| 3. |  Cecily Bourchier Bowker  (1.Gladys1) was born on 23 Dec 1918 in Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; was christened on 16 Feb 1919 in Grahamstown Cathedral (St Michael and St George), Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa; died on 27 Aug 2011 in Damant Lodge, Port Alfred, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Other Events and Attributes:
Notes:
"Talk of the Town" newspaper dated September 30, 2011.
Cecily NORDEN, 92, a pioneer of the show horse industry in South Africa, died in Port Alfred on August 27.
NORDEN was a well-known figure in agricultural circles in the Karoo and in particular in the riding horse industry throughout South Africa.
A Farmers' Weekly article published in April this year described her as "the doyenne of the showring". Most significantly she was the author of the horse judges' bible, Showing Horses in South Africa, published by Tafelberg.
Born Cecily Bourchier BOWKER, NORDEN grew up on a sheep farm in the Albany district of the Eastern Cape. She spent an idyllic childhood rounding up ostriches on horseback, helping with the farming, shooting, swimming in the Fish River, and tending her own animals.
Her mother educated her on DICKENS and SHAKESPEARE and she went to school for the first time when she was 12. Her father was Dr Tom BOWKER, MP for Albany for 36 years, and founder of the 1820 Settlers' Monument in Grahamstown.
NORDEN obtained her BA in English and Fine Art at Rhodes University, married a Grahamstown farmer, Jack NORDEN, and had three children, Pierre, Julie and Michael. Pierre died tragically in a car accident at the age of 22.
NORDEN bred Arabian and other riding horses and exhibited widely in equitation and breeding classes.
She lived in Middelburg Cape for many years, where she did extensive spadework in the formative years of the now thriving riding horse industry.
From 1942 to 1990 she served on various national horse breed societies and was one of the founders of the Riding Horse Judges' Association of South Africa. This involved the writing of hundreds of articles about horse breeding, judging and equitation for journals, primarily Farmers' Weekly and Landbouweekblad - culminating in the publication of her authoritative work, Showing Horses in South Africa. In 2002 she received an award from the Saddle Horse Breeders' Society of South Africa in recognition of her contribution to the Saddle Horse industry.
After some years in Cape Town, she retired to Port Alfred and spent her days writing fiction. In November 2010, her book of short stories, The Barefoot Days, appeared. She died at Damant Lodge, leaving two children (Julie and Michael), five grandchildren (Christine, Danny, Pierre, Aidan and Candice) and two great-grandchildren (James and Thomas).
NORDEN was buried in Port Alfred on September 3, suitably facing, in the not too far-off distance, the farm Tharfield, the original property allocated to her Settler forbear, Miles BOWKER, in 1820. She had thus, in death, returned to her roots, as her grandson, Danny STREICHER, aptly remarked during his moving tribute at her funeral.
Friends and family from Johannesburg, Cape Town, the Karoo and the Eastern Cape attended the funeral. Among them was horseman Derick SAAYMAN from Port Elizabeth - one of her most ardent and faithful admirers over about 40 years.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecily_Norden#Biography.
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cecily_Norden#1947.E2.80.931995_Articles_in_Agricultural_Journals
In 1980 she was included in the American Book "Leading Women of the World in Agriculture".
In 1983 she was awarded the Honorary Life Vice President of 8 Associations for 43 years for Service in building up the Saddle Horse Industry in South Africa.
Author of 4 books including "Showing Horses in South Africa".
First South African Woman Judge for Horse Breeds.
Cecily married Peter Jacobus Willem Norden on 6 Dec 1941 in St Clement Anglican Church, Grahamstown, Eastern Cape, South Africa. Peter (son of Emmanuel Andries Norden and Maria Wilhelmina May Krige) was born on 23 Jun 1913; died on 7 Jun 1983. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]
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1884 - 1964 (79 years)
John Bourchier Bowker 
Hubert Newton Bourchier Bowker 
Marion Elizabeth Bowker 
