TRANSLATION OF ARTICLES IN EDITION 113/FEB 2013 OF THE "ONS HAANTJIE" NEWSLETTER OF THE HENNING FAMILY LEAGUE

Kampioen perd kry eie roos/Champion horse gets own rose.

For the first time in South Africa's history a rose has been named after a horse. This is no ordinary horse, but a Percheron champion stallion, all the way from France. Sympa de Bellevue, or simply just Sympa was imported during 2009 by b9.c1.d2.e4.f6.g1.h1. Johannes Jacobus (Johan) Henning *2-1-1966, owner of the Summerwind Percheron Stud of Klipkop, Tygerpoort near Pretoria.

The rose grower Ludwig Taschner of Ludwig's Roses north of Pretoria, recently decided to have a big, clear red rose named after Sympa. Taschner is the only rose grower in South Africa that can give new roses names. According to Taschner, this is the first time in South Africa that a rose is named after a horse and only the second time in the world. Johan Henning, a nurseryman, chose the rose to be named after his horse, himself. According to Johan, Sympa is the first Percheron stallion in 41 years to be imported from France to South Africa.

Sympa (6) stands 17.2 hands tall and weigh more than a ton. In 2011 he was named South Africa's horse of the year. He participated against 17 breed champion horses and was the first Percheron who acquired the title.

The Sympa de Bellevue rose can already be bought.

Sterftes/Deaths

We have learned with regret of the death of b1.c3.d10.e10.f1.g2. Christiaan Rudolf Henning *31-12-1931 on 21 Augustus 2012. Chris and his wife, Martha were attacked on 28 April 2012 on theirt farm near Tsumeb in Namibia by four to five criminals. During this brutal attack he contracted haemorrhage on the brain and a stroke. He was for approximately four months in a coma or semi-coma in the hospitals at Tsumeb and Windhoek and died at last on 21 August 2012

Moord op 'n Henning egpaar/Henning couple murdered:

In Newsletter nr 95 of August 2008 we reported on the murder of b7.c8.d5.e10.f2. Olivier Johannes Henning *8-3-1940 and his wife Anna Susanna Magdalena (Suzette) (born Prinsloo) of Kempton Park. They, together with one of their employees, were killed with a pickaxe handle at the creche which belonged to them. A suspect was arrested. During November 2012 - four years after the incident - judge Nathan Jacobs of the High Court acquited this suspect, BECAUSE THE POLICE INVESTIGATION WAS SO POOR!

Geldsake/Money Matters:

2013 will certainly take its financial toll from the family league. Apart from the normal administrative expenditure, like paper, envelopes, postage stamps, printers ink, computer expenditure, internet costs, etc. we will have to set funds aside for the family festival we plan for 2014.

We, therefore, appeal to all members to send their financial contributions as soon as possible. You decide yourself how much you would like to contribute. You can deposit your contribution directly into the family league bank account - ABSA Bank Villiersdorp, branch 334-612; Account name - Henning Familiebond; Account nr 2890 610 423 . Please quote your name and member number (as given on the envelope) as reference. Otherwise you can send your contribution to P O Box 121, Villiersdorp 6848 As usual, we mention the names of those members who made contributions of R300.00 and more over the past three months:

* Lizelle Henning of Pretoria, a life long member - R700.00
* Dr Nico Henning of Lyttelton, Centurion a life long member - R500.00
* Dr MEJ (Tjol) Henning van Lyttelton, Centurion - R500.00

Militêre Toekennings/Military Awards:

All countries over the world have systems in place to award their citizens for meritorious deeds. It is usually done by the granting of specific Orders, Decorations or Medals. Most countries devide their honorary awards in a civilian and a military sections.

In the military section awards are devided in four categories:

1. Orders, decorations and medals for meritorious and extraordinary meritorious service;

2. Decorations and medals for bravery;

3. Medals for long service and

4. Medals for wars, campaigns and battles

For many years South Africa followed the British system whereby awards for meritorious service were only granted to officers. Where non-commisioned officers or troopers rendered meritorious service their names were only mentioned in despatches to the Head Quarters. This entitled such a person to wear a small bronze oakleaf as part of his medal bar.

New research we have done revealed that the names of two Henning non-commisioned officers who served during the Second Word War (1939 - 1945) in the Union Defence Force, were mentioned meritoriously in despatches to the Head Quarters, viz. a1.b1.c6.d6.e4.f1. Sergeant Jan Hendrik Rudolph Henning *14-5-1903 and a3.b10.c2.d1.e3. Corporal Johannes Jacobus Henning *13-12-1918.

