C.R.Frowein's (sr) name appears in Ronsdorf's historical events as the first elected chairperson of the newly-formed CVJM in 1842. The CVJM is the early version of the modern-day YMCA. He was 20 years old. In later documents his occupation is listed as "teacher". His name is also associated with the Reformed church pastor, Gerhard Dürselen, regarding the compilation of a handbook for christian youth "Junglingsbote für Christliche Junglinge und Junglingsvereine” dated 1847. C.R.Frowein was 25y old at that time.

C.R. Frowein (sr) was married twice, both times with a de Liefde. It is not clear whether these were sisters, cousins, or relatives of some sort. The first marriage was to Alida Henriette de Liefde. It appears that she was Dutch. The couple's daughter, Henriette was born in Pella, Iowa, USA in 1850. Pella is a town founded by Dutch immigrants. Interestingly, in the text "The pilgrims of Iowa", a certain Abraham Frowein is listed as pastor of the Davenport German and Sherrill Mound Church, February 19, 1857 (1849-1855). Who was Abraham Frowein? Perhaps a brother of C.R. Frowein (sr)? Interestingly, according to this document, Pastor A. Frowein was associated with the "German" church. It is also interesting that C.R. Frowein, a German citizen was accompanied by his Dutch wife and associated with a Dutch-speaking American colony. Were the de Liefde family also associated with church's missionary work?

C.R.Frowein (snr) dies on Aug 17, 1892 in Apeldoorn, Holland. He was about 70 years of age.
It is noteworthy to consider the records of several Frowein families settling in Holland; Amsterdam, Apeldoorn, also Barneveld. In particular regarding death notices. Is it reasonable to assume that elderly people was taken care of in the homes of close relatives, like their sons or daughters in their last days? That might perhaps provide a clue of where the different members of the Frowein family resided. It is unclear how or whether these families were related in some way.



Carl Richard Frowein (jr), my great-greatgrandfather, was born on February 24, 1856 in Amsterdam; his mother, Alida Johanna de Liefde. Apparently (with is CR intials), he was the oldest son. Henriette, his sister born from the first de Liefde marriage, was the oldest daughter. He had five siblings: Bertha, Johannes, Friedrich, Elise, and Johanna.

Like his father, C.R Frowein (sr), C.R. Frowein (jr) appears to follow in his father's footsteps being trained as a teacher associated with the German Reformed Church. We find references to him in the historical events of Ede (a Dutch city in Gelderland). It is recorded that he was house-father of a church-run boarding school located on the corner of Bergstraat, Ede, around 1883. The house was later known as the "Dr.Weyer house". The house was demolished many years ago. Evidently, C.R.Frowein (jr) was a married man at the time: he married Clara Elizabeth Catharina Jurgens on December 24, 1884 -- she was 31 years old at the time. My grandfather, Matthijs Willem Frowein was born in Ede in 1888 -- he was the second-eldest son and named after the Jurgens side of the family. Apparently, between the years 1884-1888 his older sister Catharina, and brother, Carl, was born, their places of birth is not known at this time. It appears that Catharina was born in ~1886. This then indicates that Carl was born ~1887.

There also is record of C.R. Frowein's activities in Dutch-occupied Suriname as school teacher. There is a school named "The C.R.Frowein School", named after him in Parimaribo, Suriname. The school still exists today.

During their stay in Suriname, his wife, Clara died during a yellow-fever epidemic. Since we know of two more childen born after my grandfather, Matthijs, we speculate she passed away ~1890. It was said that the young Matthijs witnessed his mother's death which would place his age at the time a young boy, 3-8 years old perhaps. It is speculated that Clara was only about 37y old at her death.

Records from the archives at Ellis island records the passage of the Frowein family through immigration on May 16, 1911. They were passengers traveling from Suriname on the ship, "Saramacca". The family included C.R. Frowein (jr) 55y old, Catharina Alida Frowein (the oldest daughter) 25 y old, and Cornelia Frederike Merian-Frowein 52y old. Evidently, C.R. Frowein re-married a Swiss lady, Frederike Merian. She was born on the Island of St. Croix, the present-day US. Virgin Islands. Their relationship and how they met each other is unknown. Their marriage must have been in the period 1890-1911. Re-collections from the Froweins tells the story of C.R.Frowein (jr) and Frederike settling in Basel, Switzerland where she dies after a household accident.

It is recorded that C.R. Frowein arrives in the ZAR ("Zuid Afrikaanse Republiek") in 1895. This is near the end of the Anglo-Boer war. There are records of his service as teacher at several schools and colleges in Pretoria and Pietersburg abround 1897, 1914-1917, also 1918-1922.

If one consider the Ellis island record above, exactly how the timeline works is interesting. Perhaps he returned from Suriname to Europe after his wife's death after ~1890, sailed to South Africa in 1897, then returned to Europe/Surname before 1911. We believe he was in Pretoria during the march of the British forces into Pretoria after the peace treaty was signed. That was 1902.

