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Who Are These People?

 

A B C D E F G H
These are my grandparents on my father's side - Jitse and Hylkje Couperus. (For some reason he spelled his first name with an "s" instead of a "z" which is the more common spelling.). This picture was likely taken in 1893 when they were married or 1894 before the children started arriving. The children were
  • Hinke born 1894
  • Aaltje born 1896
  • Epeus born 1898 but died in 1902 aged 4 years
  • Wiebe born 1902
  • Epeus born 1905 (my father)
  • Aafke born 1909
He is wearing a uniform which is probably that of a "veldwachter" as that was his career. A veldwachter was a constable hired by the local authorities to maintain law and order - something like a village policeman in England or Sheriff in the U.S.A.
These eight pictures are just a representative sample of the wider collection of family pictures that can be found elsewhere on these web-pages. But for quick easy reference, these few are briefly described below with links to their full-size images.

A   I can't be sure, but by process of elimination, I think these are grandparents of my mother. I don't know their names or even whether they are on her mother or her father's side. (Enlarge)

B   Again I'm not really sure, but I think this is my mother's mother. The picture was taken before my mother was born (1910) and the little boy is her eldest brother. (Harry Kuyters) (Enlarge)

C   This is my grandmother on my father's side - Hylkje van der Meulen. (Enlarge)

D   These are my grandparents on my father's side - Jitse and Hylkje Couperus. He was born 1868, married 1893, died 1939. (Enlarge)

E   Again my grandparents on my father's side - Jitse and Hylkje Couperus, after his retirement as a "veldwachter". (Enlarge)

F   My father, Epeus Gerardus Couperus, as a young man in Friesland, probably around the time he left home to seek his fortune. (Enlarge)

G   My father again, now somewhere in Central Africa (Western Uganda probably, near Mbarara or Kabale and the Mountains of The Moon) That is a Vervet monkey on his shoulder that he named Nellie (after my mother to whom he was engaged at the time.) (Enlarge)

H   This is me as a young soldier. I am wearing the uniform of The Kenya Regiment, pending re-assignment to the 4th Battallion The King's African Rifles. (Enlarge)