Ulanda Fourie

[Erika]

I don't know how many of you remember the tragic story of Ulanda Fourie.......she died at the age of 12 in an accidental shooting.  Ive attached the article that appeared in the November 1976 newsletter - Sunday the 9th will be the 32nd anniversary of her death.  My parents see her mother, Tollie, on a regular basis.  Her dad passed away a few months ago.

[Delia]

Hi Erika - i remember it very well - so tragic.  i used to run against her in athletics.

[georg ruf jr.]

I remember her very well. Just didn't remember her name. In fact, I've asked about her on the site before.
I remember her well as a good athlete and when she left OM.
We were all shocked when she died.

[Michael Alexander]

I was wondering what happened to her, I scanned that page one day and realized that no reason was given....

[Delia]

Mike - the story that i remember was that she was showing somebody a gun (can't remember whose it was) and it accidentally went off killing her instantly.............if i've got it wrong perhaps somebody who's more in the know can correct me..............

[Erika]

Mike - the story that i remember was that she was showing somebody a gun (can't remember whose it was) and it accidentally went off killing her instantly.............if i've got it wrong perhaps somebody who's more in the know can correct me..............

That is quite correct - it happened after school one day - a few friends walked home with her and the one boy wanted to see her dad's gun which she showed him. He didn't realise there was a bullet in the barrel, the gun went off and the bullet richocheted off the wall and hit her. 

[sigmund storm]

In what year did this happen? We left OMD in'76 when I was 11 years old but I remember this well. Still remember reading the poem underneath the photo over and over for weeks on end. I just couldn't beleive that it was actually true at the time.

[georg ruf jr.]

As far as I remember, the boy was only 6 or 7 years old.

[Erika]

In what year did this happen? We left OMD in'76 when I was 11 years old but I remember this well. Still remember reading the poem underneath the photo over and over for weeks on end. I just couldn't beleive that it was actually true at the time.

Hi Sigmund, it happened in 76.  Was absolutely awful - they lived just down the road from us in 12th Avenue and her parents and mine were friends. Since I read the article again I just can't get the boy out of my mind.  No idea who he was, but to carry something like this with you through life must be terrible.

[toonfandangl]

There was a John Fourie Boilermaker around 68-71 could that have been her father.......................................Frank.