On the church grounds there is a cemetery with approximately 100 graves. More than half have no marker or a marker that is not legible.
Today there is a dedication of a new marker. The marker is covered with a sheet and revealed during the service.
The marker is for the grave of the daughter of Om Jan's wife, Auntie Poppie's, sister (so if I got it all right, his niece by marriage. I often found the explanation of relations confusing as they use the terms aunt, uncle, niece and nephew differently than we do - perhaps some of the Afrikaans words they use describing relations are not directly translatable to English or they see relations a little differently. I rarely heard the word cousin, which is the word I would have used most to describe relations there- first, second and third cousins- I think there are gender specific words for cousins? and relation by blood or by marriage is different for their tradition. But my Afrikaans is still very very basic - I know the colors and numbers and fruits and vegetables!)
Her name was Sophia but she was called Babie (pronounced Baby) which I think is a popular nickname.
Families save money for the tombstone and the refreshments that will be served after the ceremony. Sometimes it takes a year or more. In this case it has been almost twenty years.
The tombstones typically have a dedication from family, the name of the person, their date of birth and death (day, month, year) and a scripture reference or the whole verse. Rus in Vrede means rest in peace.
Sophia is one of the younger persons buried in the cemetery (34). The average age of the 48 legible tombstones is 55 although most after 2000 were ages 70 and above.
Om Jan invited me to give the opening prayer and benediction (in English). Om Jan gave the homily and there were hymns and prayers in Afrikaans.
Some of the family and friends who gathered. The woman in the blue head scarf is Babie's mother.
Sophie's children helped her grandchildren place flowers on the grave.
Her brother Willy and sister (middle) gave a prayer in Afrikaans with her daughters and grandchildren.
And tributes were also given in Afrikaans by friends and siblings.
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