really offer me much in terms of a career. So in May 2001, I packed
it all in and went backpacking around Australia on my own for four months.
As
you can imagine, that wasn't too much of a hardship! Travelled all over the east
coast and, in Melbourne, managed to meet up with my cousin Matt and his lovely
wife and also Granny Lucy. I also managed to fly to, perhaps my most exotic holiday
location yet - the Solomon Islands, near Papua New Guinea. The diving there was
incredible!
Decided the rest of 2001 was a write off and so ended up back
in Cape Town for Christmas - and stayed and stayed! Was the first time I had had
the opportunity to spend time in Cape Town with my parents for years - and of
course, spending time in Kalk Bay is always a pleasure! After four months I realised
that I had to get back to real life and earn some money [read: father was keen
for me to get out and earn some money] so I headed back to London, where I have
been ever since (well give or take the odd fantastic holiday funded by Dad).
For
the past few months I have been working for the Department of Health in Whitehall.
It's been quite a good job, I write up reports for the Chief Medical Officer.
These go on to his website. Sadly it is not a permanent position and appears to
be coming to an end very soon. I'm hoping to get a job either as a Private Secretary
to the Chief Medical Officer or move into the charity sector and work for a charity
with links to Southern Africa. I have started working for a charity called Starfish
in my spare time - a group of South Africans living in London who raise money
for children orphaned by AIDS I'm still enjoying being in London - most of my
friends now live here - university, school AND South African ones! In the long
run though I would like to settle back in South Africa and hopefully this will
be possible within the next five years.
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HERBERT Matt
Herbert Matt MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER RONALD7 HERBERT (TERENCE RONALD6, RONALD HAROLD5,
HAROLD4, JAMES BROADBENT3, JAMES BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 25 March 1971 in
Cape Town South Africa. He is the grandson of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS
TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in East London South Africa, and
died 31 October 1972 in Cape Town South Africa. He married DANIELLE MARIANNA ROSTAN
20 June 1998 in Melbourne Australia, daughter of FRANC ROSTAN and LUBICA. She
was born 6 November 1973 in Melbourne Australia.
PERSONAL HISTORY
OF MATTHEW CHRISTOPHER RONALD HERBERT (25/03/1971)
Mum always wanted
a girl. Instead, I was born. Her only child. I sometimes think my memories are
unreliable, and other times I think that memories, like our perceptions, make
up our own understanding of reality.
My earliest memories of home are
of our house in Cape Town, at St Catherine Avenue in Plumstead. The bright pink
bougainvillea tree, autumn leaves gold and brown on the grass. Our black and white
cocker spaniel, Guinnie, my first best friend. Most of my memories of home seem
to originate around Christmas 1976. Dad took me to see "Star Wars" on a sunny
Saturday morning at the Cinerama Theatre in Rosebank. After watching the film,
and then seeing the unprecedented coverage of its pioneering production process,
I knew I wanted to be a film director.
In my memory this was the time
we went to barbecues (braais) in Silvermine with family friends. Around this time
I place my memories of our visits to Eight Bells holiday farm, and Laurie Brown,
the farmer's daughter. My first love. I think I was eight. Somewhere there is
a photo showing me sitting on a swing with other kids. I am pulling a face at
the camera. I was an extroverted only child, bossy, taking charge. But I don't
think I ever told Laurie how much I felt for her. I'm sure she never knew.
When
I was ten years old, and just about finished primary school at Western Province
Prep (WPPS, or "Wet Pups"), Dad was offered the position of General Manager with
Guardian Insurance in Zimbabwe. Moving to Harare was the first major change in
my life.
It was hard being uprooted so close to the end of primary school,
to join a group of kids nearing the end of five or six years together. I went
on to high school at the Jesuit Catholic St George's College ("Saints"), Dad's
alma mater. I moved on to my "O" levels, majoring in Art, English Literature and
French. I had a group of friends with similar interests, independent of the herd
of rugby playing sports-minded boys at Saints. I was introduced to the concept
of "cool", through my new best friend, Dion Francois. It was probably his favourite
adjective, and to me, it was the best way to judge things. Living in Zimbabwe
we were so far from anything cool. This was the early and mid-1980's; we were
into New Romantic music - Duran Duran, Depeche Mode. We grew our fringes long
- since hair had to be off the collar, we couldn't grow it long in the back. Cool.
My favourite escape was in the fantasy role-playing game of "Dungeons and Dragons".
I joined REPS, an acting group in Harare. I was 15, turning 16. I loved
the acting classes, and made new friends in the group. But soon I learned that
we would be moving again. Dad had been offered a position with Guardian in Sydney.
Although Australia wasn't America - where I would have loved to live, and thought
I could best pursue my desire to be a film director - I was still excited to go
there.
History was repeated, with my schooling broken in my penultimate
year of study, just as it was when we left South Africa. A couple of weeks before
we were to leave Zimbabwe, I had my first kiss. I was 16. Kate Hulett was an 18
year old girl in my acting class, who already had a boyfriend her own age. At
the airport, with all my friends from the acting group there to say goodbye, Kate
ran after me in tears as we entered the boarding lounge.
Mum, Dad and
I spent six long months in England in 1987, waiting for visas to move to Australia.
It was one of the saddest, loneliest times of my life. Kate and I wrote long letters
to each other daily for the first few weeks. It's hard enough just being 16, but
in England I knew no-one my age, and I had just felt love for the first time,
before being taken away.
We arrived in Sydney in late 1987. I joined the
class at Killara High for the last term of Year 11. An outsider again: Australian
kids in their ignorance thought it was fun to call me "kaffir", not knowing the
ugly hatred and violence that word conjured.
Following my longtime desire,
I applied for the Film, Television and Sound Production course at Riverina Murray
Institute of Higher Education (RMIHE) in Wagga Wagga, in country New South Wales.
I was accepted into the program, and while Mum and Dad would relocate from Sydney
to Melbourne for Dad's work, I would be living on my own for the first time. I
was still 17 when I started at University, and for the first semester, I lived
on campus, in dorm-style accommodation. Being around like-minded people who wanted
to make films or videos was a buzz for me, and I felt I was on track toward what
I believed would be my destiny. I would make an exceptional film in Uni, be discovered,
and fast-tracked to a career in feature film production.
On April 15,
1991, I was driving my 1974 Honda Civic alone, and collided with an oncoming car.
I sustained a closed head injury. I was in a coma. Previously, my memory had been
exceptionally good. I have never recovered the clarity I used to have. I have
become more introspective. My head injury, combined with my studies at the time,
led to an ongoing interest in psychology and the unconscious.
I moved
to Melbourne in 1993 after graduating one year later than planned, as a result
of taking most of 1991 off to recover. I was unemployed, and spent days drifting
around Chapel St, yearning to be part of the glamorous South Yarra scene. I was
on the dole, jobseeking without luck, and realised my degree was a permit to unemployment.
I chose to have a job only so I could achieve the standard of living I had been
accustomed to, and aspired to. I wanted the security of my own income, and the
independence it brought. With a persuasive word to a colleague, Dad secured a
job for me, working in the accounts department of CIC Insurance in Bourke St.
I was living on my own in a flat at 1/34 Wynnstay Rd in tree-lined Prahran East.
I didn't last long working in insurance, and after a time out of work
again, I picked up a casual job as a hotel porter at the Crossley Hotel in Little
Bourke St. Danielle Marianna Rostan (06/11/1973) worked there as a part-time room
attendant, while completing her Bachelor of Applied Science in Cleaner Production
at Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT). We became friends. Danielle's
father (Franc Rostan) is Slovenian, and her mother (Lubica) Macedonian. She had
been born and lived all her life in Thornbury, in Melbourne's North. Her stability,
and everything else about her, made her my perfect match. Within two weeks of
going out together we were discussing marriage. I proposed to Danielle on December
20, 1996, 18 months later. It was the eve of our first overseas holiday together,
to South Africa, to see my parents, who had returned to Cape Town.
In
December 1997, we bought our first house, at 189 Hutton St, Thornbury, and I moved
in. Danielle lived at home with her parents until June 20, 1998, when we were
married at the Slovenian Catholic Church in Kew. I planned our honeymoon to Austria,
Germany and Slovenia as a surprise for Danielle. Travelling became one of our
favourite shared experiences, and we visited California in March 2000, then in
December we joined my parents for an unforgettable cruise from Hong Kong to Singapore.
I had been working at Foxtel's call centre since April 1996, and after
we returned from our honeymoon and settled back to our new life, I decided it
was time to change jobs. I moved to Gaslight Music, selling CDs for insurance
replacement in the company's wholesale division. After more than three years in
that position, as I approached my thirtieth birthday, I reawakened my lifelong
dream of writing and filmmaking. I secured a six week attachment writing with
the Story department of the TV soap "Neighbours". This didn't lead to an offer
of a position, as I hoped. But I was referred for the job of Content Writer for
Screen Hub, a daily email and web news publication for the film and TV industry.
While delighted with the opportunity, I learned that writing for a living was
not what I had imagined. I lasted less than three months in the job. I left, focussed
on working in a secure job. I was forever torn between the dream of writing and
directing films, and my wants, which necessitated a steady income. Getting the
balance right. My dream is not dead, not forgotten, but under constant review.
My question is always, how do I make the change?
Our house at Hutton St
was the best we could afford at the time we bought, but it needed total renovation.
In October 2001, our builder began work. At the time of writing, January 26, 2003,
I am literally on the last day of painting the inside of our house. The task of
rebuilding our home has been incredibly demanding, stressful and, finally, rewarding.
It's wonderful to see our dream home come to life, but as much as I love the house
and Melbourne, Cape Town will always be my true home.
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HERBERT Nick
Herbert
Nick NICHOLAS STEPHEN7 HERBERT (STEPHEN WILFRED6, RONALD HAROLD5, HAROLD4, JAMES
BROADBENT3, JAMES BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 25 November 1982 in Sandton Clinic
Johannesburg. He is the grandson of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS TOGER6, HANS
CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in East London South Africa, and died 31 October
1972 in Cape Town South Africa.
My adventure began when I was born
in Johannesburg South Africa… I remained here for the next 7 years of my life,
which to the day had been the longest I have lived in a single country if you
can believe that…well I'm only 20 now. I grew up with the local kids and went
to primary school with a few of them too. I started my first term of Sub A but
moved to Cape Town. I joined Grove Junior School with my older sister and remained
there for a year and a half. After this I was transferred to Canada, which I thoroughly
enjoyed. I had endless amounts of fun playing in the snow, ice skating, playing
baseball and skiing. I moved to Holland two years later. Here I started playing
junior league rugby for my school and in the summer cricket. I made lots of friends
and spent most of my time roller blading. After spending 5 years away from South
Africa, we decided it was enough and returned to Cape Town. I started standard
7 at Westerford High… and as if it wasn't enough being in 6 different schools,
I decided to move again to Abbots College where I finished my final matric year.
This is where I studied art and graphic design amongst other boring subjects.
After completing high school I was back on the road again after spending
3 months of holiday in Cape Town. Three closest friends and myself ended up in
London where we worked and partied for a few months. I worked in a bar where I
learned to pour cocktails and got amazing bar experience. We travelled on a tour
all over Europe visiting rather a lot of different countries, and I ended up back
in Cape Town in November. I enrolled at AAA School of Advertising in 2002 and
spent my next year learning graphic design and art direction which I really enjoyed.
During this time I ran a small clothing company and did a few mural art jobs.
After recently returning from London on my holiday, I am now beginning
my second year of advertising at AAA, and living in town.
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HERBERT Paddy
Herbert
Paddy PATRICK AUSTIN6 HERBERT (RONALD HAROLD5, HAROLD4, JAMES BROADBENT3, JAMES
BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 15 April 1953 in Salisbury Rhodesia. He married
PETRONEL RICHTER 16 June 1995 in Holy Trinity Kalk Bay Cape Town, daughter of
JOHANNES RICHTER and GERTRUIDA MORKEL. She was born 6 February 1964 in Cape Town
South Africa. Patrick is the son of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS TOGER6, HANS
CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in East London South Africa, and died 31 October
1972 in Cape Town South Africa. She married RONALD HAROLD HERBERT 5 April 1940
in East London South Africa, son of HAROLD HERBERT and EDITH HARROP. He was born
13 November 1912 in Wallasey Cheshire England, and died 23 November 1988 in East
London South Africa.
A PERSONAL HISTORY on 6 february 2003
Patrick
Herbert: A Personal History
1953: Born 15/4 Mater Dei Hospital Harare,
Zimbabwe - formerly Salisbury,
Southern Rhodesia
1962: November - after
an idyllic childhood prior to going to school (never a popular event) - we all
left for England via Kenya Castle Mail ship. I was seasick for the majority of
the voyage. Arrived totally unprepared for the English winter.
1964: After
an interesting stay, mostly in West Kirby (attended Dormy House School the best
of my career) near Liverpool, we happily left after 2 extreme winters and my father's
discontent and returned to Cape Town. Went to Fish Hoek junior school, lived in
Clovelley and St James.
1965: Enrolled at St Joseph's College in Rondebosch.
1966: Family moved to Lusaka, Zambia, became a Boarder at St Joseph's until
matric 1971. Not a happy experience but luckily both Steve and Terry periodically
lived in Cape Town then and were good to me.
1972: Got a life assurance job
early in the year. My mother died after a long illness in October.
1974: Draft-dodging,
left for England permanently did various jobs, went on the Dole.
1977: Returned
for a holiday that ended up in permanent residence.
1978: Started work as an
Insurance Broker at PFV.
1985: Completed FCII.
1986: Joined Fairheads Trust.
1987:
Became a Partner and Director of Fairheads Insurance Broking Company.
1988:
My father died in East London.
1991: Traveled Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Mexico,
USA and Canada, where I saw Steve and family, then London and Ireland.
1992:
Holiday Egypt, France, England, Spain, Holland to see Steve and family.
1993:
To Australia to see Terry and family, London, France, Russia, Holland to see Steve
and family
1994: Holiday to Kenya.
1995: Married to Ronel Richter 16/6 during
Rugby World Cup. Terry and Steve both here for the event. Signed lease for Oudrif
Farm and started CC with Bill Mitchell. Honeymoon in the Comores.
1996: Holiday
London, Holland and then with Steve tracing family history in Denmark, then to
Italy. Bought Fairsure Insurance Brokers, became MD.
1997: Holiday Maldives
1998: Holiday Mauritius , also London & Greece for Judy's 50th on Mykonos.
Sold Fairsure to Sovereign who in turn sold Sovereign Fairsure to The Business
Bank. Retirement imminent at that stage as Managing Director.
2000: Holiday
in Thailand. Resigned Sovereign Fairsure on a Restraint of Trade; non-executive
director. The Business Bank liquidated, therefore no retirement in sight as Sovereign
Fairsure continues. 11/2000 official launch of new financial services product
and company Propell Levy Finance Solutions Pty Ltd. Marketing Director with Charles
Coetzee and others.
2001: After 5 years' work and +- R1mil Oudrif is officially
launched as eco-friendly guest farm, houses made of plastered straw bales, solar
and gas power sources. The buy line: 'relax in splendid isolation'. New company
Risk Benefit Solutions takes over the whole of Sovereign Fairsure in a bloodless
coup. We all put the whole Sovereign episode behind us.Now non-executive Director.
Wonderful working trip/holiday to St Helena with the brothers and then on to England
and Istambul on the way home . We all had a wonderful time.On the underwriting
committee with the brothers for St Helena Insurance captive started by Terry Herbert.
2002:
Started Catalyst Risk Managers for Catalyst Holdings Pty Ltd to put together an
insurance package and risk management for the group, that deals in property and
dooes property administration.It is an interesting challenge along with my other
diverse work responsibilities
General
I have a great love for
the sea nature peace and love as well as books art MUSIC and movies. I like to
exercise by walking, swimming, have run marathons and skydived, as well a scuba
diving. I love to cook and am essentially a vegetarian with fish on the side.
I live in the most idyllic place to practise all these interests, in Kalk Bay,
where I put down roots after wandering around for so long. My family has gravitated
here over the past few years and it is good to see them regularly after we lived
on separate continents for so many years.
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HERBERT Ronel (Richter)
Herbert
Ronel (Richter) PETRONEL2 RICHTER (JOHANNES HENDRICK HERMANUS1) was born 6 February
1964 in Cape Town South Africa. She married PATRICK AUSTIN HERBERT 16 June 1995
in Holy Trinity Kalk Bay Cape Town, son of RONALD HERBERT and KATHLEEN FLEMMER.
He was born 15 April 1953 in Salisbury Rhodesia.
PERSONAL HISTORY
OF RONEL RICHTER-HERBERT
I was born in Cape Town on 6 February 1964
at the Vincent Palotti in Pinelands to Afrikaans parents. My father, Johann Richter,
hailed from the enclave Eendekuil near Piketberg, and was Assistant Chief Translator
at Parliament. He also authored two books, Spykerskoene op die Gruisblad,
when he was in his twenties, and South West, which was commissioned by
Struik Publishers. He passed away in 1977 at the age of 46.
My mother,
Trudie, is originally from the Boland town of Villiersdorp. She was one of the
first women BComm graduates at Stellenbosch University, and worked primarily as
a bookkeeper. Retired in the 1980s, she lives in Hermanus. I have an older brother,
Heini, who is a qualified accountant, married to Lorraine, with two sons, Jannik
and Joshua. They live in Somerset-West.
