DOMINEE JAN WILLEM DEDNAM

 

Dominee Jan Willem Dednam

Hy was die enigste predikant van die NG. Gemeente Roossenekal vanaf 1947 tot en met sy aftrede op November 6, 1971.

N.G. Gemeente Roossenekal

Dominee Dednam left for Kenya in 1935 to become the minister at Vergenoeg congregation in Eldoret, Kenya. He boarded a ship and disembarked at Mombasa from where he took the train inland. He was warmly welcomed by the congregation and soon settled into the community, especially as Eldoret at the time was like a town in the Transvaal with many Afrikaners. The congregation was well established, and the foundations were well laid.

Dominee Dednam was a young man and arrived without a wife on his side. The congregational members wondered whether there was a young lady in his life and whether he might be getting married. Dominee Dednam dropped a letter in the mail with a proposal to a young lady that he had met at a wedding in the town of Lydenburg. She was a soloist at that wedding and he had spent some time talking to her. Gertruida Maria Louisa Stoltz known as Gertie was born at Vlakfontein, in the district of Carolina on July 9, 1906. Gertie accepted the marriage proposal, and they got engaged via correspondence. She prepared for the trip and her new life as the future Mrs. Dednam. Gertie was taken to Lourenço Marques by car and boarded a ship for Mombasa. After twelve days on the ocean, she arrived in Mombasa and from there took the train to Eldoret. Marie van Wyk, nee van Heerden wrote: When Dominee Dednam’s bride arrived, the front room in the old manse was prepared for her. Little Marie van Heerden was the flower girl and Leonard Bouwer the ring bearer.

The communion weekend in October was set and the timing was perfect. As usual the people were coming from all over to attend the services and to enjoy the festivities. The tents were pitched on the church grounds, and the families began arriving on the Thursday. The usual services took place with catechist professing their faith, preparatory service and communion service followed by the thanksgiving service on Sunday afternoon. In the midst of these services and with the congregation in attendance, Dominee Jan Willem Dednam and Gertruida Louisa Stoltz were married. All members were invited to the wedding, and it was a great celebration.

Dominee Dednam was young and enthusiastic, and his ministry was very much appreciated. At one point Dominee drove a Vauxhall and it only had one speed – as fast as it could go. When it did not go fast enough, he would floor it and encourage the vehicle with “Kom nou Vloeksool" (I cannot try and translate this).” The visitation covered many kilometres, often across very difficult terrain, especially when the rains changed some to mud. More importantly, Dominee usually had his overalls in the trunk (or as we used to say, in the boot) of the car. His expertise in fixing engines, cars, lorries or farm equipment was very much appreciated, especially on the farms. He would quickly change to ‘put aside his dominee’s attire’ to don work clothes, saying: “There is Dominee and here is Jan Dednam!” His faith showed through his servanthood. In the beginning of 1936, Dominee Dednam wrote a letter to the executive of the Hervormde Kerk in South Africa in which he expressed some concerns regarding the spiritual state in the Hervormde Congregation Rensburgrust. This led to some serious discussion (and some negative reactions from some), but we will look at that later when we follow the history of the Hervormde Kerk in East Africa in the mid to late 1930’s. Dominee and Mrs. Dednam welcomed their firstborn on August 11, 1936, when Alfred was born. He was named after his paternal grandfather, Alfred Izak Dednam.

Dominee Dednam was at Eldoret. The sacraments were administered, services and prayer meetings held, church council met on a regular schedule and catechism classes followed by professions of faith were never missed.

In 1937 Dominee Dednam and his wife with the little Alfred went on an extended visit to South Africa. While in South Africa, Mrs. Dednam gave birth to another son, Gabriel (“Briel”), born on July 28, 1937, at Lydenburg.

Dominee and Mrs. Dednam were blessed when a third boy, Tertius, was born on September 27, 1938, in Eldoret. In 1939 the church and community were changed when WW2 started and Kenya was drawn into the war, not only as part of the British Empire, but due to the imperial moves by the Italian forces directly across the border to the North. Soon a few young men were drafted into the armed forces. In October 1939 Dominee Dednam led the catechism class and a good number of young people professed their faith, many who were soon to be on the front lines.

A year and a half after the birth of Tertiius, a girl, Anna (“Annatjie”) was born on February 18, 1940, at Eldoret. That same year the family faced a major challenge, when little Gabriel got polio and was crippled. Treatment options in South Africa were much better than what was available in Kenya and Dominee Dednam, and the family returned to South Africa.

Shortly after the family arrived back in South Africa, Dominee Dednam joined the South African Forces as chaplain and was sent back to Kenya and served as field preacher and chaplain. Colonel Dunstan Adams, with the Kenya Regiment, sent Dominee to serve at the Administrative Head Office in Nairobi. Both the East African and South African Head Offices were at the base, spread out and housed in various buildings. Victor Germishuis was working on the base and was talking on the phone when Sergeant-Major Hobbs walked in and told him a South African Captain was in an office next door and asking for him. He was given a couple of hours to visit with Dominee Dednam. They met up years later in South Africa. Dominee was not just the minister, for he became a friend to Victor and many others.

As the East African Campaign evolved, Dominee Dednam was sent to Kismayo, a former Italian submarine base that had fallen to the South African Forces. He served as spokesman for the troops stationed at Kismayo. In 1941 he returned to South Africa and worked as chaplain at Cullinan. The congregation was in a dire situation in the 1930’s due to the depression that caused the closure of the diamond mine and most people left. However, WW2 brought relief as the area was chosen for military camps, including for Italian POWs. These camps brought personnel and families and Dominee Dednam worked as chaplain and on August 14, 1943, he was inducted as the minister of the local Premiermine congregation.

At the end of 1946 he accepted a call to Roossenekal. This congregation had internal divisions as the church building had been erected at Laersdrif, 15 miles away from Roossenekal and many were upset and left. However, the divisions were gradually forgotten and Dominee Dednam settled at Laersdrif. He ministered at the congregation Roossenekal from 1947 to his retirement on November 6, 1971. He was loved and respected, known as the peacemaker and friend and also the local mechanic. He had a little piece of property where he farmed, often at a financial loss.

After retirement, Dominee and Mrs. Dednam moved to Pretoria where they lived with their son, Gabriel (Briel) who was a teacher. Gertie Dednam passed away in 1984 after a long battle. Two years later, in October 1986, Dominee Dednam married a widow, Stoffelina Elizabeth Rautenbach. They settled on a little farm outside of Pretoria. When she began to struggle with her health, she moved to her daughter who took care of her, and he moved to the Vergenoeg home for the aged in Pretoria. Dominee Dednam was still driving his own vehicle in his 90s, but during the last two years of his life, he weakened and on June 10, 1996, he passed away and was laid to rest.