GEVERSFEST 2024 - Know your family's history!
Gevers means “generous giver “, and “Semper Idem” in the Crest means “Always the Same”, as in the biblical “Christ, the same yesterday, today & forever” (Hebrew 13:8)
Johann Jürgen Friedrich Gevers, born on 30th March 1861 in Reimerdingen, Germany, emigrated to South Africa in 1880. His son Friedrich Wilhelm Christoph Friedrich Gevers was born in South Africa in 1887. He married Marie Magdalene Hermine Anna Küsel and they had 10 children, 32 grandchildren, 66 great grandchildren and 75 great great grandchildren (as of 21 September 2024)
In 2013 after updating the family tree and contacting all the family members the first Geversfest was held on 22 March 2014 at the “Erloserkirche” Lutheran Church, in Hillcrest. The church has special significance to the family as the property was donated by Maria Gevers. The building of the church was undertaken by members of the congregation (including Gevers family members) led by Wilfried Gevers, the eldest son . Friedrich and Maria, together with several members of the family, lie buried in the cemetery.
The hugely successful 2014 Geversfest, organised under the leadership of Roland Schulze was attended by approximately 100 family members. The two surviving children of Friedrich and Maria, Amanda and Rita together with daughter-in-law, Val Gevers (spouse of Victor) were happy to reminisce with the family members. Sharing of experiences of times spent in Assegay Road, Harburg boarding school, many a Christmas, Easter and holidays evoked such happy memories of precious family times. A short devotion by Rev. Dirk Gevers (grandson) was held at the graves of the Friedrich and Maria, as well as a presentation in the church of the family history and family photos/videos by Hogard Gevers and Roland Schulze.
Now 10 years on, the family genealogy was updated and family members were invited to the Geversfest on 21 September 2024 at the Lutheran Church, Hillcrest. (The only surviving child, Amanda aged 93 was unable to attend due to her frail health and poor weather.)
This time only 50 family members (including Heidi Lavarack from England as well as Karsten, Lisa and Aisling from Ireland), shared memories and caught up with the latest family news. A good braai, homemade bread and Mettwurst as well as a good supply of the famous Butterkuchen kept everyone satisfied on the rainy and cold day.
The planning committee consisted of Roland Schulze, Erwin Dedekind, Roland Gevers and Yvonne Fritsche under the leadership of Ingelore Taylor. Wine, wine glasses and mugs with the Gevers crest were available for sale. Everyone brought and shared cake and salad for the braai. The younger generation, Kirsten Fritsche, Suzanne Drews, Bronwyn Lalouette and Carmen Mildenhall were amazing, taking charge of setting up, serving tea and coffee, taking photos, etc. The men immediately started the fire and braaied the delicious Waldecke Braai Wurst made and supplied by Rolf Kohne.
Each of the nine children of Fritz and Maria inherited land in the Assegay Road area and many of the children and grandchildren lived there and others celebrated many family Christmases and Easters together at the home of Grosspapa Gevers and his oldest son Wilfried. A close bond between the 32 grandchildren was formed which exists to this day.
Johann Jürgen Friedrich Gevers, born on 30th March 1861 in Reimerdingen, Germany, emigrated to South Africa in 1880. He bought part of the farm “Honey Grove” in Harburg in the KwaZulu Natal Midlands.
Wilhelm Christoph Friedrich Gevers, was born on 27 October 1887, and died on 29 December 1981, aged 94 years. Born at “Honey Grove” in Harburg, “Fritz” Gevers went to school at York near New Hanover in the Natal Midlands. He left school around 1899 and later established himself as a farmer near Draycott in the Estcourt district in KZN, first on “Marshlands” on the Ntabamhlope plateau and then on “Springfontein” in the De Hoek valley.
Friedrich Gevers (Fritz) married Marie Magdalene Hermine Anna Küsel (23/12/1891 - 14/02/1955) on 9th October 1913. They were blessed with 10 children - however, the eldest one, Anne Marie only lived for one month.
Fritz Gevers and family moved closer to the coast in 1932, where they settled at Assegay, near Hillcrest. They suffered many hardships during this time, losing most of their cattle in the move from Draycott, and having most of their house and farm destroyed in a severe hailstorm and hurricane in 1933.
When they bought a farm in Hillcrest, they built a house made of corrugated iron and wattle and daub. There was one big room (lounge-dining room) from there were openings on either side into three or four bedrooms. There were no doors into the bedrooms, there were no ceilings, no electricity and no water laid on. The water for cooking and drinking had to be carried in buckets from a spring down the hillside. The clothes were washed down in the valley in a small stream.
23 окт 2024