Jan Hendrik Rudolph Henning served in the Provost Company (military police) and later in the Pay Corps. Notwithstanding this award for meritorious service, the following medals were awarded to him: 1939-45 Star; Africa Star; War Medal 1939/45; Africa Service Medal.

Johannes Jacobus Henning, who was a member of the third Henning Clan (therefore a descendant of Johan Wilhelm Henning, who are covered in Chapter 12 of the Henning Family Cronicle) served in the Signal Corps of the Union Defence Force. Notwithstanding the award for meritorious service the following medals were also awarded to him: 1939-45 Star, Africa Star with 8th Clasp, Italy Star, War Medal 1939/45, Africa Service Medal.

Unfortunately we could not obtain any photographs of these two men.

After South Africa became a Republic in 1961 the South African Defence Force replaced the "Mentioning in Despatches" award with a medal, the Chief of the Defence Force Commendation Medal, which could be awarded to officers, non-commisioned officers and troopers. Even later, in the 1990's the name of this medal for meritorious service was changed to the "Military Merit Medal". Recipients of this medal could use the characters MMM after their names.

Several Henning's who served in the Defence Force since 1961 were awarded this medal, therefore, Jan Hendrik Rudolph Henning and Johannes Jacobus Henning will always be remembered as the only two Henning's who's names were meritoriously "mentioned in despatches" to the Head Quarters.

Andries Pretorius Monument, Graaff Reinet. In Newsletter no 111 of August 2012 we reported on the fund raising campaign to move the Andries Pretorius monument near Graaff Reinet to a new plot in the nature reserve, due to the squatter camp which developed nearby and the fact that the monument is vandalised regularly by squatters.

The Management Committee of the Family League decided to contribute R1000.00 to this campaign due to the historic bond between the Henning family and Graaff Reinet and the fact that Andries Pretorius and several other Voortrekker leaders lived during the same time as the first three generations Henning's in the Graaff-Reinet district.

Approximately R14 000.00 of the R75 000.00 needed were collected, before the Heritage Foundation decided to get involved. They would collect the outstanding money and do the job with their own labour force. Our Family League is also a member of the Heritage Foundation.

As can be seen on the photographs, the monument was moved to a safe place in the Camdeboo National Park during October/November 2012. It is still visible from the Graaff Reinet - Middelburg main road. The monument at its new position was unveiled on 16 December 2012. Appropriate recognition is given to all contributers to this campaign.

Drie foto's van die verskuiwing van die Andries Pretorius monument by Graaff-Reinet na 'n nuwe perseel. Omdat die Henning familie se wortels diep lê in die geskiedenis van Graaff-Reinet het die bestuur van die Familiebond besluit om by te dra tot hierdie verskuiwings-operasie.

Die Voortrekkerleiers, Andries Pretorius, Andries Hendrik Potgieter, Louis Trighard, Gerrit Maritz het in dieselfde tyd as die eerste drie geslagte Hennings hier gewoon.

Bethulie Konsentrasiekamp Gedenkteken/Bethulie Concentration Camp Memorial:

It is well known that the Henning Family League contributed towards the erection of the Concentration Camp Memorial at the War Museum/Women Monument in Bloemfontein. This memorial was erected because the government ceased to fulfill its obligation to maintain Afrikaner monuments and memorials anymore. The new memorial also had to replace the Bethulie Concentration Camp Memorial which fell into a state of decay.

Our contribution was used for the production of a mould of the statue of a child angel which was stolen at the Bethulie memorial, but was, fortunately, recovered. The original statue is now on display in the War Museum, while the replica forms part of the Memorial.

In the meantime the citizens of Bethulie decided to repair and maintain the Memorial in their town themselves. Recently we received the following letter from Trudie Venter of Bethulie:

With the inauguration of our repaired memorial it was a surprise for me to learn where the funding for the replica of our angel statue came from. I was searching the Internet for something else when I, by accident, saw your web site and the newsletter about your donation, which was used for the funding of the mould of the angel statue. It gives me, therefore, great pleasure to thank you on behalf of the community of Bethulie for this gesture.

Here in Bethulie we are a group of people - we call ourselves, Club 101 - who accepted responsibility for the maintenance of our Concentration Camp Graveyard. We have taken up membership of the Heritage Foundation and we are very grateful for the assistance of the Heritage Foundation who used mr Barend van Loggerenberg and his team to repair our Memorial. They spent about R60 000.00 and worked for 10 weeks to repair everything.

Everything now looks very fine, but for me the highlight is that our angel is standing on its place again and she is safeguarded in a "perspex" container. She is standing on the rebuilt stone packing erected by the women who survived this Hellcamp.

