Dorothy Marthina Bernard

Granny Doris lived in Barkly East, Aliwal North, Queestown. She had an astute mind, a great sense of humour, but tolerated no nonsense. She attended the convent at Aliwal North but her father made her leave school against her wishes, to go to the farm to help with the many children. She helped her own mother give birth to twins. She had medical first aid training and certificates for that. She was also a tremendous cook and baker and won a prize for her baking, Royal baking competition, after which her daughters gave her the gift of the 'Tulleken' recipe book. Gran's recipe book was typed out by her daughter Dorothy for prosperity. She was very close to her mother, who was an excellent seamstress and they lived together in Cape Town while her father was away. While in Cape Town DM attended churches on a Sunday, both English and Dutch, running from the one to the other. She was literate, fluent in both Dutch and English and strict about correctness of speech and writing. An excellent horse woman. Politically active. Her mother wrote her a dying letter in which their relationship of love and business minds was apparent.

She suffered the injustices of being a woman and stood up to it by taking transgressors to court.

She loved her family and sitting at her bedside recorded her memorised recollection of all her family, their birth dates, associations and stories. This record is sadly missing, hence the effort to put it all together.

Her grandmother was still having children at the same time as her own mother was. For this reason, Doris attended the convent in Aliwal North with her very own aunt ! This was not uncommon!

Her grandmother (Buitendag married to TC Botha) had 10 children that survived. They owned a house in Aliwal North as well as the farms. This house was not far from the school. Dorothy,(Dorie) my mom, used to be allowed to visit her there on Sundays after church, where she could have tea with her and play records.