Page 179 - The Diary of A. H. W. Behrens

84
1897 – 1899
In 1897 my dear mother died. She had slipped on a stone in the stream, had fallen into the water and got a cold. Sister Marie also died in Eben Ezer and Aunt Marie, the mother of August, died in Waaikraal. Provost Penzhorn died in Saron and Brother Yordt in Eben Ezer became superintendent. Cousin August had built a mill in Bethanie and his trade went well.
In 1899, in Bethanie, we celebrated the 50th anniversary of
the Hermannsburg Mission that had been established in 1849 by Louis Harms. Superintendent Yordt said it would have to
be in Bethanie because this was centrally located, had a big church and congregation and because father could organise
the feast. Thus all preparations were done. I had thoroughly drilled my brass band. Many people came together from
Saron, Rustenburg, Kana, Berseba, Eben Ezer, Hebron etc.
the congregations with their missionaries and also the whites from Kroondal with their brass band. When the very big congregation came from the West via Berseba with wagons and on foot from Berseba, my brass band was on the spot and played for the crowd until they had reached Bethanie. There were tents and singing and brass bands everywhere. At that time there were brass bands in Kroondal, Rustenburg, Saron, Kana, Berseba and Bethanie. And the choirs!