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Name: WENMAN, Leonard Alfred
Birth Date: 9 Jan 1890 Mile End, London
Death Date: 27 Jan 1965 San Francisco
First Date: 1922
Profession: Hotelier, electrical engineer
Area: Elburgon
Married: In Lymington 1920 Gertruida Hendrika Van Heerikhuisen b. 30 June 1890 Roosendaal, Holland, d. 9 Sep 1973 Bussum, Holland
Book Reference: KAD, Red 31
War Service: King's Royal Rifle Corps
General Information:
Wenman's hotel, Molo
Red 31 has L.A. Welman, Elburgon, Hut the same
Molo - Wenman's Hotel - Mrs Wenman - We came to Kenya in the beginning of 1922 to Elburgon with Col. And Mrs Fawcus. My husband came out to see to the building of their house and the layout of their garden. Then it was all thick forest and no roads. We stayed at Elburgon until 1931.
We bought the land in Molo from Stuart Bellhouse in 1930 and started building in 1932, first our own house. There was a lot to be done as it was just a hill no trees nothing. We laid out the garden, made a road, started with chickens and rabbits, tried everything to make some money.
In 1936 we started building the Hotel and as we made money we increased the rooms. It was really wonderful as we started from nothing and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We did everything ourselves with native boys and one Indian fundi. All the timber was 'pit-sawn' and stone cut by hand. I must say people were very good to us and 'Uncle Len' got known by a good many people. We would never have left Molo as we both loved it so much. I am afraid it broke Len's heart.