| ||||
|
| ||||
| Grave at Groot Dam, Warden |
| ||||
|
| ||||
| Grave at Groot Dam, Warden |
| Hello to everyone. Welcome to the latest news on the Project. I must apologise firstly for the lateness of this edition. It has been solely caused by the volume of data that I have received and have therefore been arranging for it’s typing and subsequent checking. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Contributors and Volunteers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| We will always want to thank those new participants who come forward with
offers of data or help. These people are the treasures that help keep the project momentum alive. I recently had contact from Mr. Barry Stieger, a farmer in Devon, Gauteng with offers of data he had gathered from farms adjacent to his. A trip to
visit him was most fruitful and will be processed in due course. Then there is Ann Knoetze in Port Elizabeth who e-mailed me and asked if she could possibly help with some typing. I had electronic files available and sent these to her with instructions. Thanks Ann for your valued help. From the “Friendly City” of Port Elizabeth comes Vic Olivier who finds time to drive around any farm he can find and record any data that is available. He refers to himself as a member of PLO (Professional/Poor Loafers Association). Another ‘Friendly City’ man is John Colling who is feeding us with data as well. Then in the midst of the Vaal Triangle we find Fanie (Blikkies) Blignaut. He seems to be able to find friends to go for drives and visit farms in the area and around Heilbron. What a great job he does for us. Only a phone call away I contacted Belinda Gordon in Colesberg. She has generously sent me her entire file of cemetery data for Colesberg and the typing is now almost completed. This lady knows all there is to know about Colesberg. We have a very loyal supporter in Tian Schutte who is based in Nelspruit. Tian seems to be able to get around quite a bit and has recently arranged to obtain a printed copy of the Cemetery Register for Ventersdorp in North West Province. This will begin being typed in the near future. Tian has also provided data for Malelane, Komatipoort and Machadodorp among others. He gets around Mpumalanga and Limpopo Province quite a lot and picks up whatever he can for the project. We will always be thankful to the ever industrious Alta Roux from Kinross who travels the area in search of graveyards and comes up with the most fantastic anecdotes to go with it. We wish to make mention here also of Danie Malan of Northern Transvaal branch of GSSA who is leading a team recording the Zandfontein Cemetery Headstones in Pretoria. To date he has submitted Blocks M & N of the cemetery. This comprises of 5,000 odd names and will appear in the next edition of the Cemetery Recording CD. If I have not mentioned anyone else by name, I ask your forgiveness. You have not been left out for any reason. We are grateful to all who contribute to the sharing of information. Then where would the whole project be without my loyal team of typists. These good ladies, and a gentleman, give of their time to decipher handwriting or work from typed sheets and capture this important data onto an Excel spreadsheet. I feel I must mention their names as a token of appreciation. They are, in no specific order, Cherryl Sachs, Desre Sjoberg, Barbara Blakeman, Heather Gane, Rita Sondergaard, Maureen Brady, Johan de Villiers and Debbie Nelson my latest volunteer. I do not want to leave out Sharolyn Redfern who is single handed taking on Alberton Cemetery. She goes out with her husband and photographs the headstones and then comes home and types the data into the spreadsheet. Many thanks to ‘hubby’ for the support given. Please contact Errol or Peter at the e-mail addresses at the foot of this newsletter for guidance on our requirements for cemetery data that you may wish to submit. Sharing this data is a great step forward to so many who may have hit a “brick wall”. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Cemetery CD | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It is a pleasure to advise that to date 142 copies of CD2 have been purchased. Have you
got yours yet? Please contact Andre Heydenrych at aheydenr@mweb.co.za to arrange a copy. Work is progressing well on processing data for inclusion on the next edition of the Cemetery Recording CD. Please refer to the listing of cemeteries added to the database shown below. These can also be viewed on the GSSA website at www.ggsa.info where the full list of cemeteries that are on the database is available. Go to Projects, Cemetery Headstone Project, Summary. It will download a PDF file. The listing is sorted in Country, Province, Magisterial District sequence. Those marked as Published are on CD2. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Recording Experiences | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| It would appear that there have been very few exciting recording experiences
