That big, old house in Rondebosch

Many members of the family have fond memories of "that big old house in Rondebosch" where Hans and Jessie and family lived for many years.

The house, named "St Kevin" by much earlier owners, was in Silwood Road, Rondebosch, in a quiet, leafy-green part of suburban Cape Town in South Africa. (And it's still there today.)

Jessie's niece, Jean Margaret, recalls her visits to St Kevin, "when you all lived in that big house in Rondebosch, and about how kind your Mom always was to us when we visited for our week-ends off and our Sundays out." (Jean was, at that time, at boarding school in Cape Town, just like several other nieces and nephews, children of Jessie's siblings who lived on sheep farming properties in the Karoo.)

And St Kevin certainly was enlivened by frequent visits from the extended family. Thinking of those days, Jules also remembers "what fun it was for us 'little kids' to have our 'big' cousins come and stay for the weekend. And all the more fun because the pretty strict discipline we were used to was relaxed while they were there."

Here's Jean Margaret again: "I seem to recall the boys being allowed to slide around in one of the bathrooms....soap suds everywhere. Your mother was a SAINT!"

There's lots more to say about St Kevin, and we'll add more here when we can.

PS: An addition in June 2001 -- for anyone who'd like to "visit" Rondebosch on the web, there is a very nice web site, un-related to ours, at www.rondebosch.co.za.

Back | Anniversary Album