eGGSA Graves - Western Cape

Western Cape, LAINGSBURG district, Rural (farm cemeteries) / Western Cape, LAINGSBURG district, Fortuin 74, farm cemetery / (10 of 10 images)

9 Aug 2010: Mr Peter Johannes Reinders Jnr wrote to us, explaining:- If it is of any interest, this is on the farm Aurora (was owned by Gilliam Esterhuizen [deceased] of the farm Nuwerus which is just across the tar road from the grave). The farm Aurora belonged to my grandfather who built the farmhouse and many of the kraals. The old farmhouse has now been renovated and modernized by the present farm owner – whose name I can obtain. Peter Johannes Reinders (snr) spent some years living in Matjiesfontein (where my father, Dirk[Dick] Reinders grew up. Grandfather was responsible for much of the carpentry on the station and, apparently, in the hotel. Dad spent many hours being fed milk and cookies by old Mrs Logan – but was shooed away at the approach of the grumpy old Scotchman – who did not like children. He tells me that the main street of Matjiesfontein was swept by hand twice a day. And that they were not allowed to play in the street. I’ll check with my sister, but I believe grandpa had 13 children, 2 of whom are buried next to him. My sister, killed in a car accident, was named Gracie in honour of the little girl buried in the photographed grave. My father, after spending his teen years herding sheep and goats, moved to the bright lights of Wellington in the Boland, where he started a small leather goods factory and, later, S. Rossiter shoe factory. He designed and made all the old Dutch footware used by the actors and models at the 300 year Van Riebeeck festival in Cape Town (1952). He eventually made a name for himself starting the Buccaneer label, still popular in footware today. Before his death in 1976, this karoo farmboy became a director of Syfrets. The Reinders family originated in Rotterdam (the Rotterdam ‘rotte’), but apparently in earlier times hailed from Munich in Bavaria. Peter Johannes Reinders (jnr) PS. Both my sons have been given Peter as their second names in honour of the old man buried out there in the veldt. I’m also told that there is a cutting in the Matjiesfontein – Sutherland road which is named after the old man, but I can’t find anyone who can show me where it is. An old lady who did know unfortunately passed away in the local old age home before she could give me details.

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