I was a student at Jan van Riebeeck
Laerskool in lower Kloof Street from 1970, and at Jan van Riebeeck Hoërskool in
upper Kloof Street until matriculating in 1981 at the age of seventeen. Thereafter
I studied BA Drama at the University of Stellenbosch and appeared in several student
stage productions. After graduating in 1984 I travelled to Australia for three
months, and then commenced teaching drama at the Battswood Art Centre in Wynberg,
Cape Town. I remained there for two years, before being employed by the Auto &
General Insurance Company as a PR/Marketer. During my time there I progressed
to Assistant Branch Manager at their Stellenbosch branch, before leaving to spend
a year in England.
While in England I worked as an au pair and housekeeper,
and managed to travel and holiday on the Continent. Upon my return to Cape Town
I was employed by Fairheads Insurance Brokers to run a group scheme at the City
Council. The man who employed me - Patrick Herbert - would become my husband three
years later! Paddy and I were married in 1995 during the Rugby World Cup, which,
as we all know, South Africa won! We remain big rugby fans to this day.
I
resigned from Fairheads in 1997 in order to pursue my studies, and graduated in
English Honours from UNISA in 2000, cum laude. Since then I have been involved
with developing a guest farm in the Cederberg area with Paddy and Bill Mitchell.
I embarked on a freelance-editing career in 2001, and was eventually offered an
editorial position on a six-month contract basis by Struik in May 2002. I was
offered - and accepted -- a full-time position as editor at Zebra Press, an imprint
of Struik Publishers, in October 2002, a position I still hold - and love. This
year Paddy and I will be visiting China in celebration of his 50th birthday. We
live in Kalk Bay.
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HERBERT Stephen Wilfred
Herbert
Steve STEPHEN WILFRED6 HERBERT (RONALD HAROLD5, HAROLD4, JAMES BROADBENT3, JAMES
BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 6 September 1946 in East London South Africa. He
married JUDITH ANN DELBRIDGE 15 September 1974 in Claremont Cape Town South Africa.
She was born 30 September 1948 in Cape Town South Africa. Steve is the son of
KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in
East London South Africa, and died 31 October 1972 in Cape Town South Africa.
She married RONALD HAROLD HERBERT 5 April 1940 in East London South Africa, son
of HAROLD HERBERT and EDITH HARROP. He was born 13 November 1912 in Wallasey Cheshire
England, and died 23 November 1988 in East London South Africa
Personal
History Steve Herbert [Stephen Wilfred Herbert born 6 September 1946] written
2002 aged 56
Height: 1.86m Weight: 106kgs. Hair: Brown Eyes: Green
I
was born at the East London Flemmer alma mater, the Mater Dei Hospital in East
London. It seems to me that I have had a pretty nomadic life thus far. My Dad
Ronnie, worked for the Royal Insurance Company and when I was about 2 we went
to live at Fish Hoek near Cape Town. This and being born in East London has probably
given me my life long love of the sea and of water generally.
When I was
about 4 we went to live in Salisbury, Rhodesia, and we were there until I was
15. This 11 year period is the longest I have lived anywhere so far. We had a
good life up there, with my Uncle Owen and Aunt Heyla Flemmer and their four kids
close by, we had a real sense of family. Then there were the trips down to East
London, three day epics by road or rail. The excitement of seeing the sea and
our East London cousins has made these trips stand out in all of our childhood
memories. We were very lucky.
At 15 we went to live in West Kirby near
Liverpool where I finished school with O Levels and came back to Cape Town at
16 where my parents had moved. It was here I renewed my connection with sea, learning
by good fortune to fish for tunny, and to snorkel and scuba dive. Later when called
up to do my national service I volunteered for and was lucky to be selected for
the Navy Diving unit at Simonstown.
In Cape Town I joined the Sun Alliance
insurance group [later Protea Assurance] in 1964 and thus started a 33 year working
career which took me to Zambia, Bloemfontein, Malawi, Cape Town, Durban, Pretoria,
Johannesburg, Cape Town, Toronto and The Hague. When offered early retirement
in 1996 we jumped at the chance and moved back to Kalk Bay where it will take
a stick of dynamite to prize me off!
In 1973 I was lucky to marry Judy
Delbridge who I had known for some time, and I have been very fortunate to be
married to someone who has supported me and our children through the many upheavals
of our many moves. Judy herself is no academic slouch having gained an Honours
Degree in Philosophy from UNISA. We have had many laughs and have travelled to
many places along the way. We have two lovely children, Kate 24, working in London
at present and Nick 19, who is doing a graphic design course in Cape Town.
I
have always been interested in sport and have been lucky to go to several rugby
internationals at some of the world's great stadiums. Never particularily good
at it myself I played for Malawi in my wild youth but found my niche in underwater
hockey. I represented Natal, captained Northern Province and played for Transvaal.
The greatest honour was to be selected as Springbok captain of the national team.
One of life's disappointments was when the tour to UK was called off due to political
pressure.
For the rest I keep fit, am obviously interested in history and
feel that I am a very lucky person to have so many friends and family and to live
in this beautiful part of the Cape.
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HERBERT Terry
Herbert
Terry TERENCE RONALD6 HERBERT (RONALD HAROLD5, HAROLD4, JAMES BROADBENT3, JAMES
BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 7 February 1942 in East London South Africa. He
married ANTHEA RUTH WOOLRIDGE 7 October 1967 in Durban South Africa, daughter
of PERCIVAL WOOLRIDGE and FRANCES HUNT-PINKER. She was born 7 July 1939 in Durban
South Africa. Terry is the son of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER (MARIUS TOGER6, HANS
CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in East London South Africa, and died 31 October
1972 in Cape Town South Africa. She married RONALD HAROLD HERBERT 5 April 1940
in East London South Africa, son of HAROLD HERBERT and EDITH HARROP. He was born
13 November 1912 in Wallasey Cheshire England, and died 23 November 1988 in East
London South Africa
PERSONAL HISTORY WRITTEN IN MAY 2002
Name:
Terence Ronald HERBERT Birthdate: 7 February 1942 Birthplace: East London, South
Africa Parents: Ronald Harold HERBERT: Kathleen Norah HERBERT (nee FLEMMER)
Siblings:
Timothy: Stephen Wilfred: Angela Patricia: Patrick Austin Married: Anthea Ruth
WOOLRIDGE: Durban: 7 October 1967 Child: Son: Matthew Christopher Ronald HERBERT
(born 25 March 1971)
I lived my early life in East London, initially in
the family home, St Anthony, on the banks of the Nahoon River with my cousins
Nolan, Athalie and Rosalie Flemmer (children of Oswald and Dorothy Flemmer) and
twins Brian and Margaret Flemmer (children of Owen and Heyla Flemmer). Our fathers
were serving in the armed forces. My father was captured at Tobruk just before
I was born and spent the rest of the war in prisoner of war camps in Italy and
Germany. He returned to East London in 1946 to take up a position with his previous
employer, Royal Insurance Company, and we moved into a house in Carter Road. I
started my schooling at Christian Brothers College.
We moved to Cape Town
within a short time (probably two years at the most) when my father was transferred
to the Royal Head Office. We lived initially in Rondebosch and I went to Marist
Brothers for a short time. My father was able to acquire a house in Fish Hoek,
where there was a new development aimed at providing reasonable accommodation
for returned servicemen. We lived at 48, Second Crescent, which was then the end
of civilisation as far as Fish Hoek was concerned - beyond our house was only
sand dunes and scrub. Initially I went to school at Star of the Sea convent in
St James at first, but at the age of seven was required to leave. I subsequently
attended Fish Hoek Primary School.
In about 1951, my father was transferred
to what was then Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) to take up a position as Manager for
the territory in Salisbury (now Harare). We lived initially in a rented house
in Belvedere before moving to 3 Cambridge Avenue, Newlands. I attended St Georges
College where I failed to complete my education by choosing to leave school in
1957, the year before writing my A level Oxford Examinations. Although I had sufficient
subjects to attend university, funds were not available for this option and I
started work in the Magistrate's Court in January 1959 at the age of 16.
At
the end of 1961 my father was transferred to the Head Office of Royal Insurance
in Liverpool. I had been offered a chance to join the Rhodesian Army and to attend
Sandhurst Military College at the completion of my military training in 1960,
but decided instead to further my legal ambitions by moving with the family and
working in the courts in England. On arrival I found that the legal system was
completely different and that I would have to serve what was essentially an apprenticeship
for five years, for which my family would have to pay. I joined Royal Insurance
instead.
My father returned to South Africa in 1963 with the rest of the
family. I elected to stay on in England, expecting to be transferred in due course
to the Caribbean or South America, which I had indicated as my preferred options
when discussing my future with the company. Instead I was transferred to South
Africa in 1964, to a position in Durban. I met Anthea there when she joined the
company in 1965. We became engaged in 1966 and were married in Durban on 7 October
1967, by which time I had resigned from Royal Insurance to join insurance brokers,
Glanville Enthoven in Cape Town because there seemed to be little chance for any
worthwhile advancement with Royal.
We lived initially in a flat at 9 Beaurette,
Derby Road, Kenilworth, before moving to a rented maisonette at Handley Cross,
Rosmead Avenue, Kenilworth. Our son Matthew was born on 25 March 1971 while we
were living there. We subsequently moved to the first house that we bought, at
7 Heerengracht Road, Bergvliet in 1972.
By the end of 1973 it was clear
that there would be little chance for advancement within Glanville Enthoven. When
a management position became available in Durban with Institutional Insurance
Brokers, part of the large Schlesinger Group, I applied for this and joined the
group at the end of December 1973. We sold the Bergvliet house and bought our
second house in Cherry Place, Berea, Durban. At the end of 1975 I was transferred
back to Cape Town as Manager and we purchased our new home at 15 St Catherine
Road, after the sale of our Durban property.
The Schlesinger Group withdrew
from South Africa in 1976 and Institutional Insurance Brokers was sold to Bowrings.
I resigned and joined Guardian Insurance Group as Production Manager in the Cape
Town Branch in June of that year.
In 1981 I was offered an opportunity
to run the Guardian company in Zimbabwe. I accepted this offer and took up the
position of Deputy General Manager in August 1981, some three months after Zimbabwe
gained formal independence. The intention was to establish my abilities at this
level of management with a view to my returning to South Africa at general management
level. I declined to do this in view of the political situation in South Africa,
where, it seemed to us, the probability was that the unrest would develop into
a civil war. Since the Zimbabwe company (renamed as Lion of Zimbabwe Insurance
Company) was to be sold, once the accumulated reserves had been transferred out
of the country, I was offered a transfer to Australia in early 1987.
We
left Zimbabwe on 30 April 1987 for London where we were to apply for entry visas
to Australia. This turned out to be a lengthy process and we finally arrived in
Australia at the end of July where I took up the position of State Manager for
New South Wales in Sydney with GRE Insurance Ltd. We bought a house there at 9
Cocupara Avenue, Lindfield which was close to the office which was in Chatswood
on the North Shore.
In 1988 I was offered the position of General Manager
for Australia and we moved to Melbourne where the Head Office was situated at
the end of the year, buying a house in Elsternwick at 8 Sherbrooke Avenue. The
Australian company was sold in early 1992 and I declined to continue my employment
with the Guardian Group. I established my own consulting company, Ghanesh Solutions
and also joined the Board of OAMPS Ltd a small but international specialist broker
and underwriter. I was elected Chairman of the company in 1995.
Following
the peaceful transition of power in South Africa, we left Australia at the end
of 1996 and returned to Cape Town, buying our current house at 8 Quarterdeck Road,
Kalk Bay.
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HERMANN Nola (McBean)
Hermann
Nola (McBean) NOLA EILEEN3 MCBEAN (DUNCAN MATHIE2, LACHLAN MOORE1) was born 22
December 1967. She married DEAN ALBERT HERRMANN 11 September 1993 in Harare Zimbabwe,
son of EITEL HERRMANN and GINNETTE WARWICK. He was born 11 January 1963 in Salisbury
Rhodesia. Nola is the daughter of MARGARET ANN8 FLEMMER (OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6,
HANS CHRISTIAN5) and was born 3 April 1940 in East London South Africa. She married
DUNCAN MATHIE MCBEAN 10 December 1966 in Blantyre Malawi, son of LACHLAN MCBEAN
and GERTRUDE O' MEARA. He was born 23 June 1934 in Salisbury Rhodesia.
PERSONAL
HISTORY OF Nola Eileen Herrmann (McBean)
Mbabane, SWAZILAND 2 April 2001
My
parents, Duncan and Margie McBean, were living in Blantyre, Malawi as ex-patriots
as the time for my birth grew near. (My father was working for the Shell Company
there.) My maternal grandparents, Owen and Heyla Flemmer were resident in Bulawayo,
Rhodesia and because I was the first child, it was there that my mother travelled
in time for my arrival. I was born at the Mater Dei Hospital where my first attempts
at suckling were witnessed by 'Father' Christmas, who turned out to be a nun in
drag, much to my modest mother's relief!
I was taken to Malawi aged only
a few days and spent the first months of my life in Blantyre. By the time my sister
Carol Ann was born on 8 July 1969, we were back in Rhodesia, Salisbury this time,
and about to move into a scheme house that my parents had built amongst the msasa
trees in the then new suburb of Mandara. It was there that we spent many hours
sweeping out our thatched Wendy-house, learning to ride our bikes, and climbing
over the stile at the bottom of the garden to visit friends who lived down the
path. There was an African compound in the 'bush' that bordered our property and
it was with a mixture of fear and curiosity that we would venture as close as
we dared to get a glimpse of their children and an inkling of how they lived.
Our 'house-boy', Dafta was part of the family to us, and I shed many tears the
day he was caught and fired for theft of meat from the freezer. Every winter,
the dry grass of the 'vlei' would burn and we would join the neighbours along
the boundary in a common desire to stave off the blaze. Small mammals, sometimes
even a buck, would run before the flames in terror - a wild area that was gradually
stripped of much of its indigenous forest and finally developed less than 10 years
ago.
But to go back to the seventies - Carol and I were at junior school
(Courteney Selous, in Greendale) which, as soon as we were able, was close enough
for us to ride to on our bicycles. Most children did the same, and the bicycle
shed was a large affair and a common meeting place at the end of the day. Even
the traffic department took us seriously and there were regular inspections to
check that we were licensed and that our 'vehicles' met their stringent safety
requirements. Depending on the craze of the day, we played marbles in the dust,
French skipping (fancy manoeuvres with a long bit of elastic) on the purple 'carpets'
under the jacaranda trees or hopscotch on the quad.
Secondary schooling
took place for us at Oriel Girls' High School - Carol and I left there on the
same emotion-filled day, and I went on to a private school, Arundel (fondly known
as 'The Pink Prison') while she started a very worthwhile secretarial course that
soon had her in excellent jobs while I struggled along as a pharmacy student at
Rhodes University, Grahamstown. To say that they were happy years though is a
gross understatement. I loved res life and got very involved in several societies
as well as the social scene. My final year was spent in 'digs' with 8 other students
from nearly every faculty on campus. It was not without it's tricky moments, but
was generally a very positive experience. We clubbed together to employ a maid,
who cooked, cleaned and ironed for us (poor woman!). The house was old (the sort
with a long passage right down the middle and a fireplace in every bedroom) and
had mushrooms and snails in the shower, an old door for a kitchen table, and a
resident rat family…but we loved it and the time we had there.
I had set my
heart on doing my internship in Cape Town, and was rewarded with a post in Constantia
Pharmacy. I initially boarded with an elderly family friend in Plumstead, and
rode her 'sit-up-and-beg' bicycle to work, often in less than ideal weather conditions.
My boss arrived in black leathers on his 1000cc BMW, so wasn't the sort to mind
my looking like a drowned rat in a transparent uniform for half the day! By the
time Carol joined me after a spell in UK and Europe, I did have a car (technically
Dad's) and had found another pharmacist who was willing to share her Claremont
flat with both of us. Cape Town was a wonderful place to be and our weekends were
spent strawberry/ cherry picking, hiking, picnicking, wine-routing, swimming and
socialising. The long evenings meant we could meet friends for sundowners after
work at places like Llandudno and Clifton.
We returned together to Harare,
but Carol wasn't there long before going back to the UK where her relationship
with Billy Teeton entered a new phase (they are now married with two adorable
children). I met Dean Herrmann, which precipitated the end of a long-standing
university relationship. My goal for that year was to earn enough to buy a 'triangle
ticket', which would take me to London, the Far East and Australia and was valid
for a year. Dean had already done a 'walk-about' in 1988 (this was now 1991) but
my plans caused the travel bug to bite again and I'd only been in France a couple
of months when he joined me there. The English family, who had employed me as
their chalet-girl in Grand Bornand, agreed to take Dean on too, so we worked together
and skied in our spare time. When the snow started to melt as April approached,
we were out of a job and headed back to London. Finding work in the engineering
and pharmacy fields proved very difficult, but just when we were getting despondent,
Dean picked up a yachting magazine containing the ad of our dreams. We were taken
on as crew (water-sports instructor and galley slave!) for a 60' concrete-hulled
schooner in Greece. A middle-aged English seadog was sent out with us as captain,
and we had cause to be grateful for his vast experience. The boat needed weeks
of work before she could sail, but we loved the life she showed us, and that summer
was rich with new experiences. We travelled from Kalymnos in the east to Levkas
in the west, picking up and delivering passengers as we went. The end of another
season saw our return to London to connect with our homeward flights. Seven weeks
was far too little to divide between Hong Kong, Bangkok, Ko Samui, Singapore,
Cairns, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth, but we did as much as we could in the time
we had.
Settling down to running a suburban Pharmacy after that was a challenge,
but Carol and Billy's wedding in April 1993 and our own in September of that year
were sufficient distractions! We were married on a beautiful farm at Norton, Saffron
Walden (now occupied by 'war veterans') and set up home in a small flat in Avondale
West. We were about to move into a house we'd bought in Glen Lorne, Harare, when
Dean was offered a 9-month post in Mauritius, so we went there instead! We did
a lot of diving and enjoyed all the visitors we had, but found it too crowded
a place to be for long.
