KOEKEMOER FAMILY

Submitted by F.J.G Nel

Johannes Jurgens KOEKEMOER was born on 16. 02. 1834 at the farm Coloniesplaats in the district of Graaff Reinet. On 01. 02. 1854 he married Susara Maria BEKKER born 06. 03. 1837 at Peddie.  

Five children were born out of the marriage namely : 

1. Emmerentia Lydia Maria married to Johan Valentyn VOS. 

2. Diederick Jurgens moved to the Orange Free State. He was sent during the Anglo-Boer War of 1899/1902 as prisoner of war to the island of Ceylon [now Sri-Lanka]. 

3. Aletta Elizabeth married to Jan OPPERMAN. 

4. Susarah Maria married to Jan Willem HARWIT. 

5. Marthinus Johannes married to Carolina HERSELMAN, died at the age of 94 at Elliot.. 

After the death of his first wife Johannes Jurgens married Maria Catherina NEL born on 06. 11. 1832 on 09. 03. 1863 also at Peddie.  Nine children were born out of this marriage namely : 

1. and 2. Boy and girl twins who died two days after their birth. 

3. Daniël Marthinus who settled at Indwe. 

4. Maria Catherina married to Renier Johannes [Thys] BOTHA who had a blacksmith at Ugie.. 

5. Maggel Maria Magdalena Elizabeth married to Ockert OLIVIER, a farmer at Gatberg.. 

6. Johannes Jurgens[Hansie]. 

7. and 8. Susanna Isabella and Johanna Jacoba drowned on 14. 12. 1882 at the age of eight and four years respectively in the Nqaqala River.  They went with their elder sisters to do the washing at the river. 

8. Heila Magdalena married to Gotliep Johannes Rudolf KOEKEMOER 

{N. B. They were not related but of two different families].  They were the grandparents of Mr. Frans Nel, author of the book “Om Ugie se Kampvuur]. 

This Koekemoer family moved from Peddie to the farm Oskraal in the Queenstown district.  During 1882 they moved to the farm Stanford’s Grove near Ugie.  They were amongst the first white settlers in Kapaailand after it was openend to white settlers..  When the farm Stanford’s Grove was incorporated during 1890 into the Tsolo district the family moved to Noah’s Arc near Gatberg and from there to Klip Drift in the Elliot district.  After their death Johannes and Maria were both buried at the farm Klip Drift. 

Child nr. 6  Johannes [Hansie] Jurgens Koekemoer Jnr.was married to Aletta DE BRUYN.  During the years 1930 to 1936 JJ. was the street keeper for Ugie Village management Board.This couple were the last members of this big family who resided in the township of Ugie and who were buried there.  Hansie died 12. 11. 1961 and Aletta 26. 08. 1951. 

Two of their sons namely Gerrit and Jan also stayed at Ugie, were married there, worked there, died there and were buried there.  No more Koekemoers are left in Ugie today.  One of their daughters, called Dirkie, was married to DELPORT, owner of a general dealers’s business at Hartsdale on the Transkei border.. 

Gerrit started as barman in the Central Hotel at Ugie and followed his father up as streetkeeper and town ranger in 1937 till 1968.  He was pound master from 1935 till 1968.  His first wife Maggel died in 1931.  His second wife was Maggie GRAVETT. 

Jan married Annie CAMPBELL.  He died on 26. 11. 1958 and Annie at 20. 01. 1991.  From 1932 till his death Jan was the grain grader of the Maclear and Elliot Districts Agricultural Co-operation..Annie worked for a long time in the Ugie Handelshuis.  Their daughter Gladys, married to Redvers [Popeye] SCHULTZ [for many years mechanic at Shorten Motors, later owner, now retired].  The couple is still residing in Ugie.  They celebrated their golden wedding during 2007. 

Frans Nel 2009