This blog post is dedicated to Pleasant McGregor.
Pleasant is the granddaughter of Arthur William Fincham (1892 - 1938) and Elizabeth Anne van der Linde. The couple lives at the farm in the area now known as Stella. Their children were Arthur Christian, Alice Gertrude, Olive May, Sarah Elizabeth, Louis Ann, Stella Susanna and Alfred Lesley.
Alfred Lesley Fincham was Hope, Pleasant and Ivan's dad. They reside at Kinderdam about 12km from Kameel.
You can read more about Uncle Alfie and Aunt Nellie in this blog post.
https://kameelhuisetussenspore.blogspot.com/2018/05/kameel-stoepstorie-devondale-tot-kameel.html
With this background, we are tracking back to Stella.
The house where Arthur and Elizabeth lived was known to everyone as the Rondesvouz. The family would love to visit the house next to the Salt Pan.
You can read more about the Salt Pan on this blog post.
https://kameelhuisetussenspore.blogspot.com/2020/02/kameel-stoepstorie-lonely-hill.html
Their children grew up and married and moved on. Stella Susanna was not so lucky. She married a difficult guy and later she moved back to her parent's house, pregnant and ill-treated. She died during childbirth and her Father then carried her name on in the little town next to the Salt pan. He paid for a land surveyor to measure the town out in the form of a star and name this town Stella. With this gesture, Stella Susanna will never be forgotten.
The community grew and the Dutch Reformed Church built a Church in 1919. A church was built using the stone from the Salt Pan. In later years a new church was built and the old Stone Church was utilized as the Church hall.
Arthur and Elizabeth went on and become the mayor and first lady of Vryburg. The days when a mayor did not receive a salary. Arthur was the Mayor during the building process of the stone-built town hall. The cornerstone was laid by his wife Elizabeth. The little silver trowel is on display at the Vryburg Museum.
The cornerstone was laid by Elizabeth. The little silver trowel is on display at the Vryburg Museum.
You can read more about Vryburg Museum on this blog post
https://kameelhuisetussenspore.blogspot.com/2019/10/kameel-stoepstorie-vryburg-museum.html
Also during this time, a little time capsule was built into the cornerstone. A little metal box containing a newspaper and a coin was left. Many years later the building was demolished and Uncle Alfie waited for the time capsule to be recovered. He turned around to talk to someone and then . . . only the newspaper was returned . . . no coin.
Some of the stone of the Town Hall was used to build the gates at the Leon Taljaard Nature Reserve.
The Fincham family attented the Congregational Church in Stella. I still remember Reverent Terence Blake. He would greet everyone at the double doors when entering this place of worship. My parents got married in this little church and we were all baptized in the Church.
You can read more about Stella and my Granny Barlow on this blog post.
https://kameelhuisetussenspore.blogspot.com/2018/09/kameel-stoepstorie-ouma-barlow-en-die.html
Till next time
Sandra
Lovely stories! Thank you.
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