RIP Aunty Branda
Published : 27 July 2023 - 10:40:09pm

We cannot possibly look back on family occasions without seeing Aunty Branda. From birthday parties, Guy Fawkes in Campbell Rd, crocheting blankets, doll's clothes, baby clothes and ponchos. TV nights and hot milk coffee. She loved reading and I remember her and Granny Pearce reading when she finally got to rest after her shifts at the hospital. Patient, but not a push over, she stood her ground against some very strong Lamprecht personalities. Stanley Road lunches, Umgeni Road parties. She was always willing to share, her coke, her house, her family and her love. She fought for all her children... I think teachers were petrified of her, she was the ultimate mother bear. Even when they were grown and wandered off the beaten path as all children do, Aunty Branda would still see the gold in the dust. She would proudly relay stories of them, all of them and tell us how much she loved them, how hard they worked, how she wished she could help them more. And she always had time to include others, 5 biological children and Heidi born in her heart, she never questioned adding one more heart to her fold. Her grandchildren were her pride and joy... First Nicky J, then each and every one after him. .. She always had a story to tell about them. Dynamite surely came in small packages. God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers, and that she was. Life was not a bed of roses, Aunty Branda was a survivor from her youth and yet, nothing she suffered and endured made her bitter. She was always able to see the silver lining in her clouds. She will be missed greatly.

Aunty Marcia, Monique, Chantal and Tatum

RIP Branda Lamprecht ‏(Pearce)‏
Published : 27 July 2023 - 10:39:13pm

b.30 Jan '41 d.30 Jun '23

Eulogy as read at her funeral.

Thank you on behalf of the family for joining us today to celebrate Branda Lamprecht, mom’s life. Its heartwarming to see so many people come together.
When we discussed who should be standing here now to speak about mom, it was decided that as the eldest child, it should be me. However, I’m not the best speaker so please bear with me.

So mom, Branda. Let’s start at the beginning. Mom was born in 30 Jan 1941, child of Horis Herbert and Aida Veronica Pierce. Raised in Mangate, she was born into a family with a rich tapestry of history. Mom was registered as African at birth and her race was changed when she was sent to boarding school. Sadly, we have no information about her childhood and life in Mangete. Living on the farm, life was hard but back then, your skin colour seemed to make all the difference. All the sisters were sworn to keeping the secret of the race change and was the core to all of them being very close and always staying in touch with each other throughout all their later lives. Even when they lived in different provinces, they visited each other at least once a year.

Lawrence Pierce was the eldest of 6 children, he lost his life at the young age of 25 through illness. Me, being the first born, I was given the name Lawrence, in memory of her brother. Her sisters were Pat, Wendy, Rhona who lived in Australia and Norma.

All the sisters, throughout their lives faced huge tragedy in life. Way too many to list or talk about here.

Their father Horis had a reputation for being a bit of a nomad, a wanderer, sometimes present, sometimes not but their mom, our gran Aida was a constant. When mom met my dad, Henry, they decided to set up home in Durban.

I am the first of 5 children, Nicky, Henry, Eva, Belinda and then much later Heidi was adopted after having being fostered for many years. This was a decision that we all made as a family. We love her as the sister that she is. I am very sure that we all terrorized her loads.

My mom spoke fondly of all her friends and the people that she knew but she often made mention of her closest friends, those that were like sisters to her and those that she could confide in and count on. She often spoke of both Carol and Cathy. How they were so willing to help and always be there to listen in her times of need.

I'm sure that she would have been very happy to see all of us together celebrating her life rather than mourning her.
She is where she wants to be, and she is at peace and let's face it. She's bending our dad's ear again. So, it can't be all bad.

Mom was the typical modern woman, running a household, raising a medium brood, fostering multiple children, adopting one and also working. For many years she worked as a nurse at Entabeni Hospital and also as a private nurse, this stood her in good stead for her boys’ hobby in later years.

As a child I remember our home was always full. Each Sunday mom would make lunch for us and before we knew it, there was a steady stream of visitors that just pitched up. Me and my mate, Nicky with his mates, cousins from many of the sisters. Somehow, she always managed to stretch the food and everyone was welcome. The house was always full of life. Most Sundays started with 7 and ended with 40 something.

Mom stopped nursing around 1983, when she became a full-time house mom. She was always there helping any and every one. In 1993 mom and dad decided to move to PMB to be closer to the hospital where Belinda was living in. Oribi village wasn’t the best place to live, it had a reputation but mom and dad made a life there and it was clear to see they became valued in the community. Sadly over 20 years ago, dad’s health declined and we lost him in 2003. Mom was never really the same after that. Even though their relationship had a lot of ups and downs over the years, she had lost a piece of her.

There are so many different things that personified mom's character. Her willingness to give the last slice of bread to a stranger, being the least of them. Her capacity to love, being the best of them. Her innate need to hold on to hope, being her strength.
I was speaking to Henry the other night and he relayed a funny story where he had to give mom a lift to work at Entabeni Hospital on his 175 motorcycle, with mom on the back, he stalled the bike on the steepest part of the hill. He was worried that the bike would go down in a heap with him and mom under it, but without him knowing what happened she had already leapt off the bike as soon as she realized something was wrong. Neither was hurt.

