Henry Finch, photographer, Beaufort West

Dawn Mary Glegg (nee Finch), a proud Beaufort Wester, died on January 15 2013. She was the daughter of photographer, Henry Finch and Irene Raath, and enjoyed a carefree childhood in Bird Street. She loved nothing more than reminiscing about the Beaufort West Primary School and later Victoria Girls’ High in Grahamstown. Throughout her life Dawn was immensely proud of father Henry, a professional photographer, who immigrated to the Karoo from London for health reasons, with his wife and two daughters, after doctors advised him to live in “drier” air. The little family moved to Beaufort West, where sadly Henry’s wife died shortly after their arrival, leaving him with two little girls to care for. There he met Irene Raath, a music teacher, and asked her to teach his girls, Irene, (oddly enough) and Winifred, to play the piano. She did, but she also managed to strike a chord in his heart and soon Irene and Henry were married. They had two more daughters, Dawn and Wendy, who now lives in Johannesburg with her daughter Diane.

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