In retrospect it was a good thing that there was
no work for Dean on our return to Zimbabwe, and that he seemed to have been stripped
of all his status by being out of the Harare office for a while. It was because
of this that we were forced to look further a-field, and ended up in Burrow Binnie's
Swaziland branch. We have happily been here for 6 years and have since had two
children who were both born in Harare: Marc Alan on Mothers' Day of 1996 and Danielle
Ashleigh on Mothers' Day of 1998! After much deliberating and heartache, and taking
the political and economic climate of Zimbabwe into account, we have made the
decision to immigrate to New Zealand. The Flemmer family Tribal Gathering in Cape
Town over the Easter weekend in a few weeks time will therefore be a bittersweet
experience for us; leaving Africa and all our loved ones is probably the hardest
thing we've had to do so far.
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LANCASTER John and
family
Lancaster John JOHN EDWARD COMPTON2 LANCASTER (ARTHUR COMPTON1)
was born 30 September 1939, and died 20 November 1986 in USA. He married JOHANNA
WILHELMINA VAN DEN BRAND 17 February 1962. She was born 19 November 1939. He was
the grandson of WILHELMINA AUGUSTA6 FLEMMER (HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 2 March 1874
in Steynsburg South Africa. She married (1) CHARLES BRIGHTSON CALEY. She married
(2) HERMAN VERMAAK 13 November 1899 in Steynsburg South Africa, son of HERMANUS
VERMAAK and CHRISTINA HOLTZHAUSEN. He was born 29 April 1864 in Uitenhage Cape
Colony, and died 18 October 1918 in Central Hotel Dewetsdorp South Africa.
Eldest
son of Arthur and Catherine Alieda Lancaster(nee Vermaak) daughter of Wilhelmina
Augusta Vermaak (born Flemmer) and granddaughter of Hans Christian Flemmer and
Aletta Alida Hopley.
Born in Kroonstad, Orange Free State on 30.9.1939
Educated
at Rondebosch Boys Junior and Senior School. Attained his B. Com CA (SA). Went
into private practice in 1972 and ran his own company until his early, tragic
death in America at the age of 47.
Married Johanna Cornelia Henrietta Lancaster
(nee van den Brand) (Born 19.11.1939) on 17 February 1962. Four children were
born
Peter John Compton Lancaster (born 14.12.1964) Schooled at Rondebosch
Boys Junior and High Schools. Matriculated in 1982. Attended Abbotts College in
1983 with a distinction in Physiology. Read a Bachelor of Social Science at Rhodes
university from 1984 to 1988. Underwent National Service in the Medical Corp from
1989 to 1990 having served as full lieutenant in the SA Navy in Simonstown. Joined
3 Medical Batallion Citizen force unit and was promoted to Captain. First job
with NICRO in August 1990 to Feb 1991 when I resigned to join Safmarine. I left
Safmarine in 1994 as a Personnel Officer. I was retrenched in July 2000 as Human
Resources Superintendent. I then formed my own company as "Journeys in Human Resources"
and I am the Managing Consultant. I play a lot of bridge and like to keep fit
at the gym.
Robert Andrew Compton Lancaster (born 18.10.1966) Schooled
at Rondebosch Boys Junior and High Schools. Matriculated at Abbots College in
1984. Completed a National Diploma in IT. Spent much of his working career as
a Programmer at the Old Mutual. After a short stop with ADO he joined Racal Electronics
as a Systems Engineer in the IT programming side.
Married to Belinda Kieser
on 20.2.1998. They have one son, Seth Robert Compton Lancaster born 3.1.2000.
Robert
spends all his free time in front of the PC and listens to music.
Lianne
Compton Lancaster (born 26.8.1968) married to Desmond Booth on 10th October 1992.
They have a son Matthew John Booth born 9th July 1998. A second baby is expected
at the end of Sept 2001.
Michael Alan Compton Lancaster (born 9.2.1970)
Schooled
at Rondebosch Boys Junior and High Schools. Thereafter Michael did his national
service, and an apprenticeship in Photolithography with Hirt and Carter. After
quite a stay there they trained him as the Apple Mac's and he left shortly afterwards
to join Hunt Lascaris as their DTP Computer Manager. As their top colour retarding
specialist Mike became bored and is currently expanding his horizons with Primary
Colours in the USA for two years.
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LANCASTER Mark and family
Lancaster
Mark MARK COMPTON2 LANCASTER (ARTHUR COMPTON1) was born 8 July 1942 in Kroonstad
Transvaal. He married ANNE DAPHNE GOLD 4 February 1967 in Cape Town South Africa.
She was born 10 January 1943 in Germiston Transvaal. He is the grandson of WILHELMINA
AUGUSTA6 FLEMMER (HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 2 March 1874 in Steynsburg South Africa.
She married (1) CHARLES BRIGHTSON CALEY. She married (2) HERMAN VERMAAK 13 November
1899 in Steynsburg South Africa, son of HERMANUS VERMAAK and CHRISTINA HOLTZHAUSEN.
He was born 29 April 1864 in Uitenhage Cape Colony, and died 18 October 1918 in
Central Hotel Dewetsdorp South Africa.
Mark Compton Lancaster. Born
8 July 1942 in Kroonstad, married at All Saints Church, Plumstead (4 Feb 1967).
Went to Rondebosch Boys' Prep and High and matriculated in 1960. Qualified as
CA(SA), B Comm at University of Cape Town. Chartered Accountant with Deloitte
& Touche. Has lived mostly in Cape Town - London for 2 years. Interested in Tennis,
Swimming, Rotary, Photography, watching sport. Awarded two Paul Harris Rotary
awards.
Anne Daphne Lancaster (Gold). Born 10 January 1943 in Germiston,
married at All Saints Church, Plumstead (4 Feb 1967). Went Rustenburg Girls Prep
and High and matriculated in 1960. Secretary and typist and mother of children.
Has lived mostly in Cape Town - London for 2 years. Interests: Swimming, Decoupage
and other handcrafts Innerwheel activities
Bridget Anne Compton Lancaster
- Bridge. Born 23 April 1971 at Kingsbury Nursing Home, Kenilworth. Went to Micklefield
Junior school and Rustenburg Girls High, matriculated in 1989. Has lived mostly
in Cape Town but also in London, New York, Singapore and Hong Kong. Has own business
- furniture store in Diep River dealing in furniture from Indonesia - Bridge To
The East CC. Interests: Surfskiing, Tennis, Swimming, Painting pottery, reading,
soap making
Nicolette Compton Lancaster - Nicky. Born 29 December 1972
at Kingsbury Nursing Home, Kenilworth. Went to Micklefield Junior school and Rustenburg
Girls High, matriculated in 1990. Obtained Teaching diploma at Cape Town College
of Education. Has lived mostly in Cape Town - also lived in New York State for
a year. Awarded Junior Springbok colours for softball. Runs Playball, teaching
of children aged 3 to 9 ballskills etc. Interests: Softball, Pool, Tennis, Swimming,
Collecting coins, reading, bodyboarding and paddleskiing
Laetitia Compton
Lancaster - Tish. Born 2 October 1975 at Kingsbury Nursing Home, Kenilworth. Went
to Micklefield Junior school and Rustenburg Girls High, matriculated in 1993.
Has lived mostly in Cape Town - also lived in the UK for 2 years. Works in management
of events Events Management Trust and lso trained in computer graphics. Interests:
Reading, Surfing the Internet, making CD's
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LANCASTER Terry and
family
Lancaster Terry TERENCE COMPTON2 LANCASTER (ARTHUR COMPTON1)
was born 20 July 1944. He married JENNIFER MARGARET HOMEWOOD 29 November 1975
in Cape Town South Africa. She was born 28 January 1947. He is the grandson of
WILHELMINA AUGUSTA6 FLEMMER (HANS CHRISTIAN5, CHRISTIAN AUGUST4,) born 2 March
1874 in Steynsburg South Africa. She married (1) CHARLES BRIGHTSON CALEY. She
married (2) HERMAN VERMAAK 13 November 1899 in Steynsburg South Africa, son of
HERMANUS VERMAAK and CHRISTINA HOLTZHAUSEN. He was born 29 April 1864 in Uitenhage
Cape Colony, and died 18 October 1918 in Central Hotel Dewetsdorp South Africa.
Terence
Compton Lancaster - Terry
Born 20th July 1944 Rondebosch
Rondebosch Boys
- Sub A - Matric
Chartered Accountant CA (SA) Partner in BDO Spencer Steward
Cape Town
Sport Rugby, Swimming, lifesaving, Cricket, Waterpolo etc.
WP
Colours in Biathlon & Lifesaving (Surf)
World presidents award for services
to lifesaving
Currently Road Running Two Oceans half marathon and WP Masters
Swimming.
Jennifer Margaret Lancaster (nee Homewood)
Born 29th January
1947 Widowed 1971 previously Tiedt (2 sons)
Married Terry 28th November 1975
(1 son)
School Springfield, Star of the Sea.
Robert Christian Tiedt
Born
3rd April 1971 Matric Rondebosch Boys SA Navy Marine Corp Military Training.
Currently
manager of recreational facility Century City. Sport, Waterpolo, Rugby and lifesaving
(surf)
Trevor Anthony Tiedt
Born 25th May 1972 Matric Rondebosch Boys.
SA Navy Strike craft for Military Training.
Currently Computer Engineer.
Sport
Waterpolo and Rugby & Lifesaving (Surf)
Colin Compton Lancaster
Born
22nd March 1977 School Rondebosch Boys
Sport Rugby & Cricket
Studied Graphic
Art - Red and Yellow School and Cape Technikon.
Currently doing part time work
and reviewing options.
Megan Tiedt nee Proctor
Wife of Trevor married
12th January 2001 born 10th June 1977 East London
Sales Representative Matric
Table view high.
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LEA Fay Mast-Ingle
Lea
Fay (Mast-Ingle) FAY2 MAST-INGLE (HAROLD ROYDON1) was born 20th July 1944 in Johannesburg.
She married (1) MURDO JOHN MACRAE. He was born 12th April 1937. She married (2)
BRIAN ROBERT LEA born 23rd Feb 1933 son of KEITH HERBERT LEA and DOROTHY BLANCHE
ROBERTS. Fay is the daughter of PHYLLIS ELAINE FLEMMER7 FLEMMER (ARTHUR CLAUDE6,
CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 22nd November 1911 and died 25th May 1998. She married
HAROLD ROYDON MAST-INGLE 4 September 1937 in St Peter's Church Cradock South Africa.
He was born 12th May 1912, and died 8th August 1994. son of FREDERICK CHARLES
WILLIAM INGLE born 11th Nov 1883 in Phillipolis and CATHERINE BEATRICE ADELINE
MAST born 31st July 1891.
The Personal History of Fay Mast-Ingle
Lea. Born 20th July 1944 in Johannesburg. Daughter of Harold Roydon Mast-Ingle
and Phyllis Elaine Flemmer Flemmer Mast-Ingle.
The date is January
2003, I am living in a retirement village at Noordhoek with my husband Brian.
We married in 1980 and have had an amazing and eventful twenty three years together.
We met in 1976, when Gordon my son was fourteen and Debbie-Jean my daughter was
ten. Sadly I had divorced Murdo John MacRae, the children's father and had been
a single parent for nine years.
Brian had two sons who were eighteen and
twenty years old. After a year of marriage, Debbie asked Brian to adopt her. This
he bravely and willingly did, and the two have forged a close relationship over
the years, she and her husband Ridge have produced two additional grandchildren
for him.
I have five grandchildren of my own and six step grandchildren,
each one holds a special place in my heart.
In 1992 with a career which
spanned thirty years, having worked my way up in various companies to the position
of National Credit Manager, I retired when I finally received a diagnosis of Multiple
Sclerosis after struggling for several years with mysterious bouts of illhealth.
This came as a great shock and changed my life dramatically.
I have learnt
to compromise with the situation and in so doing, I lead a full and interesting
life pursuing my hobbies and interests and at the same time allowing my body the
necessary rest and consideration it requires to keep the disease under control.
My interest in the family history was sparked while suffering a particularly
bad spell in 1992, when I received a copy of 'The Little Dane' from my Aunt Dené
Flemmer de Lancey, my Mom's sister, which I had never seen. I began the long and
time consuming road to tracing the family roots. I was able to combine my enjoyment
of computers, and the fulfilment of gathering of facts which enabled me to correspond
with so many members of the family around the world.
I was born in Johannesburg
and attended Roosevelt High School. After 30 years I moved to Cape Town and in
spite of living here for nearly 30 years, I still support the Transvaal rugby
teams.
In 1981 Brian and I travelled 4000 kms around South Africa on a
Yamaha 1100 motorcycle visiting all the provinces over a four week period. We
now enjoy a slightly more sedate form of transport but travel a great deal.
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MCBEAN Margie ( Flemmer)
McBean
Margie (Flemmer) MARGARET ANN8 FLEMMER (OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5)
born 3 April 1940 in East London South Africa. She married DUNCAN MATHIE MCBEAN
10 December 1966 in Blantyre Malawi, son of LACHLAN MCBEAN and GERTRUDE O' MEARA.
He was born 23 June 1934 in Salisbury Rhodesia.
My twin brother, Brian,
and I were born in East London to Owen and Heyla Flemmer at the Mater Dei Hospital
on the 3rd April 1940. A year after I was born, my father enlisted in the army
to fight in the Second World War. My mother, brother and I went to live with my
grandparents, Marius & Kathleen Flemmer, and my aunt, Patsy Flemmer, in their
spacious home on the Nahoon River. My cousin Terry Herbert, and his mother, Auntie
Kath, joined us and we have very happy child hood memories of fishing and swimming
off the jetty , going out on the river in our old wooden rowing boat, and playing
on the little island which was also owned by my grandfather. In addition he had
a dilapidated beach cottage at Bonza Bay, where we would all go for weeks on end.
We would swim in the lagoon or spend hours in the sea or exploring the many rock
pools. I think it was during this time that I developed a great love of the sea.
At the age of five I went to the Convent in East London and a few months later
my father returned home at the end of the war. Some time later Dad was given an
ex-service man's house, where we lived until 1950 when we moved to Rhodesia. In
l947 my brother John was born, so he was only three years old at this time. I
missed the East London family terribly and found it difficult to make friends,
but we eventually settled down, especially when we brought our own home in Highlands,
Salisbury. I did my secondary schooling at the Dominican Convent, where I passed
my Cambridge School Certificate and then completed a Commercial Course at the
end of l957. My sister Kathleen was born in l954, and was much loved by her older
siblings. I had several secretarial jobs, and enjoyed a hectic social life with
a large group of teenagers. I loved the rock & roll era and had lots of fun.
The
mid sixties and seventies were very difficult years politically. The African Nationalists
were wanting independence from Britain's colonial power and the Rhodesian Government,
led by Prime Minister Ian Smith had no intention of handing over the reins to
the black majority. As a result UDI was declared in 1965 And so began the bloody
war of liberation and sanctions placed on Rhodesia by Britain. After great strife
and loss of life on both sides the country became independent in 1980. Salisbury
became Harare and Rhodesia became Zimbabwe under the present President, Robert
Mugabe.
The war affected the family personally inasmuch as it was necessary
to travel in convoy to any areas outside the main centres as ambushes by terrorists
were frequently encountered. Duncan was required to do stints for 3 week periods
guarding bridges, leading convoys in armoured vehicles etc. Many young soldiers
were killed during this time. With sanctions imposed on us, Rhodesians became
very inventive and many items were made locally which had previously been imported.
We had strict petrol rationing and mothers formed lift clubs to get the younger
children to school and back until they were able to ride.
In l963 I joined
the Shell Company as a shorthand typist, and became a member of the Shell Sports
Club where I began playing tennis; a sport I found to be very enjoyable. My parents
were transferred to Bulawayo, naturally taking Johnny and Kath with them. I then
lived in a flat with a girl friend. It was at this time that I met my future husband,
Duncan McBean, as he also worked for Shell and belonged to the Club. After going
out together for sometime he was transferred to Northern Rhodesia and later Malawi.
We became engaged while he was in Lusaka and were later married in Blantyre, Malawi
where we lived for several years before returning to Salisbury. Our marriage took
place in l966 on l0th December and our first daughter, Nola Eileen, was born on
22nd December, l967. My parents were still in Bulawayo at the time, so this is
where she was born. We returned to Malawi when she was two weeks old. The years
spent in Blantyre, Malawi were a lot of fun. It was a very cosmopolitan society,
with many of the friends we made there on contract. It seemed that we were always
sadly bidding them farewell or welcoming new arrivals. Life centred around the
Sports Club, where I played tennis and swam and Duncan played golf, often after
work.
By the time our second daughter, Carol Ann, was born on 8 July 1969,
we were back in Salisbury and had built a house in the new suburb of Mandara.
When the girls were half way through junior school, we moved literally around
the corner (using wheelbarrows and a borrowed truck) to a bigger house that had
a swimming pool. Nola and Carol attended Courtney Selous School and later Oriel
Girls High School. They were able to safely ride the 3km there on their bikes
from about the age of nine.
Almost 25 years later with both girls having
flown the nest and with families of their own, we decided to build a retirement
home on a more secure property. We opted for the golfing Estate, Borrowdale Brooke,
which was being developed at the time.
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MAST Charles
Mast
Charles CHARLES JOHN3 MAST (JOHN ARTHUR2, THEODORE MAURICE1) was born 1962. He
married SHIRLEY JONES. He is the grandson of BARBARA ANNA7 FLEMMER (JOHN DISTIN6,
CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 1910. She married THEODORE MAURICE MAST. He was born 1900.
