Denis John Parker (1925 - 1954)

Born 2 Oct 1925 in Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa

Ancestors

Husband of Jean (Lang) Parker — married 1948 in Hogsback, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Descendants

Died 30 Jun 1954 at age 28 in Volks Hospital, Cape Town, Cape Province, South Africa

Problems/Questions Profile managers: Susan O'Carroll [send private message] and Richard Parker [send private message]

Biography

Birth

Denis John Parker was born in 1925. He was the youngest son of Ralph George Parker and Daisy Pillow.

History of Altydgedacht

Denis' great grandfather George Francis Parker arrived in the Cape of Good Hope from England in 1820 and purchased the farm in 1852. Altydgedacht means ‘always in your thoughts’ in Afrikaans, from the old Dutch of the first European settlers. The farm was established in 1698 during the governance of Simon van der Stel. The earliest homestead has been replaced and additional farm cottages and homes added, but the original white-washed ringmuur (ring wall), slave-bell, outbuildings and wine cellar are still there. The cellar, which dates back to 1705 is the oldest wine cellar still in operation in South Africa today. It was built from local ‘koffieklip’ (ferricrete).

Occupation

Denis's father passed away 6 months before the start of WWII. His mother Daisy managed the farm for the next 6 and half years, until she died in 1945, just after the end of the war. Denis was only 13 years old when his father died, and his 2 older brothers went off to serve in the war. His eldest brother Ralph 'George' Francis Parker was studying medicine in England and served with the Royal Medical Corps, while the middle brother William 'Stewart' Parker served with the South African Infantry. Denis joined the South African Air Force towards the end of the war, when he had finished school and was old enough.

When his mother died at the end of 1945, Denis returned from the Air Force to help his brother Stewart execute her will and to run the farm. Denis and his brothers inherited equal shares in the bulk of their mother's estate including Altydgedacht, but it was held in trust until they attained the age of 30 years. Other relatives received smaller bequests. Denis' brothers both followed professional paths and Denis was the only son who wanted to farm. He ran the farm from the time his mother died, although his brothers lived there at times as did various other relatives on his mother's and his father's sides of the family.

Marriage

Denis married Jean Lang, an art teacher from the eastern Cape, in 1948, and they had 2 sons in the following few years.

Death

In 1950, Denis signed an option to purchase his brothers shares in the farm, and in June 1954, Denis signed an agreement with his brothers, to purchase their shares in the farm. Tragically, just 3 weeks later, Denis died from a gunshot wound.

Farm Ownership

Denis' brother George was by then settled in England, with his young family and had begun practising medicine. His brother Stewart was living in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) with his own young family and was an economist. Denis' widow Jean, wished to continue farming as her mother and her mother in law had done after being widowed young. Jean negotiated a new agreement to purchase the farm from her brothers in law. Initially she ran the farm with a manager, Tony Kamos and later Hennie Heydenrych was appointed manager.

Management

Denis' widow Jean did short courses in agriculture and wine making, at an agricultural college. His sons grew up and studied viticulture and oenology at Stellenbosch university and they gained further knowledge and experience in Australia, New Zealand and California. The farm was developed into a wine estate under their management, with a variety of well known wines under the Altydgedacht label, and a restaurant was established on the estate. The restaurant was later sold and operated independently. Denis' widow Jean was involved in the day to day running of the farm into her 80's. After a long and very severe dought in Cape Town, the Parker family entered into a partnership with VDMV Property Group. Denis' sons and grandchildren remain the custodians of Altydgedacht and are now into the 6th generation of Parkers on the farm.

NOTE: It is interesting to note that Altydgedacht has been owned by several women throughout its history. The first owner from 1698 was Elsjie van Suurwaarden. When Ralph Parker died in 1939, his widow Daisy Pillow owned and managed the farm until her death. Jean Parker too managed the farm as a widow, from 1954.

Sources

• first hand information from Denis' widow, Jean Parker and his brother, Stewart Parker, nephews Chris Parker and Mike Parker, and niece Sue Sherburn née Parker, as remembered by Susan O'Carroll
• http://cityseeker.com/cape-town/152985-altydgedacht
• http://www.altydgedacht.co.za/history.htm
• South Africa, Cape Province, Civil Deaths, 1895-1972", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QJHC-FYVX : 23 June 2016), Dennis John Parker, 1954.
• http://durban.getitonline.co.za/2016/09/29/altydgedacht-adds-a-cabernet-sauvignon-to-the-range-and-releases-new-vintages/#.WrbpQuhubIU