Rix's Roost

Visit to Klerksdorp Military & Concentration Camp Cemetry!

I recently discovered that our local Historian Bert Gaffen takes visitors to our beautiful Military and Concentration Camp Cemetry! I have never met somebody like Bert! You don't need Google or an Encyclopedia when you are with Bert! His knowledge and passion for History and anything of geographical value, surpasses anything else I have heard!

Anyway, Mom, Bev and I met Bert on Monday morning at our local Museum and drove out to the old cemetry. I wasn't too sure what to expect, as the last time I drove past there, it looked like an overgrown scrapyard which may house the homeless or unexpected criminals! Should I have taken my double-barrel shotgun with for protection? What did we let ourselves in for? Hmmmm.... Anyway too late to turn around now! There's safety in numbers as the saying goes..... Much to our surprise we were met with a neatly kept garden filled with colourful shrubs, plants and well-maintained trees! I was shocked! We were all shocked! Another surprise caught us offguard!!.... and that's the......
........ caretaker! He is a wonderful kindly gentleman who goes by the name "oom Alfred Louw" who is assisted by Oupa - a keen gardener and gentleman himself. I later discovered that Oom Alfred's son Eugene is also involved with this mammoth project of maintaining the gardens at the cemetry.......all at their own expense! These two citizens / businessmen have donated a huge sum of money to the maintenance and support of this project! I am in awe of these people who take great pride in what they have started. All I can say is .....THANKYOU and I want the world to know about this!...
.....before I take you down memory lane and back to our Anglo Boer War!

Oom Alfred - seated in the vehicle & Eugene standing.