Looking for info on Benedict Antony Scheepers first wife

Question

We are trying to find any details about my husbands family - especially his mother. He was born Darren Bradley Scheepers. His father was born in South Africa, Benedict Antony Scheepers on 28 July 1940 and died in October 1995 in Witbank, TVL/ Gauteng. Darren's mother (Benedicts first wife?) is only known as Liz, and no idea what her maiden name is or if she and Benedict ever did marry as I cant find a marriage certificate online for them. She died in approx 1978 (give or take a year). Benedict remarried Jacqueline Anne Swires DOB 4.5.1954 and she died in March 2004.  Benedicts mother was Cornelia Elizabeth Chuker DOB 21 October 1916, married to David Chuker. She was previously married to a ? Scheepers who is Benedicts father.,but As we dont know his name and again cant find a marriage certificate for them - we assume he died in WW2. David Chucker ( Benedicts stepfather) died on 30.6.1976 and is buried in Stellawood Cemetry in Durban, south Africa.

While we have some info, what we really want we cant find and that is any info on Darren's birth mother Liz. We also have loads of photos to share of Scheepers family and Liz's family dating back to early 1900's once we have some more details.

We have tried applying for documents from South Africa and we wait almost 2 years to be told to start again as it was probably lost in the post.

Please can anyone help.

Thanks D

Answer 1

Wow, this is a difficult one indeed.

I notice that David Chuker was Jewish.

I found reference to David Chuker, his "Passenger Arrival" at the age of 16, from a town called Grinkiska arrival date 1928.  Ship Name Garth Castle. http://www.jewishroots.uct.ac.za/

Very small piece of the puzzle but thought I would share.

Comments

Thank you Judy. That is very interesting. I appreciate your time and effort.

Darren

Answer 2

Hi

I did a lot of work on the Scheepers family and will also try to find something.

Thx Judy, every bit help in this puzzle.

Hope we can try and solve it :)

Well I found this, she was married 3 times and for that reason difficult to find.

Im going to the archive within the next 30 days and will get this file for you. Hopefully this can help.

DEPOT TAB SOURCE MHG TYPE LEER SYSTEM 01 REFERENCE 2383/62 PART 1 DESCRIPTION SALM, ELIZABETH MARIA. FORMERLY CHUKER, FORMERLY SCHEEPERS, BORN VERMEULEN. STARTING 19620000 ENDING 19620000 REMARKS SURVIVING SPOUSE ERICH SALM.

Susan

You can also contact the PRETORIA archive if you want it asap

Comments

Wow - thats amazing. thanks for that info. I wonder if it relates to us at all? My husband was an only child as his sister (- Deborah was her name we think) died in a car accident when she was a few months old and he thinks he was about 4 yrs old - so I would estimate her birth and death  to be around 1969-1971. Both his parents he was told, were only children too  (we dont know if this is true or not as there is a possibility that his mother (Elizabeth) was cut off from her family when she hooked up with Benedict.) We also cant find a marriage record or wedding photos for Benedict and ELizabeth - but DArren is pretty certain they were married - but this search is throwing up all sorts of weird and wonderful(sometimes) stuff that is very different to what he was told when growing up.

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Hi again Susan

I also see on the NAAIRS website that there is a second document for her - seems to be a divorce application in 1945 from Erich, which looks to be withdrawn.

the plot thickens

DIane

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HI Again Susan

I found these 3 on files NAAIRS (see link below) - it seems this Elizabeth Maria Salm, prev Chuker, Prev Scheepers, nee Vermeulen, was married to Joseph Chuker (Father of David Chuker - who is Benedict Antony's stepfather). When he died in 1940, she then married Erich Salm (whom she withdrew a divorce application from in 1945) and he was still her spouse when she died in 1962. I am very interested now to see what SCHEEPERS she was married to and how this ties in with the Scheepers that Cornelia Elizabeth was married to prior to marrying David Chuker. What a tangled web! I cant find a divorce from a Scheepers for her, nor a marriage document. that would be a document I would love to see. ( And if he died, does his estate file have the names of his children on?)

http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm300ds?201705011206484379FE68

If you go to the Archives - rather than pull this file is it at all possible to try and find a marriage for Benedict Antony and his first wife Liz. Or how would I go about getting info from a  Marriage document? Both are deceased now. Suggestions? I have trawled about 6 online SA databases and nothing yet.

thanks

Diane

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and I found this about Elizabeth Maria Scheepers, nee vermeulen :http://www.national.archsrch.gov.za/sm300cv/smws/sm30ddf0?20170501124402C9AF4269&DN=00000003

so is that enough evidence to follow up this Scheepers lead to confirm it was her first husband? Or do we need to see the file?

Thanks again.