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George Augustus Leonard De Friedland |
- Born 30 September 1879 in Härlunda, Kronoberg, Sweden [Source: Cousin has birth certificate]
- Moved to USA at ± 9 years old
- Ran away from home @ 17 years old (± 1900?). From USA.
- Arrived in the Cape before 1900 [Source: Granny] on the Tarantula [Source: John]
- Applied for letters of naturalization in 1904 [Source: KAB = CO-8611-22]
- Major in South West Africa during World War I?
- His father died in USA ± 1921
- Started Masonic lodge in Johannesburg - Sons of SA
- Was a major & led mounted troops in parade for Prince of Wales’s visit to Johannesburg in 1925.
- Died in Pretoria 22 May 1964 [Source: TAB = MHG-3849/64 & tombstone & cousin has death certificate], aged ± 85 years.
- Buried: Zandfontein Cemetery, Pretoria, Tshwane, Gauteng, South Africa. NB: Date of birth on tombstone is 1884, which is incorrect!
NB: No official documentation ever records George Augustus Leonard De Friedland's name to include the name "von Wallenstein", nor has my family ever known him by this name.
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George Augustus Leonard De Friedland - Tombstone |
Parents:
Father: Anders Magnus Jonasson, born: 19 November 1861 in Härlunda, Kronoberg, Sweden. Died: 10 February 1924, Geneva Township, Kane, Illinois, United States
Mother: Signild Mary Kjellsson, born: 25 November 1862, Sweden [Source: On shipping list, according to Imelda]. Died: ± 1898
Father involved in Swedish Lutheran church, father’s father a minister? [Source: Granny]
Paternal Grandfather: Jonas Andersson Fridlund, born: 16 September 1826, Voxtorp, Småland, Sweden
Paternal Grandmother: Catharina Svensdotter, born: 1824, Vostra Torsas, Kronoberg, Sweden. Died: 25 June 1900, Härlunda, Kronoberg, Sweden
- Father involved in Swedish Lutheran church, father’s father a minister? [Source: Granny]
Siblings:
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Carl Julius Friedland, born: 11 May 1888 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA
John William Friedlund, born: 24 June 1889 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 29 May 1955 Elgin, Kane, Illinois, USA. Married: Opal Fay Bell
Victor Thurman Fridlund, born: 25 March 1891 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 7 March 1936 Elgin, Kane, Illinois, USA.
Edwin Ludwig Friedlund, born: 30 December 1892 Geneva, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: June 1980 Alhambra, Los Angeles, California, USA. Married: Evangeline Anna Iulo
Edwin Ludwig Friedland
Herman Sextus Fridlund, born: 12 July 1895 Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 25 May 1954 Douglas, Oregon, USA. Married: Viola Thressa Kent
Lillie Anna Kataren Fridlund, born: 18 December 1897 Aurora, Kane County, Illinois, USA. Died: 12 December 1971 Oregon, USA
Places lived in South Africa:
- ± 1910 - Kimberley diamond diggings. Met our great grandmother.
- ± 1922 to ? - 60 Putney Road, Brixton (with children & Ruby) Were living here during Miners’ Strike
- ? - end of Goldman Street, Florida (with children & Ruby) - big garden with stream running through it.
- ±1927 - Hamburg, near Roodepoort (with children, Granny in Std 3).
- ? short period - 2 rooms in a back yard (with children) after losing Singer Machine shop.
- ± 1928 - traveller for Union Art Co. No fixed address? Granny boarded with acquaintances. Rogna taken with him.
- ± 1929 - 10 Verona Street, Bezuidenhout Valley, Johannesburg (with Billie & children)
- 1956 - 6 Hilary Manor, Green Point, Cape Town
Work:
- ± 1918 - before Great Depression - African Life Schlessinger
- Before Depression - Singer Sewing Machine shop, Roodepoort - owned (Rogna worked there in afternoons)
- During Depression - Union Art Co. - worked as a traveller
- ±1929 - Premier Art Co. - owned (met Billie, when commissioned to have to an artist paint her grandparents’ likenesses from photographs.)
Marriages (5):
- Became Mrs Fisher
- Divorced from George Augustus Leonard de Friedland 1919* [Source: TAB]
- Children from this marriage: Carl, Louis & Gloria (“quite a few years older than Rogna”)
- Divorced when she had an affair & married Mr Fisher
- Mr Fisher died in 1922 Miners’ Strike?
2. Johanna Catharina Elisabeth Jacobs (our great-grandmother) [Source: TAB]
- Her parents died when she was 14 years old of ‘flu epidemic
- She had 2 sisters, and they married 3 brothers who were prominent in Kimberley, where they lived
- Met in Kimberley at diamond diggings
- Married ± 1911 for 7½ years
- Her children from previous marriage to Mr Engelsman: Violet, Amy & Vernon
- Children from this marriage: Rogna (born 1912) & Härdis (born 11 May 1918)
- Dressmaker
- Granny saw her intermittently through her childhood, when she showed off Granny to her friends. Granny last saw her when Granny was about 18-20 years old (i.e. about 1937). She was said to have returned to Kimberley to her family there. Rogna told her children that she had died when Rogna was young. [Source: Granny]
3. Ruby Mullens (neé Few)
- Father had leather & saddler store in Commissioner Street, Johannesburg (?)
- Married before 1922 Miners’ Strike
- She had children from previous marriage: Stanley & Freddy
- They were married ± 5 years until ± 1927
- Dressed as Brittania on horseback in parade at Prince of Wales visit to South Africa in 1925 & was thrown from horse
- Mentally insane & allegedly abused her children & my grandmother
- Died during a kidney operation
- No record of a divorce in the archives
- Called “Billie”
- From Daspoort, Pretoria
- Aged 19 at time of marriage in ± 1929
- Married for 25 years until ± 1954
- Divorced 1938. Restitution of Conjugal Rights 1955 [Source: TAB]
5. Gertrude Eileen [Source: TAB death record for George]
- Married Leonard when he was about 80 in 1954. [Source: Granny] Note that Leonard was supposedly 81 when he died in 1964!
- Wife at the time of Leonard's death in 1964 [Source: TAB]