My Oranjemunder Emails.

[Michael Alexander]

and another follow up, some of you might find it interesting:

"Hello again Mike !



So he fooled me Moses. Well by now he´s back in your country somewhere. We only shared a couple of lectures back in the autumn of  -01. He and a couple of country men/black africans seemed to have "hell to cross" because of the modern way of teaching, at least I did.



During the weekend I got to thinking that you might be interested in a bit of Swedish/Dalecarlian mining history. Only a couple of hundred meters from my "hut" and with a spectacular view over Lake Väsman lies the remnants of a once major iron ore mine, the LEKOMBERG MINE. At <www.lekomberg.se and <www.lekomberg.com you may find out a bit of german technology since the mine was owned for several decades by a german company. As I´ve learned the process to extract the phosphorus from the iron ore is a german invention. This was a crucial thing for the entire region of BERGSLAGEN with plenty of iron ore, but phosphorus "contaminated". We also had a couple of mines that produced alloy ore ( technical english isn´t my coup of tea ............) such as wolfram. One also reflects a bit over the blood, sweat and tears invested in the iron and steel.



And today they are all shut down.



The sites are not as charming and down to earth as yours but well worth checking out. And there´s a poetic sound in the name LEKOMBERG, as there is in ORANJEMUND.



Do take care,



Micke"

[Michael Alexander]

We always knew that the Republikein and Namibian monitor this site, but here;s a new media interest....

"Hello Mike,
I got your email through Oranjemund online - it appears such a fascinating and unique place. I was wondering if you knew of anyway that journalists got permission to visit? I work as a reporter for BBC News.

Many thanks,
Jonah Fisher

Jonah Fisher
BBC Africa Bureau, 3rd Floor, 1 Park Road, Auckland Park, Johannesburg 2092 "

http://www.bbc.co.uk"

[Michael Alexander]

Another Old Timer has found us...

"Hi Michael,

Your website is a great idea!  We enjoy all the photos and the good memories.

We left Oranjemund during 1992 for George,  after 20 years service with the company.

First 7 and a half years at Beauvallon with the Pollards Andre Fourie  and others.

Andre Fourie passed away January 2007. His wife, Sally and their children now

Live in Pretoria.

Regards to all the old friends!

Boet and Malie Grove"

[DUNJA WRBKA]

ahhh remember the Pollard's with great pleasure.  Wonder if they still have contact :-)

[Gregg]

Boet and Malie Grove...  More names I remember...  Didn't realize they left OMD so long ago...

Regards to them.

[Michael Alexander]

From our latest forum member, Lummie

"Hi Michel,

Ek het van die site gehoor via Ina Niessing (Brunner), en moet se het dit baie geniet om te lees,
bring so baie goeie "memories" terug. As n mens nou terug kyk na daardie dae, besef n mens nou
eers hoe ontsettend bevoorreg ons was om daar groot te word, daar het ons nie geken van inbrake,
aanrandings en verkragtings nie laat staan teroristiese aanvalle.

My pa Jan van Rossum het daar gewerk vanaf 1964 en is in 1976 terug Holland toe, gedurende die laaste
jare was hy voorman op Central Fields en het saam met Johnny Siebers gewerk. Hy en my ma is in 1976
terug Holland toe waar my ma Milta van Rossum op 5 Januarie 2002 en my pa 7 Junie 2009 hier in Holland
oorlede is.

Ek het nog n hele paar fantastiese fotos van my pa se werk en skool, ek was in std5 in 1969 en sal dit op
n later tydstip vir jou stuur.

Ek het nou n vraag hoe kan ek in kontak kom met ou klasmaats van my??? Hier is n paar name

Anelma Maritz    Willem Mouton   Marius Venter   Edith Coetzee  Siegie Deim   Margret Woest   Ina van Staden
Hester+ Sophia Marrais   Ria Cloete  Ester en Yvonne Holtzhauzen  Magda Beukes   Casandra Friederichs

Sal jy my laat weet of dit moontlik is.

Groete en baie dankie vir die wonderlike herrinnering.

Groete en n Geseende Kersfees en n Wonderlike gesonde nuwe jaar,

Lummie de Vries  (van Rossum)

[Michael Alexander]

Still getting emails from the Old timers, always a pleasure...

"Hi Michael I grew up in Oranjemund and my mother started a nursery in the town .Can you tell me if the nursery is still operational.
My name is Athene Snow and my father was Arthur And my mother affectionately known as 'Bobby'
I went to junior school there but commuted to Cape Town in High School. My father was there from 1949 to 1969
Great site Thanks"

[SandyB]

Another memory ,, the Snow's..

[Michael Alexander]

... and I just spend 25 minutes talking to ex resident Clive Manthe, he and his wife came back for a nostalgic trip to Oranjemund for  a couple of days...

He first arrived in Oranjemund in 1953.

Looking good for an almost 80 year old....

[SandyB]

Give regards  to  Clive and Heather ,,,,

[Michael Alexander]

They left today, but I am sure Glenda will read this when she gets back to Windhoek...

[SandyB]

Aah  the Missu's name was bothering me ...  the one daughter was Heather...

[Michael Alexander]

From our latest member, Helle Rohde

"I do hope that I can we approved, as I would very much like to get more information on Oranjemund and the people still living there.
I myself was born in Oranjemund in August 1962 by Hans and Tove Rhodes. My father Hans Rhodes was working for CDM for a numbe of years, and they knew the La Trobes whom I have just been reading about online. I am working on plans to come to Oranjemund in February 2012 with my family to see where I was born and lived for the first 3 years of my life. I have 2 older sisters and an older brother. My brother and youngest sister where also born in Oranjemund in 1955 and 1957."

Welcome to Oranjemundonline, any of you older members recall the family?

[Robert Bruce]

Sandy,

Didn't the Rohde's live a few doors down from you and diagonnally (left) from us when we were at 60/2nd Avenue? I remember the two girls.

Helle are you the younger one? And your sister was/is friends with my cousin Adeana Wright?

[Michael Alexander]

From Rod Randall!

"Hi Michael, yes I would like to register on your forum, I've been checking out Oranjemund for a while now, and how it's changed over the years. I was there many years ago, 1961-1963 or so. I'm not even sure myself anymore, but I was a fitter at Affenrucken those days after first being at Central Fields. My days we had the Kemps, Peter De Beer who married Jackie Kemp, and of course Binie Fouche, although then she was still Binnie Coetzer. And so I can go on forever, I wonder if Jock Alexander from Kleinzee was related to you in any way? Keep up the good work. All the best for the New Year, Rod Randall. "