In January 2003 I set about putting our family tree together. I had gathered the information some years previously, but lacking inspiration as to how to present it, had stowed it in Doug’s container till after they shifted from Palmerston North to Ramarama. Steven had been to Morocco and was home again in Whakatane, and Nellie and Doug planned to go to Bouganville with VSA. At that time Ron and Judy, and also Graham and Sue were home for her fathers 80th birthday. On Feb 2nd we all, except Norman, met at Esther and Joe’s to farewell Nellie and Doug. So, having set out the information, in what I hope, is a readable and understandable way, I’d just like to add a note about some of those folk mentioned that I had known.
My parents were both members of big families, and over the years they all visited us on the farm, and we visited them. Mother’s brother George was killed in France in 1918, and both Sam and Martin fought in the war, but returned. A. Dolly’s husband, Dolph, worked on the railway and they were allowed reduced fares, so were able to visit us a number of times. When we went to our Grandma’s in Wanganui and Wellington, we saw both sides of the family. Later U. Dolph bought a farm at Korakanui, near U. Jock Jamieson and A. Chrissie. A. Amy and her husband had a nursery in Lower Hutt, and U. Charlie and his family lived above the chemist shop in Petone, and later his daughter, Margaret, qualified and worked with her father.
About 1924 my Grandfather had a stroke and was not able to talk or think clearly, so he and Grandma came to live with us. The men built a sunroom onto U. Sam’s house and after that the Grandparents lived with them until Granddad’s death in 1928. Grandma then returned to live with A. Isa, a schoolteacher, who lived at Reporoa after her retirement. A. Edie and U. Jim were in charge of a pottery in Balclutha. The main product was toilets, but they made many smaller items for their own satisfaction.
Mother’s family were farmers, so more scattered and tied to their work, so we didn’t see them so much. Several of Grandma’s family visited us. Dad’s U. Arthur we knew quite well. He had a shop in Waitotara, and although he was very good to the local folk, one of them murdered him with an axe.
On our honeymoon we stayed with Dad’s people in Palmerston North, his U. Joe and A. Steenie and all their big family. A number of them were diabetic and because of that his U. Bill had his leg amputated. When Nellie and Doug lived in Palmerston North they took me to see his widow.
When we came to Tauranga to live we were able to visit Dad’s sister, Mabel and her husband Rupert, and also Mary and Jack Lamb in Pokeno, and brother Jack and his wife Nell, in Tirohia. Dad’s parents lived in a cottage in Pokeno, but his father used to bike to Ake-ake to Nella’s, where she and her husband farmed. One day he got there and they were out. It had rained on the way, and wet as he was, he had to turn round and cycle home. The result was pneumonia, which killed him. He was buried on Melville’s 4th birthday. Dad’s mother lived with Jack and Nell until Nella and Rupert retired to Tauranga, and then she made her home with them.
Both Dad’s Grandparents came from England, but his parents were born in the South Island of NZ. His mother was born and married in Rakaia, but her brothers lived there all their lives. His parents bought land in the King Country. Though I don’t remember Norval, his wife A. Violet was a great favourite and often visited us. When she moved to Rotorua we were able to visit her. We knew all her family, and Les, in his teenage years, came to our home quite often. Edna and Reg spent some of their honeymoon with us, and I stayed with them in Auckland before my marriage.