14TH
APRIL 2001 CHARLES, SHIRLEY, EMILY & ANDY MAST
Charles and Shirley
married on 30th November 1985. Emily was born 24th August 1989 followed by Andy
on 15th June 1991. We live in the lovely town of Somerset West near Cape Town
with our two black Labradors and two cats. We have a wonderful home on a large
property which is next door to Charles's mum & dad's new home.
Charles
began his career dairy farming - at Meynell Estate & Denmar Dairy in Orange Free
State, as well as Vergelegen Estates Somerset West. After 6 years of relentless
early mornings, he decided to start his own business concentrating on his hobby
of woodwork. In 1988 The Woodbender was started - at first the focus was on "cottage
furniture" and later it developed into a specialised wood bending factory manufacturing
restaurant seating and tables. Charles had the privilege of having his dad, John
join him in 1990 and since then they have grown the business to what it is today.
As
a family we enjoy camping at Theewaterskloof Dam where we have access to wonderful
facilities and enjoy various water activities. Charles enjoys "Footup Trials"
riding as his winter sport- a form of 4x4 motorcycle riding - and Andy is starting
to enjoy this pastime with his dad. We love restoring old things and our next
project are two Morris Minor Travellers.
Emily & Andy attend Beaumont Primary
school where they are in Grade 6 and 4 respectively. Emily enjoys Irish Dancing
as a hobby and Andy enjoys Rugby.
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MAST John
Mast
John JOHN ARTHUR2 MAST (THEODORE MAURICE1) was born 1935. He married ATHALIE FLORA
COULTHARD. She was born 1935. He is the son of BARBARA ANNA7 FLEMMER (JOHN DISTIN6,
CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 1910. She married THEODORE MAURICE MAST. He was born 1900
JOHN
MAST PENNED 12TH APRIL 2001
Born in The Hill, Johannesburg with primary
schooling at Rivonia Primary followed by Rosebank Primary. High Schools were Parktown
Boys High, Pietermaritzburg College and Durban Technicon. Studied Civil Engineering
at Howard College with bursaries from SA Breweries.
Construction Engineer
at Titan Products Umbogentwini, Bed Bend Sugar Mill and Triangle Sugar Mill. Worked
in the Design Office at Dorman Long, and Jeffars & Green. DP Manager OK Bazaars
followed by a career in computers with Computer Sciences and CAB lasting some
15 years. Jointly formed Laser Medical with Brian Smith which was sold to Draeger.
Currently with Woodbender.
At Primary school we lived in Rivonia, moving
to Maritzburg, and then Kloof for High School. Stayed in Manning Rd Durban with
Miss O'Neil while at Tech. Shared a flat with Ian McLean while at University.
After the Big Bend (Swaziland) contract I married Atholie and we moved to Ocean
View Rd Umbogintwini. From there to Triangle where Charles was born. We returned
to JHB, and built a house at Bedfordview where Jane and Anne completed the family.
In 1978 we moved to Somerset West where we are at present.
Motorbike riding
and mountain walking have been lasting interests. I have had a lifelong interest
in carpentry. For a period of 10 years I sailed at Victoria Lake in Germiston.
The science and art of wood bending has occupied my interest in recent years.
I
have travelled to Canada & the USA on computer training; to Israel with Charles;
briefly to Europe & the UK.
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MAST Noel
Mast
Noel NOEL RICHARD2 MAST (THEODORE MAURICE1) was born 1938. He married JOSEPHINE
WARNE. She was born 1938. He is the son of BARBARA ANNA7 FLEMMER (JOHN DISTIN6,
CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 1910. She married THEODORE MAURICE MAST. He was born 1900
A
BRIEF HISTORY OF NOEL RICHARD MAST BORN 24 DECEMBER 1938 IN THE JOHANNESBURG SUBURB
OF HIGHLANDS NORTH WRITTEN ON 6 APRIL 2001
I was born in our home at
Highlands North. The family moved from there to a small holding in Rivonia when
I was 5, and my first school year was at the farm school in Rivonia. The following
year our parents decided to send my elder brother John and I to the Rosebank government
school, while my elder sister Patricia was sent to a private school in Bryanston.
Whilst we were living at Rivonia my younger sister Wendy was born at home.
At
the age of 10 my parents moved to Pietermaritzburg, where they bought a wattle
plantation and I was sent to Merchaston. Due to the fall in the sale of wattle
bark, (which at that time was used primarily for the tanning of leather) my father
sold up and moved to a small farm near Gillitts (near Durban). I was sent to the
Kloof government school, which entailed walking 6 kilometres from the farm to
the Gillitts train station, catching the train to the Kloof station, and reversing
the process in the afternoon. Occasionally I would get a lift but this was not
often. The farm was a disaster, with my Dad loosing all his money. We then rented
a small cottage in Sykes Road, Fields Hill. The house was so small that my brother
and I had to sleep on the open veranda (really cold and miserable in the winter,
but lovely in the hot summer evenings). I started high school from here, going
to the Natal Technical High School in Durban (which at that time was situated
at the bottom of Smith Street). I would get a lift into Durban, with a church
friend of the family (Alex Rose), and would catch the train from the Berea Road
station in the afternoon. The trip to Fields Hill took a minimum of 1 hour 20
minutes. After having to commute like this for a year we moved to a double storied
rented house in Trematon Drive in Durban. What a difference!, my own room, plenty
of space and a short trip to and from school each day, in a double decker electrically
driven bus. About two years later my parents purchased a house in Cherry Avenue
Durban. During my last two years at high school I was in the shooting team.. We
won many competitions, the most prestigious of these being the "Presidents Shield
After
completing schooling, I had a number of jobs, while waiting for a game ranger
position to become vacant with the Natal Parks Board. I was initially stationed
at Hluhluwe Game Reserve and then moved to the Umfolozi Game Reserve. However
9 months later I resigned as the work was not at all what I had thought it would
be. We were poorly paid policemen, and I could not see myself doing this sort
of work for the rest of my life.
I then landed a job with National Cash
Registers (NCR) on the conversion of their machines from pounds, shillings and
pence to rands and cents. The position was in East London, so I loaded my worldly
goods aboard my 350cc BSA motor bike and headed off. Six weeks after my arrival
I met Jo on a blind date, and we were engaged a year later.
When the conversion
of all the NCR machines had been completed, all the temporary staff were retrenched,
so once again I headed back to Durban to take up a position as a shift operator
at the Engen Refinery.
In those days it was known as Socony Mobil. I worked
there for 18 months and really enjoyed the work. After a few months I had accumulated
sufficient funds to buy a car. So for the princely sum of R275.00 I bought a Peugeot
403. By doing shift work I would have a long week end after every 6 week cycle.
This enabled me to finish the night shift at 08h00 on a Friday, drive through
to East London by Friday afternoon, in time to pick Jo up from work. We would
then go out for the evening, usually getting home in the early hours. I had to
be back at work on Monday at 16h00, so I would leave East London at about 06h00
in the morning. Many was the time I would not even have sufficient time to go
home and wash, but would go straight to work with all my luggage still in the
car. As you can imagine I was pretty exhausted by the end of my first afternoon
shift on these occasions. We also utilised these trips to move most of Jo's worldly
goods to Durban, with the poor old car loaded until the back bumper nearly touched
the ground. That car was incredibly reliable, never breaking down once, despite
the rough treatment it was getting.
We were married on 16 February 1963
at the St Marks Anglican church in East London by Canon Clack, and had our reception
at the Bamboo room, Marine Hotel. Our honeymoon was spent at the Hogsback Inn,
a truly lovely setting to the start of our marriage.
We moved into the
flat at the back of my parents home in Cherry Avenue, so that we could save as
much as possible towards the purchase of our own home. This we achieved in two
and a half years, with us moving into 22 Marshall Grove, Carrington Heights Durban
in October 1965.
In July 1963 I resigned from Mobil, taking up a position
with Shell and BP Refineries (Sapref) as a shift operator. Promotion at Sapref
came thick and fast, and I had become a foreman within 18 months of joining the
company. This was the fastest promotional progress ever achieved by any staff
member in the Shell group starting from operator to foreman.
Clive was
born a year later on 7 October 1966, and Michelle on 2 December 1969 both at the
St Augustine's hospital in Durban.
When Clive was 5 months old a team of
6 staff members were sent to the Shell refinery in Geelong Australia, to train
on a new base luboil manufacturing plant which was being built at Sapref. We were
there for 5 months, which made the separation from Jo and Clive very hard for
me to bear.
Before the start up of the new plant (which was scheduled for
September 1967), all 6 members of the start up team were sent on leave. We went
off to East London in July. We stayed the first night at Kockstad, and when we
woke in the morning it had started snowing. This was the first time in my life
that I had seen snow close up, what an experience. We left soon after and had
the most hairy ride negotiating the Brooks Neck pass. In fact soon after we left
the motel the pass was closed to traffic. The heater in the car was not designed
for such cold weather so we were wrapped in blankets to try and keep warm.
After
the holiday, the start up of the base luboil manufacturing plant began in earnest,
and in fact ended most successfully being one of the quickest start ups of a plant
this complexity and size in the group, being completed ahead of schedule, well
below budget, and with only minor glitches.
Two years later I was offered
the position of dispatch supervisor at the bitumen blending plant. Where I was
responsible for the scheduling, manufacture, quality control and dispatch of a
range of 32 different products. All of this was done with a staff of 58 members,
of whom I was responsible.
In 1975 the Sapref Sports Club started a pistol
shooting club, which both Jo and I joined, we used to have regular competitions
amongst the 8 pistol shooting clubs each month. This association was called "The
Durban and District Pistol Association". We enjoyed both the social as well as
the competitive aspects of this sport. I was on the committee as the Sapref member
for 2 years then vice chairman for 18 months and chairman for a further 2 years.
During this time I was selected to shoot for Natal, and did so until we left for
George. A total of 10 years. I was also on the Natal Pistol Association committee
for 4 years.
In 1988 I was seconded to the Sapref IT department to head up
the development of a dispatch software system to replace the existing system,
which had become outdated. However before the system had been installed I was
approached by Mossgas, who offered me the position of product co-ordinator at
Mossgas. This was the new synthetic fuel manufacturing plant being built at Mossel
Bay. The financial package they offered was nearly double of what I was earning
at Sapref, so after 27 years service with Sapref, I took an early retirement package,
and we then moved to George, with me commuting to Mossel Bay each day, a trip
of 58 kilometres.
Initially I was responsible for the setting up of the
Mossgas dispatch systems, both computer and operational. I then had to engage
and train a staff of 6 people to run the sales side of the business. We were also
required to ensure, that product measurements were controlled and accurate through
a set of audit trails, thereby keeping product losses to an absolute minimum.
Over a number of years we were able, through fine tuning and complete computerisation
of the process, able to reduce the staff complement to 3 members.
I had
been pressing Mossgas management for over 2 years to give me a retirement package,
and on 30 November 1998, my dream came true. I was still required to help out
at Mossgas on a contract basis for nearly a year after I had retired, as the intricacies
of running the month end process, was initially too difficult for them.
Both
Jo and I have very active lives, with me being on the Wildlife committee as treasurer,
Probus as vice president and I have now been nominated for the committee of ARP&P,
with the AGM in April 2001. Jo has now been social convenor for ARP&P for a year
and she really enjoys this. She does a great deal of sewing, makes most of our
clothing, as well as for the rest of the family, especially for the two grand
children. Our daughter Michelle is married to Bruce Paterson and they have two
children, Justine (6) and Nicholas (4). I enjoy woodwork, welding and repairs
and alterations to the house, having recently completely retiled both bathrooms
from floor to ceiling. My next project is modifying the brick drive and path.
We do a fair amount of walking, with a group of friends, our walks being on a
Friday morning. We would really love to see more of our children, but Clive lives
in Durban and Michelle and her family live on a forestry station near Melmoth
in northern Kwa Zulu Natal, so our visits are usually over Christmas, where the
photo below was taken last Christmas. We live in a truly beautiful part of our
country, with George hugging the Outeniqua range of mountains. Any number of hiking
trails are within very close proximity, and we have a large and interesting group
of friends. The area has a relatively low crime rate, so we can honestly say that
we are truly blessed
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MAST-INGLE Wren
Mast-Ingle
Wren EDWIN WREN2 MAST-INGLE (HAROLD ROYDON1) was born 1939. He married (1) CAROL
ANN SMITH. He married (2) NOELLE O'CONNOR. He married (3) TERESITA LEPIZ VAN GRAAN.
He is the son of PHYLLIS ELAINE FLEMMER7 FLEMMER (ARTHUR CLAUDE6, CHRISTIAN
LUDVIG5) born 22 November 1911 in Witbank Transvaal, and died 25 May 1998 in Claremont
Cape Town. She married HAROLD ROYDON MAST-INGLE 4 September 1937 in St. Peter's
Cradock South Africa. He was born 12 May 1912 in Randfontein Transvaal, and died
14 August 1994 in Margate Natal.
EDWIN WREN MAST-INGLE December
17, 1939 - 2024 (estimated)
In writing my personal history I was
faced with three problems. Firstly, how clearly the reality of inevitable death
(on this planet at least for the purist who will argue eternity) is brought home.
Secondly how easy it is just to define one's whole life by dates alone and thirdly,
how boring most of our lives are when reviewed by those (the greater majority)
who have little more than a passing interest in genealogy or those with an interest
in the future. Of course contributing to this problem is the overwhelming desire
to sanitize the process in the hope of peer recognition and everlasting approval.
I
presume that irrespective of experiences, successes and failures - the substance
of lives within the structure of chronological benchmarks - those reading this
100 or 500 years hence will comment: 'how quaint!', much in the way we do with
our ancestors.
So let me set the scene….
Born to Harold and
Phyllis (nee Flemmer) Mast-Ingle in Parkhurst, Johannesburg (SA) at 03h10, December
17 1939. Eldest of three children - Charles Arthur (1941-64) and Fay (1944 - ).
Educated at Roosevelt Park High School and trained as a journalist. Married in
1965 to Carol (nee Smith) with the union resulting in three children - Julian
Charles (1965), Baras Arthur (1980) and daughter Cija (1982)
Other marriages
(following divorces) - Noelle in the 80s, Dora, Magdalena Teresita (nee Lepis
Vals) in the 1990s.
Interests: Developing a philosophy through experiencing
as much as life has to offer.
I was swept up in the rock n roll phenomenon
in the early 50s, which not only changed the face of music, but also changed society
forever, giving young people more liberty, life and colour. I taught myself to
play a tenor saxophone and started a band with music - both playing and listening,
becoming a lifelong love. Learnt to play the guitar, keyboards and ending being
the world's 2nd best blues harmonica player, joining bands for concerts in the
UK, Seoul Korea, Istanbul Turkey, San Jose Costa Rica and a dozen others.
Started
a newspaper in 1959 at 20, and sold it to travel through Central and East Africa.
It was an era when one could stand on top of a vehicle in the Luangwa Game Reserve,
Northern Rhodesia and pick out wildlife in every direction as far as the eye (or
binoculars) could see. The highlight was spending six months at Nkata Bay in Malawi
where I left the expedition. Just myself, a young black helper called Banda and
my typewriter resulting in a book which later became the film 'The Mercenaries'.
(In the mid 70s I returned to Malawi and spent a year writing a book about the
country.)
I joined the South African Press Association and was poster to
the then Salisbury (Rhodesia) covering the Congo war and the break-up of the Federation
of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. I became friends with people such as Roy Welensky,
(Federation head), Edgar Whitehead, Rhodesia PM, Joshua Nkoma (leader of the black
freedom fighters who saved my life) and the most famous of the world's trumpet
players, Louis Armstrong who was touring Africa.
One particularly inebriating
evening, I climbed up the outside of my office building and fell into the offices
on the 4th floor. The telex operator on duty had a heart attack and I was fired.
I
moved to the Copperbelt, Northern Rhodesia about mid 1960 to visit a girlfriend
and took a job as mine public relations official at Bancroft. Formed the only
band on the Copperbelt. Between that and my full-time job, became a millionaire
by 1964. In the early 60 years many Belgians fled the Congo. I organised a 'humanity
chain' and these people with only a car to their name, were able to travel the
2000kms to South Africa via stop-overs with families.
One of the highlights
was being the first person to find the crashed plane of Dag Hammarsjold, United
Nations General Secretary on a mission to the Congo. His plane was full of bullet
holes but the story remains hushed up.
In May 64 I set out for six months
leave with a tidy balance of R1 000 000 in my bank. My first trip to Europe, started
with the first 1000 kms in a twin engine plane from Ndola to Lusaka, the a four-engined
Skymaster to Salisbury and a turbo-propped Constellation to Johannesburg followed
- taking as long as the flight from Johannesburg to London.
I worked my
way around the highlights and low life of London having purchased myself a hundred
guinea Shantung silk, electric blue suit and an MGB sports car (400 pounds) to
match. Took off enough time to travel right around the UK to Scotland and Wales.
Then
went to the continent travelling on a loose arrangement with three Australians
who were in a small bakkie. I met Anni Brondum, a Dane who provided the glamour
and seven languages while I provided the car and petrol. We went as far as Oslo
in the north and zigzagged through the mid 60s Europe to Spain. Anni and I parted
company in Milan, Italy and I took the Lloyd Africa ship from Trieste back to
Durban, SA. At Suez I took a bus through Egypt and rejoined the ship at Alexandra.
There were stops at Aden and Mogadishu on the East coast of Africa and I was one
of the last South Africans allowed into them before the apartheid banning until
1994.
After motoring back to Northern Rhodesia via the recently completed,
but empty Kariba dam, I assisted with the Africanisation policy introduced by
Anglo American, meeting with president-to-be, Kenneth Kaunda and his team for
governing.
