April 18, 2020
I’m hoping some descendants of the Renon or Broeksmit families or others from the photo who lived in the districts of Banjoemas and Bagelan (Poerwokerto, Tjilatjap, Poerworedjo) of The Nederlands East Indies NEI will recognise any faces in the wedding photo dated 23 November 1921 (no other details on photo).
The photo was given to the current owner, a Canfijn, by his great aunt (Oma) Margaretha Broeksmit/van Dijck-Canfijn (twice married). It is believed that the Groom is Emile Victorius Leonardus Renon born 1898, Dec 25 in Tjilatjap. All the owner remembers is that a ‘Victor’ Renon, whom he met in Merauke (Dutch Nieuw Guinea) after the war, had married the daughter of his adopted ‘Oma.’ He seems to remember there were a couple of daughters but that their mother was no longer alive.
FamilySearch.com records the daughter as Nelly Christine Broeksmit. An old document which records ‘Inwoners’ in the Nederlands-Indies, shows that around 1923 an E V L Renon was an ‘Employee at Rouwenhorst Mulder in Tjilatjap.’ (I think this was an engineering-related company.)
A later record dated 1929, shows an E V L Renon was an ‘Employee of (unknown) living in Semarang followed, in brackets, by the wife’s name (N Ch Broeksmit)’. In the same type of document but 1932, E V L Renon is ‘Employee at an Oliefabrik Slamet in Karanggandoel, wife (N Ch Broeksmit). In 1938 it shows him as ‘Employee…..-Kroja, wife (N Ch Broeksmit). [Karanngdoel is a small place about 6 km from Poerwokerto in Central Java.][Kroja – unsure whether this is North of Soerabaja or Kroja Jakarta]
In the photo the woman directly to the right of the groom we believe to be the mother of the bride, Margaretha van Dijck-Canfijn (she remarried following a divorce from Jan Broeksmit).
There are many Renons recorded as having lived in the NEI but I haven’t established the family connections. It is the daughters of Victor Renon and Nelly Renon-Broeksmit who may have living descendants with some knowledge of their grandparents. However it is unknown what happened to Victor Renon and his children after Margaretha van Dijck-Canfijn and her charge went to the Netherlands in 1962.
It would be amazing if anyone else recognises any of the faces in the photos.
Sincerely
Bonita Boon
Volkskrant
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