C.R. Frowein (jr) died in January 9, 1932 and his grave is in the old cemetary in Bloemfontein, South Africa. He was 76y old at his death.

By verbal account, my grandfather, Matthijs Willem Frowein, born March 4, 1888 in Ede, Holland, was not trained as teacher like his father or grandfather. He was more of a businessman, perhaps more of a bookkeeper in profession. We find his name in the Ellis island archives as a transit passenger on the ship, "Surniname", on May 16, 1910. Was it a co-incidence as the rest of the Frowein family arrived in Ellis island, New York on May 16, 1911, just a year later?! Apparently, Matthijs Frowein, age 22y 2m tall, was en-route to visit his sister Clara in Canada.

His whereabouts from 1910-1920 is rather vaque. We believed he witnessed the Britsh forces march into Pretoria after the signing of the peace in Vereeniging in 1902. If he did, he must have been 22 at the time. It is a fact that he was in South Africa before 1922, when his daughter was born. He was 34y old then.

From verbal account, Matthijs and his father, Carl Richard (jr), was somehow involved with the Moravian mission at Elim, Cape Province, South Africa. This must have been prior to 1922. Perhaps this mission was arranged through their association with the German Reformed Church's "Herrnhut". Matthijs, apparently served as bookkeper at the mission store, and Carl serving as pastor at the church. It is a challenge to work out the timeline here, because verbal account has it that C. R. Frowein (jr) was serving as temporary pastor at the Lutheran church in Pretoria, shortly before his death in 1932. Perhaps the Elim period covered a few years around the 1920s? One document states C.R Frowein (jr) died in Pretoria, however, I have witnessed his grave in Bloemfonten, which I believe is where he spent his last days with his daughter's family.

The mission station in Elim had a water-operated flour mill erected and operated by the Moravian mission. It is at this mission station that Matthijs met my grandmother, Aletta Johanna Wessels, the daughter of a farmer, living not far from Elim. The name of the farm is "Jan Swartskraal". All that remains of the Wessels' residence today is ruins. I believe the farm dwellings were quite primitive, probably a clay and mud-like structure with no running water, of course, way before electricity. However, these were fiercely-proud people. I was told that great-grandmother Wessels could cut and sow a mans shirt from fabric as a routine matter. Great-grandmother Wessels was somehow related to Pres. Paul Kruger, the president of the ZAR through his wife, who was from a Wessels family.

After my grandfather, Matthijs Willem Frowein married Aletta Johanna Wessels, the couple settled in Napier, a town closeby Elim. The region is known as wheat-producing agricultural land. Matthijs had a business selling farm implements and was known to be a forward-thinking businessman. He was ahead of his time introducing tractors at a time when horses and oxen were used to work the fields. We know little about the lives of the Froweins during their stay in Napier. My mother, Christina Helena Jurgens Frowein (nickname, Elna) was born in Napier on September 8, 1922. Matthijs was 34y old apparently. Matthijs Frowein's family later moved to Robertson, Cape Province, South Africa, where he was a shopkeeper. The Roberson period was before and through WWII (1934-1946). It is believed that their son, Carl Richard (Riekie) was born in Robertson August 6, 1932.

After Elna's matriculation in Robertson (~1944), she went to Cape Town looking for work as a shorthand typist. Whilst staying at the YMCA in Cape Town, she met Herman Forrer. They married on February 17th, 1945 in the "Groote kerk" Cape Town.

The Froweins moved to Stellenbosch, Cape Province, around 1950 where Matthijs and Aletta were shopkeepers. Matthijs was a fine watchmaker and Aletta tended a bookstore. Prior to the move to Stellenbosch, their son Riekie trained to become a watchmaker.

Matthijs Willem Frowein died on May 31st, 1956 in Stellenbosch. He was only 68y old and suffered from epilepsy in his final years. Sadly, society knew so little of this disease at the time, unfortunmately a stigma that the family had to carry and deal with.

Elna and Herman Forrer moved to Rehoboth, South-West Africa about 1945. This is the present-day Namibia. The entire Forrer family moved from South Africa that year. At the time, South-West Africa, as it was called then, was just vacated from German Colonial occupation and considered a wild, unexplored country, with plenty of opportunties. This was the African "outback" where my grandparents owned the only hotel and general store. My father trained as motor mechanic. All three children were born at the Catholic Hospital in Rehoboth township; Johannes Barry in 1946, Aletia Herma in 1948, and Matthys Richard in 1952. Of our family, only Matthys Richard has children. There is at least one Frowein-Forrer descendant.

Thanks for visiting ... I'd love to hear from you if you find any relationship to our family.


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e-mail: jbforrer(at)johanforrer.net