Returned to SA in October 64 after the new government took over
in NR. Married in 1965 and during the course of the next 35 years had three children,
married again twice, published six books, travelled to Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore,
Costa Rica, Taiwan and several more African countries.
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MOFFETT Jill (Ross)
Moffett
Jillian (Ross) JILLIAN GWYNN2 ROSS (CHARLES1) She married JOHN MOFFAT. She is
the daughter of GWYNNETH GRACE MAUD7 FLEMMER born 1908. She married CHARLES ROSS.
He was born 1895.
Jill born 28.2.1935, twin to Jennifer, now deceased,
sister to Daphne Dold and Nevil their brother lives in Toronto, Canada. Jill -
school, Durban Girls high, varsity in Pmburg. BSc. Degree major botany. Met husband
John in Pmburg, married Dec. 1958 and has lived on the farm Kirklington, famous
for it's garden, ever since. Kirklington is in the Eastern Free State, sport -
tennis for varsity 1st Team. Hobbies - for 40 years gardening and collecting indigenous
plants and studying their uses. Past three years - bird watching ± 500 'ticks'
to date. Offspring: Karen (40), Clive (38), James (37) Robert (33). James has
taken over the farming and concentrates on organic methods of production. Grandchildren:
Colin, Jessica, Charles, Shamus and Caitlin.
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NAESTED Julie
Naested
Julie JULIE9 NAESTED (IRVING LIONEL8, HANS MICHAEL7, HANS MICHAEL6, HANS MICHAEL5,
JOHAN HENRIK4, MICHAEL3, NIELS MICHELSEN2, MIKKEL1) was born 24 February 1962
in Cape Town South Africa. She is the great-great- granddaughter of CAMILLA HENRIETTE5
FLEMMER born 21 December 1840 in Korsor Denmark, and died 14 October 1922 in Cradock
Cape. She married HANS MICHAEL NAESTED 29 October 1860 in Congregational Church
Cradock Cape, son of JOHAN NAESTED and CHRISTINE BERTHELSEN. He was born 13 March
1827 in Holbaek Denmark, and died 30 August 1907 in Cradock Cape.
My
personal history, as follows, briefly written off the cuff at 11:30 at night 29
January 2003
Born 24 February, 1962, at St. Joseph's Hospital, Cape
Town SA. ( Now Vincent Palotti Hospital). Parents, Irving Lionel Naested & Pamela
Joy deWet. Sister Andrea Naested born on 18 December, 1963. We lived in Sea Point,
then Kenilworth, in an old cottage on Wessels Road. Our maid used to take me to
Harfield Road on foot, to buy bread every day, before forced removals. The whole
place had such a different feel. Its odd what one remembers.
In 1965 my
parents divorced, Andrea and I went to live with our aunt Shirley, uncle Barnie,
and three cousins on what was then a very remote citrus farm in Kirkwood, Eastern
Cape. We saw our father on weekends, as he then lived and worked in Port Elizabeth.
Our mother then lived in Athens, London, and the USA till late 1970, when she
returned to SA. She remarried, and had another child, our half sister Frances.
We barely ever saw our mother. Our relatives were all Afrikaans speaking, and
the farm was VERY rustic in those days, we had to share bathwater, etc, so it
was quite an experience. My uncle who is now 71and a sixth generation farmer,
is VERY Afrikaans, and on week-ends used to run out to the workers quarters, and
shoot his revolver up in the air at night to quell their noise when they drank
to much. I still remember that, and the loud noise of millions of crickets. And
the millions of citrus trees, and the inland he at in the summer time!
About
a year later we went to live with my grandmother, Granny Rose, in Port Elizabeth
(Annie Magdelena Botha from Craddock, Hans Michaels wife). We lived with her in
a large old house on Cape Road Port Elizabeth. Andrea and I both started school
at the Holy Rosary Convent in Port Elizabeth. We are not Catholic, but our mother,
her sister and their mother had all gone there, and to the Priory in Port Elizabeth.
Port Elizabeth was in those days still a really lovely old city by the sea, with
a lot of character and comfort. Our Dad was wonderful, and did his best, along
with our Grandmother to bring up two little girls on his own. For a very masculine,
white male, and a single dad in the sixties, he did very well! We did everything
with him on weekends: the beach, braais, horse racing (met the trainers and the
bookies), cricket, rugby, tennis, golf (saw Gary Player hit a hole in one at 500
Meters!). Sunday School at St. John's Methodist Church, where the family on both
sides, including ex NG and Church of England members went for weddings, christenings,
etc.
In 1970 we went back to live with our mother and her new husband,
a Senior Lecturer in Architecture at UCT. Our mother also began her studies at
UCT, and eventually became a junior lecturer in the Psychology department. (She
ended up practising law in the US!) - I call those our UCT years! We lived in
Wynberg, and finally Simonstown, where we owned a lovely house on the hill, and
a boat, and used to go sailing in False Bay, and go to the False Bay Yacht Club
where Bertie Reid and the rest were rising stars. Andrea and I went to Michael
Oak Waldorf School in Kenilworth, and then Cape Town High, till Standard 9. At
Cape Town High I used to run track and play hockey seriously. Andrea and I also
always took art classes, and this included a stint at Wynberg Child Art Centre
(now defunct). My mom and her husband were very involved in the whole UCT thing.
It was the 70's and Apartheid was a hot topic. ; All kinds of creative and political
people were around....van zyl Slabbert was floating around, along with other very
talented people. We used to go to Church Haven a lot through my step dad's student
Mike Smutts who was from there. It was wonderful and very primitive in those days.
In 1977 we emigrated to the United States. It was very tough, as South
Africans did not emigrate in those days. We were like pioneers, and our entire
universe changed. Our world of closeknit family and connections evaporated. I
call those our hard work years! I was 15 and a half, and hated America! Andrea
was 13. We went to school by day, and worked as waitresses at night. We fibbed
about our ages! I finished Matric early, as they pushed me up a year. I left home
at 16, and then lived on my own and worked. I lived and travelled quite a bit
all over the US, and periodically went back to South Africa with Andrea to visit
our dad and family there. My mom was living in Berkeley California, and I started
going to Art School out there. In 1984 I had a serious injury, which left me half
paralysed and in a wheelchair for a while. I was in hospital for almost 4 months,
and rehab for 6 months. Today I can do almost anything, except run track, which
I used to do at Cape Town High and for recreation. Now I swim, read and walk all
of which I love.
I met my future husband in 1981, and we reconnected in
1984, when I was just out of hospital. In February 1985 I moved to New York, where
I lived for 12 years till March 1997. I studied Literature and Education in New
York at Hunter College, and then the Graduate Centre, where I earned my BA and
MA. I was married for 9 years, and lived in the Village for 12 years. In New York
I was a High School teacher, and then went on to be a marketing writer in the
design industry for several years. I was the primary marketing writer for Skidmore
Owings and Merrill, New York, who are known for their skyscrapers around the world,
including the Carlton Centre, Johannesburg, Sears Tower, Chicago, etc.
In
1997 I was burned out from 12 serious years of hard work in New York. My marriage
had ended too. I moved to Knysna, where I lived for 5 years, till March, 2002.
I came back to America for 6 weeks in 199, where my son Dagan Addinall was born,
and then returned to live in Belvidere, South Africa. After Dagan was born, I
worked as a full time volunteer fundraiser for Vermont Senior Centre in Knysna,
and was instrumental in bringing in a high volume of donations for them.
I
currently live in Palm Springs California with my son, and plan to return to full
time teaching this year.
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PALLISTER Marie (van Schaklwijk)
Pallister
Marié (van Schalkwijk) MARIE LE CAUX1 VAN SCHALKWIJK was born 21 February 1917
in Standerton Transvaal. She married GEOFFREY FLEMMER PALLISTER 18 February 1937
in Brakpan Transvaal, son of EDWARD PALLISTER and EMMA FLEMMER. EMMA BETTY MARTHA6
FLEMMER (TOGER ABO AUGUST5) was born 12 June 1876 in Cradock Cape, and died 24
April 1908 in Cradock Cape. She married EDWARD PALLISTER 26 January 1907 in Cradock
South Africa. He was born 6 January 1879 in York England.
I was born
in Standerton, Transvaal, on 21 February 1917, when the news of World War I was
at it's worst. My mothers' youngest brother, John Le Caux Balleine Payn, had already
died (of Meningitis I think). I was named after him. She adored him. He was very
musical, as was my mother. My mother and father were married in Tsoko, Transkei
on her birthday 23 January 1912 or 1913, not sure. They met on board the "Kenelworth
Castle" on the way to England in 1906 and fell in love, and wrote for 6-7 years.
You can imagine the horror of her and his family so shortly after the Anglo Boer
War. Anyhow as Kipling said, "That's another story".
In 1919 my father
moved to Graaf-Reinet, my very beloved hometown. I went to the Afrikaans school,
the first Afrikaans medium High School on the Platteland. My father was in partnership
with Dr. Carl Bremmer, later Minister of Health under Dr. Malan's Government.
His wife was a Scot!! Almost as strange a marriage as my parents. Anyhow it continues…
I
met Geoff Pallister in my Matric year. That is also a somewhat romantic and strange
story. We fell in love and I went to U.C.T. very reluctantly. He had a farm in
a hamlet called "Petersburg" on the way to Somerset East - older than Graaf-Reinet.
He sold that on advice of a "friend" and bought a larger one north of Graaf-Reinet.
There he went bust. Went in a sort of partnership with and older man, very charming
and shrewd etc. who took him for a ride and left him with debts he knew nothing
about. This was the depression and a five-year drought in the Karoo. He lost everything
and went to Boksburg, east of Johanndesburg to try and get into the gold mines
like so many other young farmers. 50 men looking for jobs, terrible! Eventually
just after we married he got into the E.R.P.M at £9-17-6 per month. As he had
education he was an official. We paid 4 pounds for a room and managed. I was up
there on a visit and told him if we didn't marry there and then the engagement
was off. The poor man had to choose. He told me everyone would blame him, as he
was 9 and a half years older. Well, we got married in front of a magistrate 3
days before I turned 20. I said I was 25. I had long hair and looked much older
than I was. No I.D.'s in those days. Of course he was blamed and all Graaf-Reinet
naturally thought it was a shotgun affair. I never knew that until after my first
visit home 2 years later with my first baby. My parents were wonderful, after
all we had known one another for over 3 years, so!!
Having been brought
up on a farm he loathed the mine - a very deep dangerous mine. He was buried twice
by rock falls. On his return from the Middle East; he was gassed on his first
shift back.
Eventually we bought a small farm and I ran the dairy. I'm
always glad my 3 children had a few years on a farm. Gives them a different value.
Then Geoff had a bad appendix op. He was told not to go underground for some time.
He got a temporary job on an asbestos mine on the edge of the Kalahari Desert
in Bechuanaland. He became acting manager. Our children were sent to Union High
School in Graaf-Reinet. I taught the youngest for 2 and a half years. They couldn't
come home for short vacations, as it was 2 and a half days in the train. Then
we were transferred to Barberton to develop a small asbestos mine there. +- 15
miles out of town. I kept my kids at school in Graaf-Reinet as the change of province
had originally been bad. Geoff became an authority on SHORT FIBRE ASBESTOS and
was sent to other mines to do prospecting. We were sent to Alldays Northern Transvaal
for some years. Then retired to a small farm on the foothills of Barberton Mountains.
Beautiful country. My 2 daughters went to Rhodes University. My son first went
to Saldanha Bay to the Naval Gymnasium, as he was only 16, then on to WITS in
Johannesburg where he did very well in engineering. Geoff snr died in Johannesburg
while we were on a visit, after a 2-week illness in 1983, 20th August, my son's
birthday. I still miss him every day. He was full of "hang ups" due to strange
childhood, but such a fine, honest man. But, like my own father - a very bad businessman.
I remained on the farm for 9 years after his death, looked after by a huge Swazi
family. Then came to Port Elizabeth first to my daughter and then to this old-age
home.
I could write book about my life and experiences. Living at close
quarters with Tswanas, Vendas, Shangaans, Swazi's, and Pedi's. Geoff always said
he preferred the blacks to whites. He was so good to them, as was my Afrikaans
father. I used to do quite a bit of writing, articles, short stories etc. in Afrikaans
and English. I used to chain-smoke 50 springbok cigarettes a day, but when I gave
up smoking in 1976, I couldn't write without a cigarette in my hand.
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PALLISTER Geoff
Pallister
Geoff GEOFFREY FLEMMER3 PALLISTER (GEOFFREY FLEMMER2, EDWARD1) was born 20 August
1942 in Boksburg Transvaal. He married (1) VALERIE WYNNE MATTHEWS 28 June 1968
in Linden Johannesburg. She was born 12 October 1943 in Durban. He married (2)
ERICA DUDINE 8 January 1998 in Graaff Reinet. She was born 4 January 1945 in Trieste
Italy. Geoff is the great grandson of EMMA BETTY MARTHA6 FLEMMER (TOGER ABO AUGUST5)
born 12 June 1876 in Cradock Cape, and died 24 April 1908 in Cradock Cape. She
married EDWARD PALLISTER 26 January 1907 in Cradock South Africa. He was born
6 January 1879 in York England.
I was born in Boksburg on 20-08-1942,
son of Geoffrey Flemmer Pallister and Marie Le Caux Pallister (maiden name of
van Schalkwijk).My dad was up North in the Middle East at the time (He had volunteered)
serving in World War 2.
I was the result of probably his last passionate
encounter with my mom before he left to go up North on 16-12-1941, as I was born
some eight months later. My mother gave me my dad's Christian names as she wasn't
sure he would survive the war. He returned some two years later in 1944 and resumed
his job at E.R.P.M. gold mine.
I went to school in Boksburg until the middle
of 1953 when we relocated to Moshaneng Asbestos Mine, situated some 60 km north
of Lobatsi in the then Bechuanaland Protectorate (now called Botswana).
There
were no decent schools in the area, so my elder sister Marie and I were sent to
boarding school at Union High School in Graaff Reinet where my maternal grandfather,
Dr J van Schalkwijk lived and practised. My younger sister Estelle, stayed at
home with my parents and was taught by my mother until she was old enough to join
me at Union High some two years later. Marie had by this time matriculated and
went on to do her B.A. at Rhodes University. Estelle also went to Rhodes after
matriculating and obtained B.Sc. in Sociology. After matriculating in 1959 (I
had just turned 17), I volunteered for and was accepted by the Naval Gymnasium
at Saldanha Bay where I spent a glorious year (1960). In 1961 I enrolled at the
University of the Witwatersrand to study for a B.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering.
This I obtained in 1964 and went on to do a Master's degree (M.Sc.) in Engineering.
Thereafter
I worked at the Mining Research Laboratories of the Chamber of Mines. In 1973
I joined Metal Rolling and Tube and have been in welded steel tube manufacturing
ever since (30 years). I am now Technical Director at Barloworld Robor, which
is the largest tube and pipe manufacturer in South Africa. I think that's enough
of my studying/working history, so on to the more personal history:-
I
married Valerie Wynne Matthews on 28 June 1968 in Johannesburg where we lived.
I had met Val at Wits where she obtained a B.A. in 1963 and her Teacher's Diploma
in 1964. We were fortunate in being blessed with two wonderful children. Garth
Geoffrey was born on 4 September 1970 and Cheryl Lynne was born on 15 December
1973.
On 19 December 1986 Garth and his cousin Wayne (Estelle's son, and
like Garth also 16 years old), were tragically killed in a motor accident. They
had got a lift in the back of a bakkie from Wilderness Common to the caravan park
near Fairie Knowe also at Wilderness in the Cape (near George). The inexperienced
driver simply lost control of the bakkie, which rolled down the low embankment
separating the road from the shores of Wilderness lagoon. The driver and passenger
were OK but both boys died at the scene.
On matriculating, Cheryl worked
at Edgars as a house model and then as a Buyer in the Ladiesware Department. She
left Edgars to join Woolworths in Cape Town in 1997, where she rose to become
a Senior Buyer in the Women's Ware Department. In May 1999 she became a Born-Again
Christian and in January 2001 she left Woolworths full-time employment (where
she still works on a contractual basis for them) and enrolled full-time at the
Cape Town Baptist Seminary where she is studying for her Theological Degree.
Val
and I divorced on 12 November 1990 and I married Erica Longo on 8 January 1993.
Both the divorce and my second marriage were the two biggest mistakes I have ever
made. Erica and I have since separated and it is my hope that Val and I can get
back together again (she never remarried).
Other interests:- I come from
a sporting family and love sport of any kind. I played Rugby, Cricket and Tennis
at the highest level while at School and at the Naval Gym. At Wits I played only
Rugby and in my fourth year played at fullback for Wits in the then Pirates Grand
Challenge, at a time when Diggers (with Avril Malan as captain) were unstoppable.
After that I played league tennis for Parkwood Tennis Club. I have always loved
the outdoors and in 1974 I joined the Mountain Club of S.A, which resulted in
many weekend visits to the Magaliesberg, Blouberg, Waterberg and Natal Drakensberg.
I was also fortunate to travel twice to Nepal on climbing expeditions in the Himalayas
(1978 and 1982), and also twice to Southern Argentina on expeditions to the Andes(1980
and 1983). The second trip to Nepal was very special since Val, Garth and Cheryl
all came with and we spent some seven weeks in Nepal. More recently (1998) I went
to Mount Kenya. I am also an active road cyclist (11 Cape Argus's) and like to
keep fit though I have never liked exercise for its own sake (nothing more boring
than going to a gym!). I like most music (from Beatles to Beethoven) and have
a large collection of LP's and CD's. We are fortunate to have a large beach house
at the Wilderness, which my maternal grandfather (Dr.J van Schalkwijk) built in
1933. Our whole extended family and friends spend the Christmas holidays there.
What
do I look like? Well I'm 1.83 m tall, I weigh 86Kg, am fairish with blue eyes,
I wear spectacles now and am bald on top of my head.