reported. There must be something out there that can be shared with us please. As always an item of humour from Alta Roux. This came as an aside in an e-mail regarding data recorded on a farm near Heidelberg. “My husband bought a TRACTOR from the owner of the farm – I was lucky that he allowed me to check the Cem! We drove past & my son and I quickly checked the graves” | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Comments and Feedback | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| I am Very grateful to you and your team for the wonderful recording work you are
all doing. I am so distressed to hear about the terrible vandalism in the Cemeteries - especially those in the Eastern Cape. I fear that without the work you are all doing in a few short years no one will have any access to the graves of their
ancestors. Thank you to you all- PLEASE continue up your wonderful work Best wishes Colleen Orr Thank you for the News Letters. I will most certainly be purchasing one of your Cemetery CDs. Cheers Jennifer Thanks for the newsletter You are certainly doing a good job, I have found so much information from Lorna White on my relatives buried in St Peters Mowbray. also the history of the cemetry.I went there in 2000 and couldn't get in , didn't have time to look to hard as I was only told about it the day before we flew out and didn't have time to investigate, but it worked as a blessing as I wanted to just look but Lorna has told me so many things that I didn't know such as my uncle who lived and died at Uitenhage was buried there. I'd never of though to look for him even. I suppose what I am saying is I realize now that these cemetery records are such a valuable resource for genealogy. Thanks again for all the time you put in. I also saw the toposcope thank goodness, my husband who is Australian was so impressed . and told people about it . ( my family in my Moms side are 1820 settlers) as an Australian is there anywhere I Could write to in high places as a tourist which is bringing in money but if all tourist places are ruined why would people come.(I have loved South Africa all my life even though I was only a child when I left due to my fathers work) Keep up the good work. Regards, Anne Wellman. Nou weet ek tog meer van die mense wat in die verlede en hede die besonderhede van grafte opgeskryf het byvoorbeeld Holden grafte wat genoem word op NAAIRS . Baie dankie vir die groot taak wat julle verrig. Vriendelike groete Tertia Watson My ma se pa het in 1914 aan die geveg by Mushroom Valley deelgeneem. Die eerste bevestiging wat ek kon kry dat daar wel so 'n geveg plaasgevind het, was op die BP CD!! Ek was baie dankbaar daarvoor. Dankie vir al julle tyd en moeite! Charline Wentzel I enjoyed all the newsletters and compliment you on the contents as well as the quality. I am looking forward to the future issues. The 2nd Cemetary CD is also on my purchasing list. Regards from Bellville Bonnie | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Branch/Individual Contributions | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dear Editor On a recent holiday in the Western Cape, I took a detour to Bredasdorp hoping to add to my family research by a visit to the local cemeteries. I sought the older ones and the tourist information office was very helpful. Sadly, the two old cemeteries had been "flattened". One is now a park. The remains were re-interred near the newer cemetery and the headstones were also moved. I did find a few of these relocated headstones and I was able to record some information that will add to my research - much to my delight. Unfortunately, time allowed was very brief. Regrettably, I was unable to spend any time at the Shipwreck Museum. Several years earlier I had been in Arniston, that very picturesque village not far from our southernmost landmass. It was there where I had in fact most wished to visit on my recent trip. The cemetery in Arniston - a fairly old one - as I recall, was situated right beside the main road and I could not resist a few minutes to view the odd headstone (despite impatient family members waiting in the car). I did discover a few headstones that aroused my interest and I shall have try arrange a longer stay in this fairly out-of-the-way area. Sadly, the old Arniston cemetery is being reclaimed by dunes and many of the headstones are falling over. It's location also invites a great deal of pedestrian traffic and with this, theft of headstones, metal, etc. This area covers some of our more dangerous coastal waters and shipwreck sites are littered all along the coastline. I do not doubt that Arniston offers some valuable genealogical and historical information, as do the surrounding settlements, however, the cemetery is not inviolate from either man's activities or from nature. Subsequently, its potential for producing valuable information has a time limit. I appeal to any readers of your newsletter who may be better located geographically, that they offer up their valuable time for this cause. Desre Sjoberg – Member - Johannesburg GSSA This was an honour, because I know most of the Wait’s and De Jager’s and the Ferreira’s, so for me to the typing of their families was a great honour. As I did the typing some tears came. This made the Cemetery recording personal for me. I would like to thank you for the opportunity. Ann Knoetze – Typed up Hankey Cemetery Anyway here's to tell you I have "egg on my face"! However, it tastes good and I am prepared to share it with you! Regarding