Notes |
- The source of much of the Gush Tree
Ralph Llewellyn Gush was born on Glen Avon, portion of the farm Glencoe, on the 5th August 1931. He grew up close to nature and loved the carefree life. He and his kwedine used to go off for the day from the time he was about 8 years old to hunt dassies. Mother Bessie did not seem concerned when they only returned towards late afternoon. Ralph went to school at Flooikraal farm school with several other cousins. When the older children left to attend High schools in Queenstown or elsewhere, the Flooikraal school was closed. Bessie employed a governess, Bobbie McFarlane who lived with them. Bobby came from the Maclear district. When in Std 6 Ralph had to go to Barkly to write the set external exam. At the beginning of the next year Ralph embarked on his boarding school years at Queens College Queenstown. He fitted in very well and did well at his studies gaining a First class Matric exemption in1948. He was very anxious to farm with his Father Melvyn, so decided to do a short Sheep & Wool course at Glen Agric. College. Subsequently he did other short courses which were advantageous to farming.
In 1945 during the December holidays he met Jessie Hall & during term time at boarding school he used to go out for visiting Saturdays & Sundays to their home. There began a long association and with some ups & downs when Jessie had completed her Nursing training, & been on a 6 months overseas holiday, as well as her being very ill for some months necessitating their wedding plans being delayed, they were eventually able to marry on 19th May 1956, in Port Elizabeth, at the Cape Road Baptist Church.
Another aspect that must be included. When Jessie went to nurse she was introduced to Dorothy Barnard who had been nursing for a year & they became very close friends, like sisters. Jessie was a bridesmaid at the wedding of Dot & Alwyn Cockcroft on 12 April 1952 & we have been very close through all the years. Dot & Al would frequently holiday at our home & so our children grew up like brothers & sisters. So much so that after more than 46years they still visit every year. Ralph was a keen tennis player & used to ride on horseback from Ben Roy farm in Maclear where he first started farming, to town every Saturday. It was some 20 miles with 10 gates to be opened & closed! Ralph played as a number one player for his Club for many years, both in Maclear & at the Mosheshsford Club. He served on the committee as secretary & as Chairman as well as on the executive committee. He always enjoyed playing matches. When both our sons were able to play tennis Ralph did not believe it was right to placate the boys & just let them win. When they beat him they knew they had really won, & it was a great achievement.
Ralph served on the Farmers Ass. Committee on numerous occassions, & was part of the Soil Conservation Committee as well.
In 1994 I persuaded him to seek employment to give Philip the opportunity of running the Caerlaverock farm. We moved to the Elliot dist. on April 20 1994 & managed the farm The Guardians for Dr. Christiane under the management of Coen Guelpa. We returned home to Caerlaverock in 1995 on 25 September some 16 mths. later. At this time Ralph had become very involved with our local Commandos & after completing several promotional courses he gained the rank of Major. He became part of the H.Q. in Elliot & became the training officer. This meant he would arrange training days with the various ward leaders & travel to the areas for training sessions. He was
determined that all would handle weapons correctly & in particular he was very anxious that the ladies would be well trained & know how to handle their weapons be they a rifle or hand gun. He was still keen to help
Philip where he could on the farm but he also had another interest which kept him busy. Some of the comments we received from friends after Ralph passed away: I'll remember Ralph with fondness a gentleman of the old school, a good man in the truest sense of the word, & a constant reminder of the virtues of sincerity & good old fashioned hard work. Peter & Robyn May.
We only met for a short while but you were two of my 'real' 1820 settlers & it was like kind of meeting people you had only read about in a history book!! Hugo Slater.