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PICKFORD Beryl (Flemmer)
Pickford
Beryl (Flemmer) BERYL MILDRED8 FLEMMER (LUDVIG 'GEORGE' CHRISTIAN7, JOHN DISTIN6,
CHRISTIAN LUDVIG) was born 18 March 1935 in Makumu Mission Hospital Kakamega Kenya.
She married STERNDALE 'DALE' TODD MATTHEW PICKFORD 22 February 1958. He was born
22 May 1933 in Kericho Kenya.
b. 18th March 1935 Kakamega Kenya. Married
on 22nd February 1958 in Kakamega Kenya to Sterndale (Dale) Todd Matthew Pickford.
Born in Kericho, Kenya.
We have three Children. Sarah Yvonne. b Nairobi
Kenya 1960. Educated in NZ. Trained as an accountant. Married 1998 to Geoffry
Taylor a chartered accountant. They now own a cosmetic manufacturing company in
partnership with Geoffry's brother and his wife. They have three girls and a boy.
Second
born William Andrew Sterndale Pickford. b Nairobi Kenya 1962. Married 1992. Has
one son James Todd. Always wanted to be a pilot. Worked at anything in order to
earn sufficient money to pay for his training. Jobs included loading helicopters
for agricultural spraying to acting as spotter in search and rescue aircraft.
Once he had a license he flew the air ambulance when required. Now is a Captain
with Cathy Pacific based in Hong Kong.
Third Murray Christian Pickford.
b Pukekohe NZ 1965. Married Jennifer Houston 1993. They have two children. Lara
Jayne b. 1994 Tauranga NZ and Seth Alexander b 1996 Brisbane Australia. Murray
qualified as an industrial Chemist and worked in that industry for a few years.
Decided he preferred the outdoor life so started in the building trade and now
has his gold card which entitles him to build on his own behalf. Mostly contract
work. Jenny is a qualified nurse and works part time. They have lived in Australia
since 1993.
I went to three different schools. Two primary where I started
at the age of five and a half. All my school life was at boarding school, as were
the majority of children in Kenya, European school being few and far between.
For the most part I enjoyed my School life. Top priority for me was always games,
athletics and gymnastics. Panic usually set in when it came to test or exam time.
After High School I attended a Secretarial Collage, learning the art of being
a good Secretary! I worked in the Police as secretary to various senior Officers.
I
maintained my interest in Sport in the form of Hockey and represented Nairobi
and was chosen in a squad to tour Rhodesia but didn't go in the end because of
health problems.
In December 1963 we moved to New Zealand a real culture
shock. I had to learn to cook in a hurry and organise myself to do both house
work and gardening. I learned quickly and became quite efficient. Having been
through the Mau Mau Rebellion we decided it was safer to bring our children up
elsewhere. We started life here working on a farm. This was so that we could learn
the ways of that industry here. Later we bought our own herd or cows and share
milked for five years. That was hard with just the two of us running the farm.
Dale's main job was to milk the cows and mine to feed the calves. All other farm
jobs we shared. Our extra hand was a dog. Very clever he was too. We sold our
cows and bought 18 acres on which we carried dry stock.
Dale went to work
for a big Refrigeration company ending up as a supervisor. In order to rid ourselves
of any mortgage we sold the 18 acres and purchased a 10 acre block. Here we lived
for the next twenty years. I enjoyed involvement with the schools our children
attended and was usually roped in to help transport various sports teams to different
games. I also became involved in charity work which I really enjoyed. One of the
most rewarding was helping slow learners in the junior school to read. To see
their faces light up when they had managed a page without a mistake was wonderful.
I am a member of the NZ Returned Services Association Women's Section. We enjoy
each other's company and raise funds for the Soldiers Benevolent Fund.
Last
Year Dale and I made a pilgrimage back to Kenya to see his sister and to attend
the Kenya Regiment Association re union. It was wonderful to see so many people
from the past gathering in one place. As always the time passed all too quickly.
It was sad to see the extent to which things had deteriorated. The ordinary Africans
were pleased to see us and delighted when we could speak to them in their own
language.
We live happily in retirement here in Katikati, Bay of Plenty. Always
busy and sometimes wonder where we found time to work.
Not a very exciting
life but quite satisfying. Pleased to have settled our children into useful careers
but sorry two had to go off shore to follow their dreams.
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RAINIER-POPE Jill
Rainier-Pope
Jill JILL3 ROUS (MARCUS COLE2, JAMES COLE1) was born 1932. She married CHRISTOPHER
RAINER-POPE. He was born 1931. She is the grand daughter of ANNA LOUISE6 FLEMMER
(CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) born 28 January 1874 in Cradock South Africa, and died 1941.
She married JAMES COLE ROUS 26 March 1902 in St. Peter's Cradock South Africa.
He was born 1874.
I was born in Cape Town. My parents divorced
when I was 5 years of age and my brother James 18 months. I attended Micklefied
school and then went on to St Cyprians School, where I matriculated at the age
of 16. At high school I played hockey, cricket and tennis.
My mother was
involved in SAWAS and when asked to open the RAF station in George she went along
with another English lady whose husband was involved in the RAF; plus a young
pilot. On the return journey they had a motor accident and my mother died, the
other two passengers were seriously injured. I was then 8 yrs old.
As my
father, (UCT gold medallist) a surgeon, was up north on active service, we continued
to stay with my grandparents. Two years later my Dad returned and felt that it
was important that we youngsters should be with him. (For this I am extremely
grateful, as he was a fantastic father to me.) There was a court case for custody
and we went to live with him and his second wife Jean (Dr Walker), who was a dermatologist.
She had a son, my brother Galbraith, who subsequently could not stand the name,
had it changed to David. Jean left the home for another man and I was left in
charge of the home and both my brothers. My Dad often did not come home until
the early hours and was very involved in his work. I can remember in the evenings
having to arrange operations for him at the Monastery Nursing Home, when he needed
to have the theatre and an anaesthetist. After many phone calls, I would call
him back at his meeting to tell him all the details! (This was at the tender age
of 12 years!)
Dad then married Jeanette van der Lingen and my sister Jennifer
was born some time later as I was already at Rhodes University. Jeanette was a
librarian and worked at the National Library in CT. Jenny is now working at the
National Botanical Institute Kirstenbosch. She is also fluent in French and does
translating.
I desperately wanted to do Medicine, but Dad felt that this
was not a career for a woman. I thus started with a B.Sc. hoping to change, but
Dad had other ideas and after a year at Varsity, where I represented Rhodes at
hockey and cricket; also played hockey for Albany province, as it was known in
those days, I then commenced in Radiography. I qualified at Hammersmith Hospital
in London.
I worked in Cape Town for many years in a private practice
and then at Boston Children's Hospital after we were married. Worked in Port Elizabeth
and did tutoring at Baragwanath Hospital and in a private practice in Johannesburg,
as well as at ISCOR at Vanderbijl park.
Chris, a paediatrician, (UCT) and
I married in 1961, we spent a year in the Cape and then a year in Boston, back
to the Cape for a year where Mark was born, and a year in Port Elizabeth. Then
up to Johannesburg, where Nick was born and after two years we relocated to Vereeniging
and our third son, Paul was born. We stayed in Vereeniging for 27 years. Our boys
went to Milton, the local primary school and then Mark matriculated at St Stithian's
School in Johannesburg, Nick matriculated at Riverside High in Vereeniging and
Paul at St Andrew's School in Bloemfontein.
Mark subsequently did a course
in Metallurgical Mining at the Tech in Johannesburg and was the top student at
the Tech in that year with doing a four year course in three years and obtaining
17 distinctions in 19 subjects. He was on Elandsrand mine and now on Western Deep
Levels, where he does computer work, planning the mining operations. He is married
to Julie (Williamson) and they have a daughter Jessica. Mark has been in canoeing
and done the Dusi, as well as the Comrades a number of times and Triathlons. Also
plays squash.
Nicolas qualified in Medicine, naturally at UCT as his father
and grandfather did. He married Paula (Simpson) and they have a son Luke. Paula
is a dietician and has been working in Kamploops. They are resident in British
Columbia. He has been running a GP practice 4 hours drive from Vancouver. He is
now going to do a course in Emergency Medicine in Vancouver and plans to practice
in Kamloops thereafter. They have taken out Canadian citizenship. We have been
fortunate enough to visit them twice in the 5 years they have been away. Nick
has played a fair amount of squash. Loves skiing and mountain biking.
Paul
is a Representative Agent for a Medical company. Marketing artificial hips, shoulders,
knees etc and works closely with Orthopaedic surgeons. His wife Joanne is a pilot
with SAA and this affords them many opportunities for travel. They live in the
Cape. Both enjoy golf, Paul does mountain climbing, has done the Two Oceans many
times and plays hockey.
In Vereeniging Chris and Jill were involved in
school activities and on PTA and in the Boy Scout Movement, Chris as District
Commissioner and Jill as Pack Scouter, ADC Cubs and ADC Adult Leader Training,
for a total of 20 years. We also looked after a Boy Scout campground on Vaal Dam,
for 20 years. Chris was on the Vaal branch council of the Medical Association,
was President and Secretary at various times.
In our church Chris was on
council on many occasions and Jill a Lay Minister. We helped run Lenten courses
each year and Renew courses.
We were in Rotary from 1981 and Jill was President
Secretary and Treasurer of the Rotary Anns at various times. Chris ran many items
for the Youth through Rotary, Career guidance, Leadership courses, Inter School
Quizzes etc.
In Cape Town now for 6 years, Jill continues with Lay Minister
at St Paul's Church Rondebosch. Also involved in running Alpha courses. Chris
is a steward and also once again on church council.
Chris still walks on
the mountain regularly, Jill has unfortunately had to stop this.
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RANSOME Andrew
Ransome
Andrew ANDREW2 RANSOME (GLENN1) was born 22 August 1979. He is the son of JOYCE
ANNETTE8 FLEMMER (JOHN 'JACK' SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5)
born 30 May 1946. She married GLENN CAMPBELL RANSOME. He was born 23 September
1946.
I am Andrew Ransome. I was born in Johannesburg on 22nd August
1979. I grew up in Randpark Ridge, Randburg. I attendee Randpark Primary School,
then Allen Glen High School, followed by Parktown College where I did business
studies.
I am the middle child of my parents Joyce Annette Flemmer and
Glen Campbell Ransome. My siblings are Suzette and Michelle Ransome. I grew up
in our lovely home in Randpark, Randburg.
I love the outdoors and was sent
on many adventure holidays. I enjoyed the camping, hiking, canoeing and fun these
entailed. My parents have been a pillar of support in teaching me how to look
after myself, and all the love they have shown me will stand me in good stead
for the rest of my life.
I attained my Amateur Radio Operator's licence
at 14 years old, and enjoyed communicating with other ham radio enthusiasts.
I
worked as an irrigation manager for 2 years, then received a 2 month contract
to do irrigation in Mauritius. Island life was enjoyable, but I was pleased to
return to South Africa when the contract was up. I now have my own irrigation
business, and hope to grow it in the coming years.
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RANSOME Joyce (Flemmer)
Ransome
Joyce ( Flemmer) JOYCE ANNETTE8 FLEMMER (JOHN 'JACK' SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6,
CHRISTIAN LUDVIG5) was born 30 May 1946. She married GLENN RANSOME. He was born
23 September 1946.
PERSONAL HISTORY OF JOYCE ANNETTE FLEMMER
BORN
30TH MAY 1946
Joyce remembers growing up in Johannesburg. Her earliest
memories are of their little house in Troyville. There were lots of friends to
play with and she loved her school, and Sunday school. She did not see much of
her brothers Ludvig and John as they had busy social lives after work and at weekends.
Her
sister Joan, who was married, would spend Sundays with Joyce and her parents.
She taught Joyce to knit and later to sew. Her visits were eagerly looked forward
to. Once she made beautiful crocheted clothes for Joyce's doll. Another time she
made a puppet theatre and puppet. It delighted Joyce very much.
Her sister
Maurine, lived in Durban with her husband. She would write home and enclose notes
for Joyce. She would spend holidays with Joyce and her parents. These were really
highlights. Joyce would miss her so, when she returned to Durban.
Later
Joyce and her parents moved to Judith's Paarl, Johannesburg. Brothers Ludvig and
John both married at about this time. Later Maurine and her family came to live
in Johannesburg. Whenever there was a birthday, there would be a family gathering.
Joyce remembers her brother in law Johnny playing his guitar and singing beautiful
Italian songs. Later when Joan had a piano, father Jack would play and sing, much
to everyone's delight. Jack and Muriel always loved their large family and were
loved by them.
When Joyce was 11 years old, she and her parents left their
lovely house in Judith's Paarl and went to live in Saratoga Avenue Doornfontein.
It was to be their home for the next nine years. Joyce attended Barnato Park High
School for Girls for two years, then Commercial High School where she matriculated.
Her
working career started at the United Building Society, where she was a shorthand
typist for two years. She felt she wanted more from life than this, so he enrolled
at the Johannesburg College of Education to be trained as teacher. The family
moved to a house in Melville.
After receiving her Transvaal Teacher's Diploma,
she obtained a permanent post at Melville Primary School. Her first class were
eight year olds, and it was a wonderful year. She met Glen Ransome at a church
guild.
The Melville house was sold, so Joyce and her parents moved to
a flat in Bellavista Estate, west Turffontein. After two years of teaching, Joyce
left for London where she worked as a shorthand typist for the Building Centre
in Holborn. After four interesting months she went on an Austrian ski tour, then
returned home. She resumed her teaching career, this time at Parkview Senior School
where she taught English, Biblical studies and Needlework to 11 year olds. She
taught here for a year.
She then obtained permanent post at Forest Hill
Primary School. Here she taught 8 and 9 year olds for four and a half years. Soon
after she started teaching at this school Joyce and Glen married. Glen worked
in advertising. They lived in a flat in Gillview. After 5 years of marriage they
moved to their own home in Randpark Ridge, Randburg.
Joyce taught at Northcliff
Primary School for a year, then left to have her first child. Suzette was born
in 1977 and Andrew in 1979. Joyce found motherhood very fulfilling with never
a dull moment. In 1986 Michelle was born. This created a lot of interest for the
older children, who loved helping their mother with the new baby.
The years
flew by and Suzette had a dear baby of her own - Robert
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RANSOME Suzette
Ransome
Suzette SUZETTE2 RANSOME (GLENN1) was born 29 March 1977. She is the daughter
of JOYCE ANNETTE8 FLEMMER (JOHN 'JACK' SWEET DISTIN7, JOHN DISTIN6, CHRISTIAN
LUDVIG5) born 30 May 1946. She married GLENN RANSOME. He was born 23 September
1946.
Suzette Ransome, born on 29 March 1977. I began work as a Personal
Assistant and Secretary after matriculating in 1994. Later moved into Human Resources
at a bank. I have lived mostly in Johannesburg. I was in Cape Town for 2 years,
but moved back to Johannesburg where I live with my son Robert Ransome born on
27 December 1998. I have International Capital Markets Qualification, Yacht Hand
Licence and PADI Advanced Diver Certification. Currently studying towards LLB
(Law degree). My interests include scuba diving, gardening, reading, writing,
all water sports, travelling.
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ROSE Lesley (Lancaster)
and family
Rose Lesley (Lancaster) LESLEY COMPTON2 LANCASTER (ARTHUR
COMPTON1) was born 24 January 1947. She married CECIL ALFRED ROSE 21 June 1969
in All Saints Plumstead Cape Town. She is the granddaughter of WILHELMINA AUGUSTA6
FLEMMER (HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 2 March 1874 in Steynsburg South Africa. She married
(1) CHARLES BRIGHTSON CALEY. She married (2) HERMAN VERMAAK 13 November 1899 in
Steynsburg South Africa, son of HERMANUS VERMAAK and CHRISTINA HOLTZHAUSEN. He
was born 29 April 1864 in Uitenhage Cape Colony, and died 18 October 1918 in Central
Hotel Dewetsdorp South Africa.
Lesley Jean Compton Lancaster
married Cecil Alfred Rose on
21st June 1969 at the All Saints Church, Plumstead.
Gail Elizabeth Rose b 15th March 1972 in Bellville South Africa -
Married
Mohammed Shakeel Khan on 8th August 1998
Alison Margaret Rose b 27th may 1975
in Bellville South Africa -
Married Gareth Neil Leybourne on 25th October
1997
LESLEY
Attended Wynberg Girls High School until the
end of St 8 (Grade 10) and finished her studies at the Cape Commercial High School
in 1963. Worked for the Cape Town City Council until Gail was born. Returned to
part-time work once the girls were older and managed the Durbanville Squash Club
for a short period before becoming Secretary for Western Province Women's Squash
Association until its integration with the men's association. Lesley was Secretary
to the SA Road Federation for eight year and then decided to "retire" at the end
of June 2000.
CECIL
Born 8th February 1946 in Cape Town. Matriculated
at St George's Grammer School in Cape Town in 1962. Studied to be a civil engineer
and graduated from University of Cape Town with his B. Sc (Eng.) at the end of
1967. Cecil began his career in the Provincial Roads Department in Cape Town.
He later studied further at the University of California. Berkeley (USA) and graduated
with a Master of Science Degree in Transportation Engineering in June 1983. (The
whole family spent a year in USA from August 1982- June 1983) in 1988 he resigned
and joined Kantey & Templer, a firm of Consulting Engineers, where he became a
partner/director. He took over as Managing Director in March 2001.
