Kathleen Bridget Helen (Emmett) Atkinson (1882 - bef. 1954)

Born 1 Mar 1882 in Vrede, Orange Free State, South Africa

Ancestors

Wife of Alexander Elias Victor Julius Carl Von Levetzow — married 6 Dec 1902 in Vryheid, Natal, South Africa

Wife of Matthew Atkinson — married 4 May 1932 in Pretoria, Transvaal, South Africa

Descendants

Died before 1954 before age 71 in South Africa

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Biography

Kathleen was born in 1882 in Vrede in the Orange Free State.

She was 20 when she became the second wife of the 47 year old Alexander Elias Victor Julius Karl Friedrich Von Levetzow on 2 Dec 1902. Alexander's was strongly anti-British and was not populat with the authorities. He was incarcerated shamefully along with many others of German ancestry and died in Pietermaritzburg on 16th December 1914.

Catholic Church

The next news of Kathleen is to be found history of the Catholic Church in Vryheid. “Fr. Theodos Schall was the first Benedictine to say Mass in Vryheid. It was on Sunday, September 17, 1922. Bishop Spreiter found that the community hall was not a suitable venue at all for celebrating Mass. Not seldom it presented itself in a dreadful state after it had been used for parties the night before. "The hall belongs to the League of Returned Soldiers (in President Street),"explains Spreiter in his diary. "Each time we use it, we have to pay five shillings." (TT 17-09-22). Mass was held once a month in this hall until August 1924 when the Catholics were given notice that they had to find another venue. The chronicler reports that Bishop Spreiter and Fr. Theodos Schall had already inspected five different places when they decided to look at the house of a Catholic widow, Mrs. von Levetzow. She was the wife of a white pioneer settler in Vryheid (cf. Vryheid Centenary 1884-1984, pg. 45).

The chronicle of Inkamana records what happened: "While they were chatting to the lady, the bishop asked her: 'Wouldn't you like to sell us your house?' The lady was surprised and replied: 'I have to think it over.' The bishop then said: 'That is only fair. But we'll come back in a few days.' This was on a Monday (September 8, 1924). On the following Friday (September 12), we bought the house. It was the name feast of Our Lady who was certainly instrumental in us getting that beautiful place... The size of the place is 0.84 hectare and the price was £700... It has a house on it and is not far from the centre (i.e. on the eastern corner of Boeren and Landdrost Street). The house was built with mud-bricks and dates back to the time when Vryheid was founded in 1884...Two rooms of the house serve as chapel for the time being. Mass is held there every first and third Sunday of the month. Every Wednesday catechism classes take place there".

2nd Marriage

How Kathleen migrated to Pretoria after having sold her house in Vryheid is not clear but she then married Matthew Atkinson, born to William John Atkinson and Keziah Atkinson in Durham, England, on the 4th of May 1932.  This was Matthew’s second marriage and there was no issue, although he had three children by his first marriage. 

Kathleen was resident at 380 Soutter Street, Pretoria, when she was admitted to the Pretoria General Hospital in 1954.She passed away on 17 August of that year.

Sources

• Source: Catholic Church Journal, Chronicle of Inkamana, July 1924 -June 1925, Page 18.

• Source: State Archives, Transvaal, TAB, Death Notice, MHG, Kathleen Bridget Helen Cheere Atkinson (Emmett), Ref 6013/54.

• G2G collaborations

Death Certificate Alexander (included)

• https://www.ancestry.com/family-tree/person/tree/161972644/person/202115445398/facts