Another memory, back in the day when we were boxing. Both mom and dad would be there to support her boys, but beware to anyone that sat, in front, behind or either side of her. She never sat quietly, she enjoy the fights. She was literally in the ring with each of her boys ‏(not only her sons, but all boys from Belhaven boxing club)‏. She was there in more than just spirit, because she would be throwing all the punches, screaming and shouting while supporting them.

I do remember a story when I was caned at school for not having the correct uniform, some context. We used to have safari suits as a school uniform, and the school changed this to mufty, being long grey pants with a white shirt a blazer and a tie. We could not afford the new uniform at the time, so I stuck to the safari suit. I came home and my mom asked me how I got the red stripe down the side of my upper leg. I told her that I was caned because of not having the correct uniform. The very next morning my mom went with me to school, walked into the headmasters office, stretched over his desk, grabbed him by the tie, and pulled him across the desk. Told him the next time he caned me for not having the correct uniform, she would come to the school and knock his block off.

On the third day I was called out of assembly only to be sent to town with a teacher to buy me a full new school uniform.
She will be remembered with lots of love and care. Not forgotten.

May she RIP

Contact
Published : 6 June 2022 - 9:02:59am

Greetings my extended Dunn family,

It has been a while since I have had any new contact or new received any new data from any of you.
As I said this has and is a labour of love and hope to try to build as large and clear familytree that I can. All this because I lost my early years of growing up as a Dunn family member.
Please take the time and make the effort to share your information and celebrate your family history.
If anyone has any dates to celebrate of information to share with the extended family, please send it to me so that I can post it on this new page for you.

I look forward to some responses.
Keep well and in touch
Lawrence

Squatters on Dunn Family Land - Authorities not enforcing Interdict
Published : 28 July 2021 - 1:04:17pm

Greetings Dunn family Descendants,

It has only recently come to my attention that our extended family members still living in Mangete are suffering at the lack
of support and very bad decisions made by the ANC government.

To clarify many years ago ‏(06 AUG 2004 - CaseID 1931/96)‏ the Dunn family won a court interdict to evict all squatters from
any of Dunn family land. Over the years very many squatters have illegally moved onto the original land deeded to the
extended Dunn family. With everything that has gone about over the years, all the looting and bad management that the ANC
have carried out, they have not supported the eviction process at all. There are documents from the local authorities stating
that legally do not cover trespass and squatter presence on land. As a result of this, the numbers of squatters have steadily
increased to where is has become a major problem for the Dunn family members that are trying to fight the cause. The current
situation, a number of the Dunn family members have directly received death threats from local squatter chiefs if they continue
to pursue the eviction process.

The narrative that was created or decided was that a compensation package would be put together by the authorities where
each and every squatter would not simply be kicked off of the land, but they would be paid an amount of money and given
alternative location to live away and off of the Dunn reserve. The total amount of funds paid for reallocation was R 14 120 000.00.
This was paid to the Bhekamafa Community Trust Project. The issue at hand is that funds were allocated for this purpose, but the
local government representatives have misused and misappropriated the funds, to the point where the funds no longer exist to
support and finance any eviction process. This is also governed and dictated by the ANC ruling of "reclaiming land without compensation".

Over the years I was aware of the issues, what with Pat Dunn being pistol whipped and her husband John being shot, but thought that
the court interdict to evict would solve the issue and clear the squatters once and for all from Dunn family land. I had contact with Chris
Dunn, who is the current executor of the proceedings, and he has personally received death threats with his association of the eviction
process. No authority is listening to him in any way what so ever. All doors that he tries to open to have the interdict executed are closed
by bureaucracy. Over the last 8 or 9 years he has mostly financed the fight out of his own pocket, but after a chat with him, I feel that we
as the Dunn family should all stand up and support the cause, we should also all push the internation knowledge and understanding of
what is really happening in South Africa.

Below are a number of resources with details and information about the dilemma. Please feel free to share this far and wide to all corners
of your resource pool.

Iconic Dunn Family in Kwazulu Natal now under siege from Squatters

The challenges awaiting the new leader of South Africa - France 24

PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION

Land Invasion threatens descendants

KZN cane farms burnt

PLEASE SHARE and support the Dunn Family plight.

Thanks
Lawrence

FamilyTree Updates
Published : 3 June 2021 - 9:19:47pm

Greetings All Dunn Family members,

In the last few days I have had a few new additions to grow the familytree, this is great new indeed. Things are growing slowly but surely.

The issue that I face is the lack of validation of the data that I currently have. As a result of data being extremely difficult to come by, and lots of data being lost in the realms of time, there is a very limited sources to help and guide me to a more accurate family tree. Also the current younger generation do not seem that keen to add and share data. Unfortunately they will most definitely live to regret this.

I would very much appreciate it if some of the family would take a look at my data, let me know what is good and what is bad so that I can try to make this as accurate as I can.

Thanks in advance for your great help and support.
Kind Regards
Your in the Dunn family
Lawrence