Cecil
did his military training in the Navy from July 1968 - June 1969. He continued
to do voluntary service at SAS Unitie Naval Base in Cape Town harbour. He was
Officer Commanding of the SAS Unitie in 1987 -1991. He transferred to the Active
Reserve in 1997 with the rank of Captain.
GAIL
Matriculated
from Fairmont High School, Durbanville in 1989 and graduated from the University
of Cape Town with a B.Soc(Sc) degree in 1992. Gail moved to the UK in 1995 and
is Personnel Manager for Young & Co's Brewery PLC, Wandsworth, London. She lectures
part time in Personnel Management on the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development
programme at Kingston College. Gail resides in Wimbledon with her husband, Shakeel.
ALISON
Matriculated from Fairmont High School, Durbanville
in 1993 and graduated from the University of Cape Town with a B.Soc(Sc) degree
in 1996. She works in Durbanville for Wallace Trust in a secretarial position.
Alison and Gareth reside in Goedemoed, Durbanville.
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SHELVER Helen (Flemmer)
Shelver
Helen ( Flemmer) HELEN CLAIRE9 FLEMMER (NOLAN GEORGE8, OSWALD NOLAN7, MARIUS TOGER6,
HANS CHRISTIAN5) was born 7 February 1969. She married STUART RICHARD SHELVER
24 September 1999. He was born 12 April 1969.
I was born in East London
on 7th February 1969. My mom and Dad are Jenny and Nolan Flemmer. I have 2 older
sisters, Shirley and Colleen and one younger brother, David. I grew up in a beautiful
double storey house, with a large garden, on the Nahoon River. The house was built
by my great Grandfather, so it is a very special house. I had a fantastic childhood.
No worries at all. we spent lots of time swimming in the swimming pool, playing
tennis on our tennis court. My mom stayed at home with us children. We also had
a nanny to look after us.
When I was 3 years old, I went to Playways Nursery
School, of which I have great memories. I formed friendships there, which are
still going today. We went on lots of family holidays to the Kruger Park in our
combi, the Transkei, Cape Town, Durban etc. we also went to Mauritius for a family
holiday. Happy Days!!!!!
At 5 years, I went to Sacred Heart Convent School
as we are Catholic. I was only there for my Sub A year then it closed down. I
then went to Clarendon Preparatory School for Sub B and Std 1, Clarendon Primary
School from Std 2 to Std 5 and Clarendon High School for the rest of my schooling
until Matric. I matriculated in 1986. Clarendon is an all girls school. I had
a lovely big group of friends at school. I really enjoyed school. In standard
9 and 10, my parents gave me a scooter. My other friends also had scooters, so
you can imagine how much fun we all had together. We would be able to meet at
the beach, movies etc. and not have to rely on our moms to fetch and carry us.
My subjects at school were: English (1st language), Afrikaans (2nd language),
Maths, Science, Biology and Art. Art was my favourite subject. After school I
travelled Malawi for a month. It was great fun!!
My interests/sports growing
up were: extra art classes, squash, hockey, horse riding (I started when I was
6 years), modern dancing, reading and aerobic classes at gym.
After school
I went to Rhodes University in Grahamstown (1987). My dad also went to Rhodes.
Wow, I had a wonderful time there. Lots of parties. I stayed in a girls residence,
Beit House, for 2 years, then I moved into digs at 26 Market Street for my remaining
years at varsity. Jackie de Villiers (her mom is Sally Flemmer) stayed in digs
with me my last year at varsity. At varsity I studied B.Prim.Ed. it is a four
year degree, but I failed English and Afrikaans in my first year (I am not one
for languages), so I stayed at Rhodes for five years. After my first year I did
very well at my studies. While I was there I obtained my Aerobics Instructors
Certificate, my Outdoor Education Instructors Certificate, I came first in the
fitness section of the Rhodes Super Sport's Star competition. I also obtained
my Open Water Diving qualifications. I worked in a surf shop every varsity holiday
for extra pocket money.
From there I went to Cape Town and I studied a
PostGraduate course at Barkly House (1992). It is a college for Nursery School
and Pre-Primary teaching. It was a very tough year. I worked very hard. I stayed
in digs with 5 other people. That was fun. I also worked at Greenmarket Square
every Saturday, selling clothes, for extra pocket money.
In 1993 I went
back to East London and started my teaching career at Stirling Primary School.
I taught the Grade 2 (Sub B) class for two years. I first lived in a townhouse
(Shamrock Sands) with two girl friends, then I moved into a block of flats (Courtley
Flats) near Nahoon Bach. It was in my second year of teaching (1994) that I met
the love of my life, Stuart Richard Shelver. He was born on 12 April 1969. He
grew up in East London and went to Cambridge School. His parents are Norma and
Michael Shelver. He has three older brothers, Tony. Patric and Christopher. He
matriculated in the same year as me (1986). After school he went to the University
of Port Elizabeth and he studied Physical Chemistry. He obtained his Honours,
then Masters and then his Doctorate in Chemistry. I met him in his 2nd Masters
year. We travelled back and forth from East London to Port Elizabeth every weekend
to see each other. I did not manage to get a job in PE but I did get one in Jeffrey's
Bay, so after six months of seeing each other, we both moved to Jeffrey's Bay.
We stayed in a rented house at 62 Kabeljous Street for 6 years. We went out for
5 years and then we were married (24th September 1999) in East London at the Holy
Spirit Church and the reception was at my beautiful house where I grew up. It
was a fantastic party enjoyed by all. we went to Nqabara in the Transkei for our
honeymoon. Nqabara is a very special holiday place where our Flemmer family has
been going for years. My dad taught me to fish there. I became the "master of
fisher women". I have caught some big fish in my day. We also went to America
for a month.
In 2000 Stuart and I built a beautiful double storey house
at the renowned surf spot, "Supertubes". Stuart is a very, very keen surfer. We
love life in Jeffrey's Bay.
I had my beautiful little boy, Timothy Stuart
Shelver on 10th October 2001. He is built like a true Flemmer. He is a big boy.
He luckily did not get any of the Flemmer curls that us three Flemmer girls have.
He is a very happy boy, who loves the ebach. We live across the road from the
beach at 10b Mimosa Street, so he is on the ebach every day.
As I am writing
this, I am currently still teaching at Jeffrey's Bay Primary School. This is my
9th year teaching the Grade 1 children. Stuart works at Goodyear in Uitenhage.
He is Rubber Chemist at Goodyear. We are both 33 years old. I am turning 34 next
week. Timothy is 16 months in 8 days time. Life is just great!!!!!!!!!
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STRETCH David
Stretch
David DAVID JOHN STRETCH was born 16 August 1962 in Winton New Zealand. On 6 January
2003 he became engaged to COLLEEN MARY9 FLEMMER (NOLAN GEORGE8, OSWALD NOLAN7,
MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 6 January 1967.
David John Stretch,
son of Don and Alison Stretch. Date Of Birth 16 August 1962, Winton, New Zealand
Engaged
to Colleen Mary Flemmer on 6 Jan 2003 in Mozambique
Matriculated at Gore
High School, Gore, New Zealand, South Island in 1980. Parents were sheep farmers
so grew up on a farm his whole school life.
1981: worked in the forestry
industry, New Zealand
1982 - 1986: Studied Mining Engineering at the University
of Otago, New Zealand
1987 - 1997: Worked as an Engineer on the aluminium
smelter way down south in Invercargill, New Zealand
1998 - 2000: Moved
to Dubai, United Arab Emirates, to work for the Aluminium Smelter there called
Dubal
2000: Moved to Mozambique for the same work, this time for Mozal,
leaving his fiancée to be, Col, in Dubai
2001: Took 6 months off to travel
around South America. Was his first backpacking experience although he'd travelled
extensively worldwide beforehand for work.
Returned to South Africa en route
back to New Zealand to catch up with his family and the same company offered him
another contract working for Mozal Extension Project, however this time with a
6 month start in Johannesburg.
2002: Moved from Johannesburg to Mozambique
at the beginning of the year and will be there until the end of May, after which
will be returning to Dubai for another few years.
An adventurist who loves
anything to do with the outdoors. An avid hiker, climber, skier and diver. Enjoys
endurance racing, FISHING!!!!!!!!!, boating, running, expensive toys, photography
(at which he is brilliant! says Col) and cooking (even better!!!!!!! says Col).
Also into 4x4 driving, white water rafting and anything really that pumps the
adrenaline. Naturally he's a big rugby fan too but unfortunately supports the
wrong team.(says Col).
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TARR Marie ( Pallister)
Tarr
Marie ( Pallister) MARIE LE CAUX3 PALLISTER (GEOFFREY FLEMMER2, EDWARD1) was born
12 September 1938 in Boksburg Transvaal. She is the great granddaughter of TOGER
ABO AUGUST5 FLEMMER (CHRISTIAN AUGUST4) born 5 October 1842 in Korsor Denmark,
and died 20 June 1913 in Cradock Cape. He married ROSA CAROLINE PHILPS 16 October
1873 in St. Peter's Cradock South Africa, daughter of FREDERICK PHILPS and EMMA
KEEN. She was born 10 December 1852 in Cradock Cape, and died 17 March 1908 in
Cradock Cape.
Marie married CECIL LORIMER TARR 30 June 1965 in Barberton Transvaal.
He was born 29 June 1935 in Alice Eastern Cape.
January 15,
2003
At last just a note re my own particular family! I'm Marié Tarr,
eldest child of Marié and Geoff Pallister.
I'm married to Cecil Tarr, whose
mom came from the Alice district and whose dad came from Senekal in the Free State
(both from farming stock). They settled in the Peddie district and later lived
in the village.
We both graduated at Rhodes University but I only met Cecil
later while he was teaching at Grey High School and I was teaching at Alexander
Road High School in Port Elizabeth.
Cecil was appointed principal of the
Peddie Secondary School and we ran the hostel for about 30 children, grade 1 to
10.
We had a wonderful life in this farming community until 1972 when the
government announced that they were going to purchase all land belonging to whites
in the Ciskei for black consolidation. The district distintegrated piecemeal from
1973 onwards. We eventually left at the end of 1980 and moved to Grahamstown for
our children to start school in 1981.
The farm which had been in the Tarr
family for 3 generations had 6 miles of river frontage on the Keiskama River.
To replace this sweet veld farm was nigh impossible. However, we bought ground
just out of Grahamstown and our family have enjoyed growing up in the "bush".
We
have 4 children, whom Mom must have mentioned already: The eldest is Anne Lynn,
now Ford, who studied Accounting at Rhodes and is now a risk mamager for the Standard
Corporate Merchant Bank in Johannesburg. Her husband Wayne, also an accountant
is with Transnet.
Then our eldest son, Geoff, who was with 6SAI in Grahamstown
for 2 years, then transferred to Scottburgh when unrest there was very bad. He
lives near us and is selling short term insurance and has a security business.
He looks after us in his spare time!!
The 2 younger boys, John and Sandy,
both very keen on sport studied Sports Admin & Management at P E Teknikon & Human
Movement studies at University of P E respectively.
John is returning to
the UK shortly to complete his 2 years working for the International Red Cross
Organization. Has also played cricket and rugby there. Sandy has returned after
his 2 year stint - played cricket for Sandford Cricket Club in Exeter very successfully
and worked at the Walkabout Pub.
John, during his practical, spent 6 months
at Gill College where he saw rugby photos of my dad, Geoff Pallister, when he
was at Gill. This is really going back some time as dad passed away in 1983.
Sandy
is currently job hunting in Cape Town and enjoying his cricket.
After leaving
Peddie, Cecil taught Accounting at Graeme College. Later he was appointed to Rhodes
Accounting staff to lecture students. This post has been most stimulating and
he enjoys interaction with students and staff, some of whom he taught at Graeme
College.
I'm working as a Librarian at the South African National Library
for the Blind in Grahamstown. As a student I never realised the Library existed
- when a post was advertised I applied. I was appointed to Student Department
& realised I knew nothing so our Director kindly afforded me time (I was mornings
only and Mom's taxi in the afternoons) to do a post grad diploma in Librarianship
which was on offer at Rhodes at the time. I grabbed the opportunity with both
hands and never for a minute have I regretted it. Look, studying with 4 children
and Cec teaching!!! - we all 6 wrote exams at the same time! I don't recommend
it to anyone.
Every year during the Xmas holidays we try to get down to
the Wilderness where my Grandfather built a house which has since been taken over
by my brother Geoff. It is called Far Niente. It was built for the express purpose
of getting the family together once a year. Well the family has grown and grown
and sometimes we have been as many as 25. My brother Geoff, sister Estelle & I
spent time with Mom at Far Niente - just a pity that time flies!!
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TAYLOR Angela and family
Taylor
Angela & Family ANGELA PATRICIA6 HERBERT (RONALD HAROLD5, HAROLD4, JAMES BROADBENT3,
JAMES BROADBENT2, THOMAS1) was born 24 March 1950 in East London South Africa.
She married ROBERT JAMES STRANSHAM FORD 2 August 1980 in Bergville Natal. He was
born 24 August 1949 in South Africa. She is the daughter of KATHLEEN NORAH7 FLEMMER
(MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5) born 12 August 1914 in East London South Africa,
and died 31 October 1972 in Cape Town South Africa. She married RONALD HAROLD
HERBERT 5 April 1940 in East London South Africa, son of HAROLD HERBERT and EDITH
HARROP. He was born 13 November 1912 in Wallasey Cheshire England, and died 23
November 1988 in East London South Africa
PERSONAL HISTORY Angela Taylor
2001 Cape Town.
Daughter of Ronnie and Kath Herbert, born Mater Dei Hospital,
East London, South Africa.
Grew up in Rhodesia, attending the Dominican
Convent, Salisbury. I remember happy days of sunshine and close family ties until
the age of 10 when we left No. 3 Cambridge Ave. , Highlands (now owned by the
Dobsons) to live at 36 Abbey Rd., West Kirby in Cheshire.
In England, I
attended Upton Hall Convent and was taught by the Faithful Companions of Jesus
- an order of nuns from France.
We were glad to return to Africa, this
time Cape Town, in 1963. We lived in Capri Rd, St James and I went to School at
the Star of the Sea Convent matriculating as a boarder and prefect after my parents
went to live in Zambia in 1966.
I attended Natal Technical College for
3 years and attained a 1st Class Diploma in Fashion after which I lived in London,
returning because of my mother's illness. I worked for CAPAB. Devastated by her
death in 1972, I went to work in Rhodesia during the war. I met Robin Ford in
1973. At 24 years of age, he was the youngest major in the army. Our son was born
in 1976 at the Mater Dei Hospital, Bulawayo and named after Robin's best friend,
Michael Ainslie, who had been killed in the war that year. We had a daughter,
Felicity, born at St Thomas' Hospital, London in 1985 and a second son, Berkeley,
born at the Avenues Clinic, Harare, Zimbabwe in 1990. This completed the family.
I
divorced Robin in 2000 having changed my surname to Taylor by deed poll in 1997.
Whilst living in London (1980-1985) I worked as a merchandise manager for Puma
and travelled on business to USA, Europe and Far East, whilst juggling career,
parenting and household.
From London, Harare became our home. During the
13 years we lived there my beloved Father died in the Mater Dei Hospital, East
London. Life became very difficult from 1996 onwards and we finally were forced
to abandon Zimbabwe and take refuge in Cape Town in 1998, supported by my two
brothers Pad and Steve.
I am recovering from bipolar disorder and the children
have settled well.
Ainslie Ford 7th November 1976 born Mater Dei Hospital,
Bulawayo. Attended Hill House School, London until age of 11 years and thereafter,
Hartman House and St George's in Harare attaining 6 A levels in 1994. Ainslie
is at present working for a magazine publishing company and at night is a Disc
Jockey. He lives in Rosebank, Cape Town.
Felicity Taylor 24th April 1985
Born St Thomas'Hospital London.
Born Felicity Ford to Robin and Angel Ford.
Mother's surname changed by Deed Poll 1997. Felicity attended Dominican Convent
in Harare for her junior school, where she was a "joy to teach". Her senior school
is Wynberg Girls High, Cape Town and she is in Grade 10. Her results are fine
and she is in line to be a prefect. She is gregarious and happy.
Berkley
Taylor 26th November 1990 Born Avenues clinic, Harare, Zimbabwe
Born Berkeley
Ford to Robin and Angela Ford. Mother's surname changed by Deed Poll 1997. Berkeley
attended St Michael's School, Harare for two years before attending Star of theSea
Convent School in Cape Town, where he is presently in Grade 5 and doing well.
He is a Cub and loves the sea.
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TEETON Carol Ann (McBean)
Born
08 July 1969
Teeton Carol Ann (McBean) CAROL ANN3 MCBEAN (DUNCAN MATHIE2,
LACHLAN MOORE1) was born 8 July 1969. She married WILLIAM TEETON 17 April 1993
in Harare Zimbabwe. He was born 21 November 1967 in Graaf Reinett. She is the
daughter of MARGARET ANN8 FLEMMER (OWEN JOHN7, MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5)
was born 3 April 1940 in East London South Africa. She married DUNCAN MATHIE MCBEAN
10 December 1966 in Blantyre Malawi, son of LACHLAN MCBEAN and GERTRUDE O' MEARA.
He was born 23 June 1934 in Salisbury Rhodesia.
Second daughter to
Margaret Ann (Flemmer) and Duncan McBean
Married to William Teeton on 17 April
1993
Two children, Angus Luke 27/12/96 and Caitlin Jessica 4/11/1999
I
was born in Harare, Zimbabwe - formally Salisbury, Rhodesia - and spent my formative
years living in the suburb of Mandara. I have a sister, Nola Eileen, who is 18
months older than me. Our family have only ever lived in two houses from the time
of my birth until I left home aged 19 years. (The second house was just around
the corner from the first.)
