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cinner
25-05-2006, 9:55 PM
I am a first timer so please be patient... I am trying to trace my father. My mother has been dead for some years now. All i have is his name Peter (Peiter?) Oostheizen (think thats the correct spelling) He would be in his,probably, late 70's if still alive. He was born in Holland, brought up in Durban,S.Africa, at some stage went to Canada,Toronto, where he met my Mum in the 60's. She came back to England after i was born. I have absolutely no idea where to start looking. My children would like to find out more about their heritage. I have a photo which i believe could be him but thats all. Any help would be appreciated.
DebbieAnn
25-05-2006, 11:15 PM
I would suggest you get a copy of your parents' marriage certificate and start from there. With luck, it will name their parents, and you can go back from there. You're not going to find much from the 1960's online...

Debbie
ET in the USA
26-05-2006, 2:27 AM
Alternately, since you don't mention anything about a marriage in your email, step No. 1 might be to get your own birth certificate to verify the spelling of his name.
ET in the USA
26-05-2006, 2:33 AM
Another question. Have you tried doing a Google search for Pieter or Peter Oostheizen ?

I just did it, but I don't really know what I'm looking. Perhaps it's a very common name in some parts, but there were 334 hits using 'Peter', including some about birds in South Africa.

You never know what might turn up.
DebbieAnn
26-05-2006, 4:01 AM
Found a Pieter Oosthuizen who wrote a book about the Boer War in So. Africa...

You might check to see if there is a service record for a (last name of) Oosthuizen - it might explain how he ended up there from Holland... perhaps his father was in the military??

Debbie
DebbieAnn
26-05-2006, 4:16 AM
From Ancestry:

Name: Oosthuizen, Pieter Gerhard Keyter
Birth - Death: 1932-
Source Citation:

* Canadian Who's Who. A biographical dictionary of notable living men and women. Volume 14. Edited by Kieran Simpson. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1979. (CanWW 14)
* Who's Who in America. 40th edition, 1978-1979. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1978. (WhoAm 40)
* Who's Who in America. 41st edition, 1980-1981. Wilmette, IL: Marquis Who's Who, 1980. (WhoAm 41)

Well, he'd be about 74 if still alive, and he was in Toronto, Canada - might be worth checking out!!

Debbie
cinner
26-05-2006, 11:26 PM
Many thanks for your help. Will let you know how i get on.