That house in Nellie Street

Secured into the red cement of the patio of a house in Nellie Street appears an incredible showcase of statuettes that the whole of Krugersdorp has come to recognise.

The News paid the residents a visit to find out what the story behind this exposition is.

“Our mother moved us into this house 23 years ago and the gnomes and trinkets just started to accumulate over the years,” says Christine Retief, the eldest daughter of Jenny Retief’s three daughters, who owns this masterpiece in Nellie Street.

Jenny, better know in the community as Stienie, has always been a very lively and sociable lady. She is known to feed all the stray dogs that she can. As the News stopped in front of the gate, a small mixed breed dog named Jackal was seen waiting for his breakfast.

“My mother even feeds a local cat,” says Sally van Loggenberg, the youngest of the sisters who soon flies back to her home in Durban.

Sharlene Retief, the middle child, remembers how each Christmas something was bought for the house.

“It was never difficult to buy a present for my mother.”

“Until recently…” the sisters agree.

In October last year the family discovered that Stienie had been diagnosed with lung cancer. It has spread across her organs as well as to her brain.

Fortunately, a recent scan shows a general decrease in most of the tumour’s size.

“Now we buy her clothes and protein shakes. She lost a lot of weight,” Christene tells us.

The beautifully decorated house is still maintained, mostly by Stienie’s good friend of 36 years, Mary van der Merwe. The sisters praise Mary for her devotion towards their mother and agrees that without her, it would have been much more challenging.

When Stienie bought the house for R60 000 in 1992, it was near ruins. The sisters believe she bought it as a project and in order to provide a better life for them.

“Our previous house only had one bedroom,” said Sally.

Christene tells of the trees that once graced the front of the house. The stumps of the trees were decorated with the girls’ shoes. Different shoes for different ages. The trees eventually died and was replaced with more ornaments and statues.

Everything is cemented into the ground and an electric fence surrounds the home. The family has never had any serious theft or robberies.

As for the mannequins in front, Stienie use to change its clothes every second week. Christene has to paint on make-up every year.

“On Sundays she wore a church hat. On Christmas she wears a Christmas hat. When it rains, she wears a raincoat.”

It was very entertaining as the sisters laughed while recounting the memories. They seem to find their strength in the happiness of the past.

“We are very close,” they said.

The statuettes that turned the house into a local tourist attraction and neighbourly coffee-drinking hot spot, still – and always will – amuse and inspire many.