Gustav en Retha Röhrs sê vaarwel

Toe ons in Februarie 1974 Vryheid binnegery het in ‘n geel VW Kewertjie, het ons geweet: hier wil ons bly!
Dié skoon dorp teen Vryheidberg met sy boomryke strate sou vir 48 jaar ons tuiste wees. Aan die begin van verlede jaar het omstandighede ons gedwing om die besluit te verander. Ons kinders was ver en toe Kersfees 2022 kom, het ons vir vriende en kennisse ons huis van 48 jaar en Vryheid totsiens gesê en die lang pad Worcester, Weskaap, toe aangedurf.

In 1974, Gustav started practicing as a lawyer at Uys & Partners, focusing on litigation and appearing in ±46 magistrate’s and other courts over the years. Here, he could utilise his knowledge of both German and isiZulu. Involvement in Vryheid Municipality as councillor, alderman and mayor – as well as councillor in the then Zululand Regional Council – resulted in a career change in 1996. He was appointed as CEO/municipal manager of ZDM until 2001. Tourism was his big interest and when he retired from ZDM in 2015, he continued his involvement in local tourism.

We raised our family in Vryheid – all three our children were born at Vryheid Provincial Hospital and attended Lucas Meyer Primary and Vryheid High School. Today, Jacomien and Renate are living in the Western Cape, and Alfred in Pretoria. All three of them would not have chosen a different childhood.
Vryheid was vir ons deur al die jare baie goed. Ek wil baie dankie sê dat ek by die NKZN Jeugkoor betrokke kon wees asook die Vryheid Groep van Vroue Institute en les bes vir 17 jaar onderwys kon gee by Inkamana High School.

Al die jare het ons ‘n geestelike tuiste in die Gereformeerde gemeente van Vryheid gevind. Maar vir ons was elke Vryheidter altyd belangrik gewees en ons mooiste herinneringe aan Vryheid is sy mense. Deur die loop van 48 jaar het ons besondere mense leer ken wat ons lewens verryk het en ons het vriendskappe gesluit wat ons die toekoms in sal saamneem.
Onthou ons deur in Worcester staan vir julle oop!
Ons kan die Here nie dankbaar genoeg wees vir Sy seënende Hand nie en wens dit ook vir Vryheid en sy mense toe.

Vir ons sal Vryheid altyd die Juweel van Noord KwaZulu-Natal bly. We leave Vryheid in your keeping – take good care of it.

Gustav and Retha Röhrs

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