the plaque from the sneeze wood cross — member Warren Morris posted a Notice in various places in Alexandria, asking for information on its whereabouts and offered a reward for its recovery — no questions asked. One day his phone rang. It was a gentleman in Alexandria who said on the advice of someone who was researching shipwrecks, he had removed the plaque for safe keeping and was currently engaged with the Christ Church administrators to have it mounted within the Church. Now isn't that just great news! To fill the blank space on the cross a replica is being made from some durable but valueless material. This seems like a good "way to go"! Maybe we can replace all our brass inscriptions and put the originals in relative Churches or Museums. On the other hand this would tend to make the Churches, already vulnerable to thieves even more attractive. BTW I did write to the Editor of the EP Herald, and they published an edited version of my letter — getting it all wrong. However it raised no comment from anyone. A nice story from Alice Mitchell – E Cape GSSA | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Branch News | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Johannesburg Branch – The processing of Burgershoop, Krugersdorp has been completed and
will be forwarded to Peter Moss for final processing and input into the database. This comprise 6,000 records. On 11 September we joined forces with South East Wits Family History Society and made great progress in recording Edenvale Cemetery. This cemetery will produce in excess of 4,000 records as we have the burial register as well. By the end of the day we had completed approximately 75 % of the recording. The balance will be undertaken soon and then the capturing of the data will proceed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Q & A Department | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This may be somewhat off topic but makes for interesting/amusing reading. – Ed. A WATERY GRAVE A sea-bed cemetery offers a final resting place, writes Ian Ball © The Telegraph, London It is 40 years since Jessica Mitford's hilarious exposé of the practices of the US funeral industry, The American Way of Death, was published. But even she could not have forseen this: the world's first sea-bed cemetery - the man-made Atlantis Memorial Reef, which will offer a final resting-place for 21 000 people. Designs for the reef, to be built in 12m of water on the ocean floor off the Florida Keys, reveal a lavishly sculpted fantasy city with lofty columns, plazas and heroic statues reminiscent of Bernini's works in Rome. The columns will be moulded from a mixture of concrete and the cremated remains - or "cremains" - of the recently deceased, up to 16 sets of ashes per column, according to Gary Levine, the businessman behind the project. The cost of moulding cremains into a basic paving stone will be $1 500. A lofty position at the top of a column, however, will cost $3 900. "If someone wants his remains to be the sole ashes in a major sculpture - Neptune, say - it will probably cost a million bucks," said Levine, 57. "I'm sure we'll have a few of those." His father's ashes will be granted a mid-column slot. Sidney Levine died five years ago, aged 81. "He was a navy man in World War Two and my mother is thrilled to think of him being reunited with the sea," said Levine. "We have had his remains removed from the Veterans' Cemetery." The family of Roby Yonge, Miami's first rock 'n' roll disc jockey, who died in 1997, has also committed his cremains to the Atlantis masonry. "It's a wonderfully fitting place for my father's ashes," said his daughter, Lisa Gelfand. "He spent many happy years sailing over these very waters. And he was always fascinated by the thought of lost civilisations, that there might be something mysterious beneath the surface of the Atlantic." The project is aimed squarely at America's baby boomers, a 76 million-strong group who, in the delicate language of the funeral industry, "have finally come of age for death-care purposes". Levine was inspired by a report that between six and seven million cremation urns sit on American mantelpieces, in cupboards, or in attics and garages. He believed that relatives would welcome a more creative final resting place. According to Levine, they will be able to visit the sculptor's studio. His company, AfterLife Services, will also encourage relatives to don scuba gear and pay their respects at the watery graves. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Statistics | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Since 1 July 2004 we have been able to add a further 83 cemeteries with a total of 12,949
names to the database. This means there are now 1706 cemeteries with 142,638 names in the database as at 30 September 2004. There will be a marked increase in these statistics during October as we get many of the other cemeteries in that have been typed and are being checked/processed. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
New Cemeteries in Database | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The list of cemeteries and data added to the database since 1 July 2004 is as follows: - | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