I see that 64 Henning's were kept in the Bethulie Camp and that 15 of them died, therefore, I can understand why the Henning Family League made this donation. The past few years the negligence of our monuments and memorials became a reflection of an Afrikaner nation who capitulated, but I observe now that since we started to maintain our heritage ourselves if a new pride is developing under our people. This is due to your type of contributions.

Once more, thank you very much and do come and visit your angel! Kind regards, Trudie Venter, PO Box 138, Bethulie, 9992.

2012 Matrikulante/2012 Matriculants:

The three best performers this year was:

1. Mare-Lee Magdalena Henning who wrote the examination in the North West Province and obtained 8 distinctions. Unfortunately we do not have her on record and do not even know which school she attended.

2. b6.c1.d3.e5.f3.g10.h2.i3. Mieke Henning, daughter of Maarten Henning and his wife Amelia Jacoba of Stellenbosch. She obtained 5 distinctions;

3. b6.c1.d3.e5.f3.g3.h3.i2. Josef Jooste (Jopie) Henning, son of Gerhardus Lourens Henning and his wife Dina Maria of Potchefstroom. He obtained 4 distinctions, but inder very rair circumstances. Mare-Lee Henning obtained eight distinctions in Afrikaans (home language), English (first addisional language), Mathematics, Accountancy, Consumer Studies, Physical Science, Life Science, Life Orientation. Unfortunately we do not know what she plan for her future.

b6.c1.d3.e5.f3.g10.h2.i2. Mieke Henning *1-10-1994 of Bloemhof Girls High obtained five distinctions in Afrikaans (home language), Mathematics, Accountancy, Dramatic Arts and Life Orientation. She is planning to study Works Engineering at the Stellenbosch University in 2013

b6.c1.d3.e5.f3.g3.h3.i2. Josef Jooste (Jopie) Henning *15-1-1993. "The fighting spirit he inherited from his Boer ancestors helped him to obtain four distinctions in spite of the fact that he had a stroke in his matric year". This is the believe of Jopie. He was nominated "Guts student" for 2012 at the Potchefstroom Gimnasium. He obtained distictions in Afrikaans (home language), Visual Arts, Life Orientation, and Mathematical Literacy.

For this year, Jopie is enrolled for a LLB-degree at the Pothefstroom campus of the North-West University. His father, Lourens, a retired school principle, tell joking that Jopie is a real bird of ill omen: in 2007 he survived a failed hijacking while they lived in KwaZulu Natal and in March 2008 the athletic career of this promising 400-metres athlete was close-cropped after his right leg was injured seriously in a boat accident.

In September 2009 Jopie contracted pericarditis. At the beginning of his matric year in 2011 at the Pionier High School in Vryheid (KZN) this desease again pulled him down. Part of his pericardium was removed in an operation in a hospital in Pretoria. Doctors discovered that he has a gene anomaly which attack the fleece round his organs. Jopie was treated with chemotherapy, heart pill and anti-inflammatory medicines. He could not complete his matric year due to his health.

In the meantime the family moved to Potchefstroom. Here he started cycling and participated in competitions. In December 2011 he fell and contracted haemorrhage of the brain. When he contracted a stroke in March, it was realised that a laseration in a vein did not heal after the cycle accident, due to the anti-inflamatory medicines, which diluted his blood.

The pressure increased and caused a stroke. He underwent an emergency operation to relieve the pressure and could not attend school for some time. When they announced the matric results, the North West Province Education Authorities made a special galantry award to Jopie Henning.

Lenélle Henning Presteer/Lenélle Henning Performs

The Bloemfontein Writers association hold a writing competition every year for school children from all over the country. In the 2012 competition b7.c8.d8.e3.f4.g2.h1. Lenélle Henning *23-1-1998, a Grade 8 scholar of the D F Malan High School, Bellville won the second place in the junior section. She is the daughter of Leonard- and Chantélle Henning of Van Riebeechshof, Bellville (and of course! the grand daughter of League Secretary Olivier Henning and his wife Charlotte.

Lenélle's short story, with title "Geheime Kamer" (Secret room) was included in the book "Inkvars 2012". All the winning short stories were included in this book.

Henning Troue op Tzaneen/Henning Marriage at Tzaneen

Groot Trek 175 jaar Herdenking/Great Trek 175 years Commemoration.

Several cultural organisations are on the forefront of the GREAT TREK 175 festivals which will be held this year.

Due to several Henning families taking part in this epic event in the history of our country, all Henning should take part in this year's festivals. b5.c2. Pieter Hendrik Henning *8-9-1804 was indeed the first Henning who packed his wagon in 1836 and followed the Andries Hendrik Potgieter party to Potchefstroom. In 1835 his wife was killed on their farm, De Put, in the Brakriver ward by the Xhosas in the Sixth Xhosa War, which left him with five young children. After his second marriage in 1836 he decided that he and his family will be leaving the Colony.

