Hyman (Hymie) Arenson was the son of Louis and Ester Arenson and was born in Cape Town in 1900. The Arenson family had come to South Africa from Lithuania (Schud-Kovno) in the late 1880s. Louis and Ester had eight children, fours sons: Harry, Philip, Jack, Hyman (Hymie) and four daughters: Betty, Yetty, Dolly, Freda. Hymie's Hebrew name was Chaim Hirsch ben Yehuda Leib. In 1932, Hymie married Leah Durbach in Clocolan in the Orange Free State. Leah was living in Clocolan at the time of the marriage. 

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Leah Durbach was the daughter of Maurice (Morris) and Jenny and was born in Tukums in 1902. Several members of Durbach family had already settled in the Orange Free State. Leah left Latvia for South Africa in 1930 and arrived aboard the Durham Castle. According to the ship’s manifest, she was a seamstress by profession. Upon disembarking, she went to Clocoloan to join her uncle Solomon Zalman Durbach (1884-1975) who was married to Yettie Aronson (Hyman’s sister).

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In 1946 Hymie and Leah moved to Vryburg and Hymie – a bookkeeper by profession - worked for Solomon’s Stores. Hymie was eventually made part of the senior management of Solomon's Stores. The couple ended up living in Vryburg for 23 years and were very involved in the Jewish community and in wider public life. Hymie was an avid Rotarian, served on the local Chamber of Commence and was elected to serve as the President of the Vryburg rugby club. Hymie and Leah had three children, Clarice, Riva and Maurice (Meish). The children were born in Clocolan. Clarice and Riva were members of the popular Shul choir started by Rabbi Kemmelman. Meish was a keen rugby player and served as Vice Captain of the Vryburg High School rugby team. After the three children completed their schooling in Vryburg they left the town and the parents later followed. Hymie passed away in Johannesburg in 1982 and Leah passed away in Israel in 1996. Clarice and Meish live in Israel and Riva in the USA.

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It is worth noting the Durbach-Friedberg connection. Solomon Zalman Durbach was the first cousin of Solomon (Sloum) Durbach. Their fathers were from Tukums. Sloum Durbach married Fanny Friedberg, who passed away in Bethlehem in 1935. The Friedberg family were connected to the Toube family by marriage. Anna Toube, daughter of Faival (Philip) Toube and Shifra (Sophie) Immerman, who both hailed from Talsen, married David Abel Friedberg, also of Talsen. Interestingly, Sloum served as the executor in the estate of Feiwe Arenson and is listed a cousin-in-law on his death certificate. Feiwe was a speculator and farmer and died in Kroonstad in 1925. Sloum passed away in 1938. Solomon Zalman passed away in 1975.