Mom and dad built our first house and I have
happy recollections of our years there:
We had a large, beautiful Rose
garden with a pretty ground cover all around which seemingly attracted bees from
far and wide - I remember the frequent stings and subsequent ammonia treatment.
Dad had build a fish pond on the top terrace of the garden and the summer
evenings were filled with a great din of congregating frogs, which ceremoniously
were flung from a bucket, over the fence during what was called 'frog parade'
- only to return the following night for the same procedure.
The house
had a good sized, elevated veranda on which Nola and I would take turns to ride
our tricycle. Nola being the eldest would of course sit comfortably on the trike
while I was instructed to push. I always managed to scrape the skin off the back
of my angles in the process - why didn't I learn!
Mom kept (and nurtured)
white chickens in a run at the bottom of the garden, alongside the vegetable patch,
where, much to her annoyance, they would invariably escape. There were occasions
when Nola would shut me in the chicken run leaving me to the mercy of the chickens,
with their clipped upper beaks, while they stabbed at my frequently mercurochromed
knees.
We were blessed with the most amazing, large, thatched Wendy House.
The floors were hard, bare, red earth that Nola and I would sweep tirelessly,
creating clouds of dust which would later settle in a thick coating on our little
china tea sets, dolls and other toys. We would then set about dusting these off
and so the cycle ran.
At the bottom of the garden we backed onto a large,
uninhabited small holding which amounted to acres of tall elephant grass, a Willow-tree-lined
river in the valley and a derelict farmhouse hidden in the bush on the other side.
A great area for walking the dogs, and in those days still safe for children to
explore, unaccompanied.
Our first dog that I can remember, Mom rode over
in the car one day while reversing - most unfortunate. Then we got Lady, a cross
between a Toy Pom and a Chow. I dearly loved Lady and was mortified one day while
walking her with my Grandfather, Owen Flemmer, when she was attacked, rather savagely,
by another dog. I had to haul her out from under a rather spiky Boganvillia hedge
where she had taken refuge. I recall her being the reason for not being able to
'leave home' one day after not being able to get my (unreasonable) way with Mom
- she (Lady) just smiled her 'smile' at me as she followed me along the fence!
She was with us until after I'd left home many, many moons later. We also had
a Siamese cat, Perkins, for many years - Dad's cat. I remember we used to push
him around in our dolls' pram, wrapped in blankets, poor thing.
As far
as education was concerned, Nola and I went to Courtney Selous School in Greendale,
Harare for our Junior years. It was a nice little school, within cycling distance
from home. Nola and I used to ride together mostly, along cycle tracks which bordered
the roads. Our rather weighty school bags were strapped on to our carriers with
'spiders' which were not always totally efficient.
My kindergarten years
were noisy and fun. Mom was called in by the teacher because I used to scream
too much during catching games, they thought something dreadful was happening
- a trait which seems to have been passed on to my own daughter all these years
on. The only thing I really recall about junior primary was being caught out by
the teacher for signing my reading card myself, and having a ruler slapped against
my open hand for some misdemeanor which eludes me. Oh, and yes rubbing 'burning
bean' seeds on the concrete quad with friends, and squealing with delight. Marble
season was also a firm favourite and I had quite a sizeable bag at the end of
the time.
My Standard 4 teacher required us to recite poems and unheard
of rhymes each day - some of which I still remember. Miss Bennett would call me
'Carola' - a merging of 'Nola' and 'Carol' as she had taught Nola two years previously
but couldn't quite remember who I was.
Standard 5 was a bit of a milestone
really - I moved up from the 'B' set where I been until then, to the 'A' set,
a rather unexpected event. I remember spending much time gardening that year instead
of learning Shona, as the teacher couldn't quite manage the pronounciation himself.
The
Rhodesian war was of course in full swing at this time and fortunately for me,
I have very few personal experiences of the horror of war but do clearly recall
Dad going off as a Police Reservist to guard bridges and strategic positions,
and to escort the convoys of vehicles traveling to the South African boarder post.
We ourselves traveled like this several times as a family, going on holiday to
East London, and remember the drill - if the convoy stops passengers are to climb
out the near side doors and crawl into the ditch. Dad was always, understandably,
tense on this leg of the journey. At school we frequently had 'bomb drills' as
well as fire drills. Despite the war, it was still safe for us to ride to school
each day, and wait in the car in town while mom popped into a shop pay her account…!
Independence
- 1980
Form 1, as it was called, started a new era for me at a school called
Oriel Girls School, and with the move came the arrival of my 'railway track' braces.
They were there to stay for the next two years. I enjoyed my sport, tennis, squash
and swimming mainly. Was not allowed to play hockey unfortunately due to the braces
- and in hindsight can appreciate this.
As we approached our teenage years
Noli, as she became known, and I grew ever closer and by the time we were 'dating'
we took much pleasure in 'getting ready' together, meeting up at the various venues
in town, and 'comparing notes' about our respective evenings over a cup of coffee
at home.
In 1985 I wrote my Cambridge O'Levels at Oriel aged 16, and did
better than anticipated I seem to remember. Our family went overseas that year
for the first time - and the travel bug bit! We had an amazing trip with many
exciting experiences, including two weeks skiing in the Pyrenees.
On our
return, I attended Frodsham Commercial College to complete a 9 month secretarial/office
admin course. I landed my first job as secretary to the MD of a small engineering
company. I learnt much that year, and my boss had the patience of a saint. Noli
was now studying at Rhodes University RSA, and this was also the year that I met
my husband to be, Billy Teeton, although I didn't of course know it at the time.
In 1989 I decided that it was time to spread my wings and go overseas
for a year. Noli came over with me in her holidays and joined me for a ski trip
and then left me to the rude awakening to real world. I was in London with nowhere
to live or work, very little money and only a few contacts, Billy for one. I was
fortunate indeed to have a string of temporary secretarial jobs ranging from lawyers
and auctioning houses to HM Probation services - a real eye opener. I lived in
a commune with other Zimbabweans, South Africans and Australians. Billy was living
3hrs from London in Exeter at the time and I met up with him from time to time.
It was only on my return from a two month trip to Europe on an old converted London
double-decker bus, that the spark was lit. By then it was time to return to Zimbabwe!
I'd
no sooner arrived back and decided to join Noli in Cape Town for a year (1990)
while she completed her Internship at a pharmacy in Claremont. I was fortunate
to get a job working for the Deputy MD of Protea Assurance in town, and had the
support of my Godfather, Steve Herbert. We had an amazing year in Cape Town, a
fun circle of friends with common outdoor interests and with the mountain, sea,
winelands, fruit picking etc on our doorstep, what more could you ask for. Billy
brought his girlfriend out to Cape Town that year and stayed with us for a short
while. She didn't last long after that - and neither did my boyfriend.
The
following year (1991) I went back to England - for a year in the countryside.
Billy helped me find my feet in Reading of all places - close enough to London
to pop in but still in the countryside (not). Billy was studying at Farnborough
College and it wasn't long before we started dating. After 6 months I moved to
Guildford after a few ugly incidences in Reading, and this brought me a little
near to Billy living in Ash. My 1-year ticket expired and it would be 7 years
before I returned to African soil to live. In the meantime, Billy completed his
studies and we moved together to Salisbury, England where he took up a teaching
post at the Cathedral School, and I joined a small, busy PR company. In April
1993 we returned briefly to Zimbabwe to be married and to honeymoon at Tiger Bay,
Kariba. We retuned to Salisbury to move house together at last.
We made
the most of our stay in the UK, had some wonderful friends to explore our vicinity
with its maze of pathways and bridleways through the beautiful countryside. We
traveled to Ireland, Scotland and Wales to hike and climb the peaks. We started
expeditioning and did a couple of 6 and 8 day hikes in the Lake District, walked
the West Highland Way over Christmas in temps of -27 deg.cent and later did the
Coast to Coast across England with our first child Angus Luke, aged 6mths.
Living
in England allowed us to travel widely in Europe, with it's strong currency and
good accesses to even the more remote spots. We fittend in a most amazing trip
to America where we explored with friends posted to El Paso by the British Army.
A three-day hike, on our own, down into the Grand Canyon must surely be the highlight
of the trip.
Once Angus arrived, I stopped working and, with living on
one salary, traveling became a thing of the past. It was time to return to Africa.
We accepted a job offer at Woodridge School, 35km outside Port Elizabeth. Billy
found himself as a Grade 6 Teacher, and Head of Outdoor Education and Computers
and soon took things to new heights. I became the Housemother of the Prep Girls
Boarding House, and then took on the role of a playgroup teacher. By this time
Angus was 18 mths old and could join me for part of the morning at school. The
school itself is situated in the bush on the hills above the Van Stadens River,
a pleasurable walk away. We have beautiful open spaces, conservation areas, mountain
biking routes and mountains around us and this was just the place we were looking
for.
Now some four years on we are still very happy to be here, and we
have an 18 month old daughter, Caitlin Jessica to complete our family (at least
that is the plan).
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WALKER Estelle (Pallister)
Walker
Estelle ESTELLE ROSA3 PALLISTER (GEOFFREY FLEMMER2, EDWARD1) was born 16 November
1944 in Boksburg Transvaal. She married DEREK GRAHAM WALKER 10 December 1966 in
Barberton Transvaal. He was born 21 February 1943 in Port Elizabeth. She is the
granddaughter of EMMA BETTY MARTHA6 FLEMMER (TOGER ABO AUGUST5) born 12 June 1876
in Cradock Cape, and died 24 April 1908 in Cradock Cape. She married EDWARD PALLISTER
26 January 1907 in Cradock South Africa. He was born 6 January 1879 in York England.
I
went to Rhodes University (after matriculating at Union High School. in Graaff
Reinet) in 1963 where I managed to scrape home with a Social Science Degree(an
academic, I am not!!! ). My husband Derek also matriculated at Union High School
with so and me our romance continues to date.
He joined the Hide and Skin
and Wool Industry and has been in it ever since. About six years ago he and a
group of his colleagues went on their own and we are SO blessed that it has turned
out to be a very rewarding career move. He is now most anxious to retire!!
I
was not able to get a post in Social Work in Johannesburg where we spent three
years, so I did Vocational Guidance, Aptitude Testing etc. for what was then called
Department of Labour. Then we were transferred to Durban where we spent eleven
years before returning to Port. Elizabeth (Derek's home town ). We have been happily
living here since 1980.
We had our family in Durban so I have been a "
Home Executive", nursery school teacher and part time sales merchandiser since.
We are privileged to spend Christmas at the Wilderness year after year with the
immediate families and it was there that we lost Wayne, our eldest and only son,
and Geoff's son Garth, in a freakish bakkie accident in 1986. Wayne was 16 years
old. He was a complex child with an insatiable hunger to LIVE life. There were
never enough hours in the day for him and sleep was a waste of time. His passion
was the outdoors, animals and anything related to the sea or water. Built his
own surf boards at age 13, wind surfed etc,etc. He and Garth were such buddies.
Marcelle is my oldest daughter, now 32 years of age (was 16 months younger
than Wayne). She married in January last year (2002) and they have just relocated
from London to Johannesburg where Chris, her husband, is opening a branch for
a European based Company dealing in courier work for dangerous goods. They have
only been their four weeks, so everything is very hectic. Marcelle has only had
one passion and that is ballet. Went to University of Cape Town Ballet School
and danced and qualified as R.A.D ballet teacher. She taught in George and then
went to London. She taught for a while in Wales and then back to London to enter
the business world, necessitated by lack of money which, I may add, she loathed.
She has now qualified as Pilates Instructor (new field working in conjunction
with Physiotherapists and Chiropractors, sports training and, of course, Ballet
studios.) She has many contacts inJohannesburg so hopefully will find her feet
soon. She obtained her British passport via the ancestral Walker connections.
She has also collected Aerobic Certificates along her life path !!
Jeanne
Marie, our younger daughter and a bit of a "laat lammetjie" is now 25 years of
age. She has been married to Jerran for 2 years and they live in our garden cottage
(where my Mum, Marie, stayed before she packed herself off to Fairhaven Home).
She was given a talent in sport that, unfortunately, has caused her and Jerran
to do a 360-degree readjustment to their life plan. Two months after their marriage
she developed back problems and to cut a long story short, has undergone treatment
- back surgery - and has not been able to work. Because of all her sport activities
she wore her disc away almost completely. Two years down the line and she will
only begin to do some tennis coaching this year, God willing. She got a full tennis
scholarship at De Paul University in Chicago, U.S.A. where she was for 4 years
after she matriculated. She got a degree in Bachelor of Science in Physical Education.
While there she played in satellite tournaments in France, coached at the Nikki
Tennis Camps etc., so had a wonderful time. She and Jerran were at school together
so the romance survived, he here in the Motor Industry, and her there. He spent
a few months with her in the States and Europe. She came home and was offered
a job to be the Tennis Professional at Club Med in Cancun, Mexico where she spent
six months. We all went for a holiday and it was spectacular. Their plans to return
to the States, he on transfer and she to resume tennis career, were aborted and
the rest is history. We are just grateful for her positive attitude and fortitude
they have both displayed in adversity. Just to add that Jeannie is so like her
brother Wayne, it is quite uncanny.
"Fluit fluit, my storie is uit!!!"
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VAN DEN BERG Shirley (Flemmer)
van
den Berg Shirley (Flemmer) SHIRLEY ATHALIE9 FLEMMER (NOLAN GEORGE8, OSWALD NOLAN7,
MARIUS TOGER6, HANS CHRISTIAN5, CHRISTIAN AUGUST4) was born 8 June 1965 in East
London South Africa. She married HERCULES JOHANNES VAN DEN BERG 26 March 1996
in East London South Africa. He was born 27 November 1966.
The Life
& Times of Shirley Flemmer - written on 30 Jan 2003.
I, Shirley Athalie
van den Berg (nee Flemmer), am the eldest daughter of Nolan & Jenny Flemmer from
East London, South Africa. Born 08 June 1965 and named after my parents dear friend
& bridesmaid, Shirley Kirchoff. My second name is that of my dad's deceased sister,
Athalie. I am honoured that so many compare me to her in looks. She was apparently
a beautiful person and was studying to be a nurse when she died in a car accident
in Cape Town.
So I was the first curly head born to my parents and naturally
the most responsible, but also luckily acquired an outgoing, friendly disposition.
Photos show me always naked as a little girl, playing with water in the garden
at Saint Anthony's, our family house at 205 Old Transkei Road, Nahoon Valley,
East London. We were blessed to be raised in such a lovely home in such a lovely
town. Our home was always filled with family and friends and many happy weekends
were spent with all of us playing tennis and the kids jolling on the river. My
dad taught me to fish (he's a good fisherman) and I used to steady the boat whilst
he threw his net for swimming prawns. Those were the good 'ol days, but no prawns
there anymore - perhaps dad and I caught them all. But despite my many hours spent
on the water, I'm not really so keen on boating etc which my sister Helen and
brother David are. Both have their skippers licence. I can still catch a big fish
though.
I first attended a convent school, but when that closed, went to
a girls' only school, Clarendon. I was an average student in class and on the
sports field, but I loved my dancing especially the annual stage shows that our
dance school put on. I wasn't a very beautiful child, but I suppose cute and I
had a good bod in my teen years (thanks to mom), so I did modelling as a hobby
and found myself in a number of fashion shows and later came second in a best
dressed women competition. Again thanks to mom for the glamorous clothes she used
to dress me in from her well known shop "Sportique". It was at one of these shows
that my personality shone through and I was grateful to a family friend for suggesting
that I go into Public Relations as a career.
I studied a 3 year Public
Relations Diploma at the Cape Technikon 1983 - 1985. My final year was a practical
one and I worked for Metropolitan Life in their PR dept. But the travel bug caught
me and I saved all I could to travel overseas for a year. I went to most of Europe
in this time, nearly got jailed in Turkey for illegal working and got so fat on
a Kibbutz in Israel, but had a ball. So much so that on returning and entering
the Personnel Recruitment field, I again saved up to go over to Europe for the
second time. This time I met a French man and for a while my family thought I
wasn't gonna return. However, his French charms soon dwindled and so did the glamorous
thought of living overseas.
In search of life in the fast lane, I sought
work in the tourism industry and landed a marketing and sales job for an outdoor
adventure company in Hazyview, close to the Kruger National Park. It was here
that I met my Afrikaner husband Hercules Johannes van den Berg, eldest son to
Joy & Hercules van den Berg. At first he was such a karki chap to me, but his
warmth and love won me over. I played hard to get as still had the need for travel
and adventure and didn't want to be tied down. However, I knew I must accept on
the 3rd proposal as otherwise I would have lost out. We had a wonderful wedding
in East London on 23 March 1996 and my Afrikaans started improving. Athalie Jane
was born on 9 December 1997 in Nelspruit (we were living in White River, Mpumalanga
at the time) and Aeron Shelby born 12 June 2001 in Klerksdorp, North West.
And
so the curly heads live on. My attempt to take a straight haired husband was in
vain as the Flemmer gene is a strong one. One day long ago I was in a pub with
my two sisters and one over-the-wall chap came to realise that we all had similar
hair and said, " You've all had the same perm". My reply was "No, we all come
from the same sperm". Ha ha.
Its January 2003 and I'm nearing 40. I still
have a yen for travel, but unfortunately the Rand is not what it used to be, making
it difficult to travel to far distant lands. My career in PR was the right choice
for me and I love to participate in events. One of my best jobs was in event management
and I hope to pursue that career again shortly.
Athalie and Aeron are
beautiful blond curly heads and the centre of our lives. Athalie is the first
grandchild to my parents. Aeron the third. Take them out in East London, and people
stop and say - those must be Flemmers. And I'm so proud.
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