Several other Hennings followed him within the next few years.

The Great Trek of the 19th Century from the Cape Colony into the interior of South Africa left a permanent mark on the country. It was this pioneers who tamed the country: who laid out farms, towns, cities; erected churches, hospitals, schools - which led to to a modern state with industries, roads, dams, bridges, as well as power - and communication networks. It also led to the discovery of gold, diamonds, coal and other minerals.

There are several reasons why about 14 000 people left the Cape Colony, but it is accepted that the most important reasons was the negligence of the British authorities to protect and render aid to farmers near the boundary of the Colony against the murder - and marauding expeditions of Xhosa gangsters; the Anglicizing process of the authorities in the churches, schools and courts. The desire for a free country, which belonged to themselves, away from British imperialism, was also a huge motive.

Towards the end of 2012 the Society for the Maintenance of Afrikaans [Genootskap vir die Handhawing van Afrikaans (GHA)] started compiling a diary for 2013 with the Great Trek as theme. They planned to give the public the opportunity to include their own knowledge of the world and messages of hope in the diary, at a nominal amount. These messages would be placed and sealed in a special container on 24 September 2013 (Heritage Day) at a ceremony at the Voortrekker Monument. This container would then be opened on 16 December 2038 during the 200th commemoration of the Great Trek and the messages of hope uncoved to our descendants.

For his own account, but on behalf of the Henning Family League, Olivier Henning prepared a message which is included in the Diary on 3 December 2013. His message read as follows: "The remark of Gen Christiaan De Wet during the funeral of of President M T Steyn on 3 December 1916 is today again actual:'We are on a point in time to become a great nation or the alternative, to cease to exist as a nation. Let us work while there is daylight. Let us build our nation' "

The diary will hopefully be available from approximately 20 January 2013 at the offices of the GHA in Paul Krugerstreet, Pretoria or the Radio Pretoria Bookshop in Montana.

Oorlogsmuseum van die Boererepublieke/War Museum of the Boer Republics.

Towards the end of the 19th Century/beginning of the 20th Century not a single Henning family was not affected by the Anglo Boer War (ABW) of 1899 - 1902. The history of the Henning family is, therefore, inseparable intertwine with everything displayed at the War Museum and Women Monument in Bloemfontein.

The last decade the museum experienced a huge rediscovery of especially this part of the history of Afrikaners. As a result of this, the museum tackled several new initiatives and projects. We think especially of the Concentration Camp Memorial erected in 2010, as well as the Memorial Wall for Burghers who fell in action which was inaugurated in 2011. Our Family League participated actively in both these initiatives.

It is gladdening to see the interest of especially young people. To market the ABW even further, the museum consider new unique methods to tout visitors. One of these methods is the museum's Art initiative for 2013, which coincide with the centenary of the National Women Monument.

The museum has at its disposal a huge and valuable art collection on the ABW. It consist of works by pioneer artists like Erich Mayer, Frans Oerder, Anton van Wouw, Pieter Hugo Naudé, Johannes Meintjes, Jo Roos, Danie De Jager and many others and is recognised as one of South Africa most valuable heritage assets. The collection came to an end in the 1970's when very few artists still used the ABW as theme.

In the hope of obtaining twenty art works, the War museum requested fourty of the best South African artists to compile an artwork with the theme "Suffering of women and children during the ABW and donate it to the museum.

The reaction was overwhelming and 68 artists accepted the challenge with enthusiasm. Works in a realistic - or semi-realistic style in oil, water-colour, charcoal, pastels were set as requirements.

Sculpters also proposed to create works with this theme. The project, therefore, was extended to ceramics artists, as well as weave- and lace-work. Ceramics to connect up with the museum's ceramic tile tableau and weave and lace-work to connect up with the weave and lace-work schools of Emily Hobhouse.

Due to the overwhelming reaction and the extent of the project, negotiations is on the way with the Stegmann Art Gallery for the grand opening to be held there during June 2013, to coincide with the Volksblad newspaper's "Vryfees" (free festival). After the grand opening all the works of art would be exhibited at the War Museum.

The Museum undertook to frame all the paintings and transport it, together with the other art works - the work of almost 100 artists. An amount of R80 000.00 is budgeted for this.

The Museum approached several institutions for financial aid for this special project. Only a few have already reacted and the target of R80 000.00 is still far away. The value of this project is that it is permanent and could be seen and appreciated by visitors for many years to come. The Women Monument was also erected in 1913 with small donations.

The Management Committee of the Family League, therefore, decided to donate an amount of R2 000.00 to this project. Appropriate recognition will be given to our contribution.