Ralph was a wonderful husband & father. We shared 46yrs & a week of a special marriage. What a privilege to care for him during the last 20 difficult months especially the last month when he could not care for himself. He never complained & was always only grateful for everything done for him. After our marriage we lived in Maclear for 8 months & then moved to the farm Caerlaverock in the Barkly East dist. on 2 January 1957, where Ralph farmed very successfully for some 38 years. We moved to the top Caerlaverock on 21 June 1988 after Philip purchased the farm from Chris Steenekamp. Ralph said that if Philip intended continuing farming with a dairy herd he would need to live on the bottom Caerlaverock as the dairy could not be moved. Having undertaken major alterations to the bottom house in 1964, we once again were involved in making some alterations to our new home, the original portion having been built in 1914 by a Mr. Benderman.It was at this time that we spent a few days in P.E. with Sheena & David prior to them going overseas for a short visit.
Little did we know that this would be the last time we would see our daughter, as on the 30 November 1995 she passed away suddenly after starting a new course of Chemotherapy. Ralph did not discuss her death a great deal, but I know it affected him greatly. Ralph was involved in the Elliot Baptist Church as one of the founder members from1982. He served as a deacon for a number of years, & was always quietly keen to do what he could. He was saved under the ministery of Trevor Yoko in 1968 at the Mosheshsford Hall & baptised on his own request by Brian Daniels in the Kraai River on Kelvin Grove farm on 8 December 1968. These folk were from the Assemblies of God Church.
Our son Llewellyn farmed on his Grandfathers farm Glencoe & in 2000 moved to Johannesburg to be part of a computor firm, having let his property meantime. What more can I say of Ralph, except that I miss him terribly. He was a wise man, a wonderful partner, very knowledgable, but always willing to listen. A very important piece of Ralph's history is when he was four & a half years old, the family went down to visit at Kleinemond. He & Dad Melvyn went down to the sea, leaving Mom Bessie with Terence the new baby of 6 months. Ralph was left to play & obviously walked about loosing sight of the cottage. He continued to walk along the sea edge & eventually met an old coloured fisherman. Ralph had bypassed Riet River some 3 miles along. They walked together & at times the fisherman would carry Ralph as he was tired & it was late afternoon. They eventually arrived at Port Alfred which was 10 miles away from where he had started his epic walk & the man took him to the Cafe. Meantime back at the cottage there was much consternation when Ralph couldn't be found. A family search party got underway & as they walked along the seas edge, at first there were footprints & then they vanished. Dad Melvyn feared he had been drowned, but others said that the tide had come in, so they continued their search eventually finding two sets of foot prints, & then again one set. It was a mystery but on they went hoping they would find the missing child. Enquiries were made & he was found at the Cafe where the owner very badly wanted to keep him! Terence very kindly wrote what he remembered of this event as told to him by his Dad. How glad I am that things turned out the way they did or I would never have had the joy I have had all these years of being together. A very special person my Ralph.
A tribute to Ralph from some of the Commando members.
Graag wil ons hiermee BAIE DANKIE se vir wat Oom vir ons beteken by diensskiet en as OPS Offisier. Oor die afgelope 10 jaar wat ek Oom leer ken het, het ek nog altyd opgesien na Oom. Oom het ons as diensskiet lede nooit ter syde geskuif by 'n gewone wyksopleiding nie en nog altyd raad gegee en belangstel in hoe ons vaar. Oom se bereidwilligheid om te help tydens kompetisies en die presisie waarmee Oom die baan hanteer het, kon tel onder van bie beste skiete wat ons bygewoon het. Daar is niks so frustrerend as waneer die baanoffisier nie konsekwend is nie. As OPS Offisier en as mens het Oom vir ons almal 'n voorbeeld gestel en almal het altyd opgesien na Oom. Die manier waarop Oom vir Tannie Jessie praat en haar respekteer, kan ook as voorbeeld vir almal van ons wees.
Ons wil net in hierdie tyd vir Oom se dat ons Oom dra in ons gebede en in ons harte. Ons liefde gaan uit na Oom en Tannie Jessie. Nogmals baie dankie!
Baie liefde, Boet & Celia.
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