Deadwood Camp Gedenksboek
Simon Frederik van Smaalen - Deadwood Camp Gedenkboek

The following is a letter received from a great grandchild of the person who collated the contents of the Gedenksboek. Letter received on 18 Dec 2023
I was absolutely stunned and delighted to come across the digitsed Deadwood Camp Gedenkboek last night!

Simon Frederik van Smaalen is my 2nd great grandfather. So I would like to give you my sincerest and immense thanks for scanning the book and making it available online. To say that it means a lot to my family would be an understatement - especially my father Brink Gardner (SF's great grandson) and his uncle Derek van Bergen (SF's last surviving grandson).

Simon Frederik van Smaalen was born in Rotterdam on 28/2/1864 to Leendert van Smaalen and Johanna Maria Hendriks.

SF arrived in South Africa from the Netherlands before 1888 - the only Van Smaalen to come to SA.

Here he married Johanna Elizabeth Celliers on 25/7/1888 in Pretoria.

He applied for naturalization in 1890 and again in 1894.

They moved to Pietersburg, where they had 5 children (4 daughters and 1 son) between 1890 and 1898.

He was a builder and/or carpenter by profession.

During the Anglo Boer War he served under general Cronje. He was captured/surrendered at Paardeberg on 27/2/1900, and sent to St Helena.

He died on 6/3/1939 in Pretoria.

Here is a photo of some detail on a box that SF made on St Helena.

Box made by SF on St Helena

Kind regards,

Leone Gardner


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