OBITUARY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 62, Issue 89, 26 January 1942, Page 2

OBITUARY.

MR FREDERICK FRAMPTON AN OUTSTANDING PERSONALITY. An indefatigable worker in many spheres of . public life in Ashburton County and one of its best-known personalities over a great many years, Mr Frederick Frampton died suddenly at his farm at Wakanui this morning. His passing will be greatly, regretted by the community in which he gave so much of his time»and energies in the promotion of good works. He had an outstanding record of service on public bodies.

Mr Frampton, who was in his 78th year, had been in reasonably good health of late and had been able to carry on his duties with local bodies and organisations of several kinds as usual. He went out to carry on some work at his farm and in the middle of the morning when refreshments were taken out to him by one of his sons he sat down and expired at once. Mr Frampton was born at Spreydon on September 12, 1864, a son of Mr and Mrs George Frampton, who came to New Zealand in 1863 and settled at Halswell, where they remained for three or four years before taking up land at Brookside. It was at that settlement that Mr Frampton attended school. His education finished, he took up work on his father’s farm, which was largely swamp country, and he carried out much of the drainage work that was necessary before the plough could be used. Arrival at Wakanui. After some years he leased a property next to the home farm and three years later married Miss. Martha Hight. After seven years during which Mr Frampton turned his swampy farm into an excellent holding he sold out and bought a farm of 180 acres at Wakanui, the place he had made his home ever since. Later he bought an additional 400 acres close by. Mr Frampton was very interested in good cattle, and he won many coveted awards at shows in the district. He was a big grower of wheat and'favoured the Corriedale breed of sheep in the raising of fat lambs. From the beginning of his residence at Wakanui, Mr Frampton took a lively interest in the welfare of the community and his excellent qualities were soon recognised, leading to his election to important posts on local bodies. Wherever he thought he could give service to his fellowmen he was eager to do so and his advice on many subjects was sought by a wide circle of people.

Many years of good service were given to the Wakanui Road Board by Mr Frampton, who remained a member till the Board was abolished a few years ago. In the meantime, he had been appointed as the representative of the Wakgnui Riding on the Ashburton County Council, to which be was first elected in 1920. For seven years lie remained a member of that body, being one of its most valued officers, and then he gave up that activity for a time. In 1929. however, he was again elected to the Council and he remained

a member till the time of his death. For two years he was chairman and in that time he came to be looked on as a very able and energetic administrator of the Council’s varied activities. He was keenly interested in every phase of the Council’s widespread work and seldom was there a meeting that he did not attend. He was a member of the Works Committee and was the Council’s representative on the High School Board, where his farming knowledge was of the greatest use in connection with the school farm. Work For Farmers. For many years Mr Frampton was a member of the Ashburton Hospital Board and lie did good work as a member and as a member of sub-commit-tees which were appointed from time to time. In his endeavours to bring about a better recognition of the farming community’s problems, Mr Frampton entered vigorously into the activities of the Farmers’ Union, which he joined when that organisation was a new venture. He was president of the Ashburton branch for a time and was a member of the Mid-Canterbury Executive for many years, being treasurer for a very long period. He was an able and thoughtful debater and his opinion was valued not only in Ashburton but in spheres much further afield. A member of the Ashburton A. and P. Association Mr Frampton did much to promote the welfare of the rural districts, and he gave a great deal of his time to this work. He was president of the Association in 1917. He was. on the grounds committee mid the cattle, horse and pig committee of the Association. He was also for a time a member, of the Wheat Board. «• In the Wakanui district Mr Frampton was a leader in a number of activities. He was chairman of the Home Guard Committee and of the Wakanui Patriotic Committee (to whose funds he gave most liberally, as he did during the last war), and he was a representative on the Ashburton Patriotic Zone Committee. One of Mr Frampton’s greatest interests lay in the Methodist Church, of which he had been a member practically all his life. He was Circuit Steward for many years. As a writer in the church magazine said of him: “Though lie fills so many offices with distinction the outstanding fact of Mr Frampton’s life is liis association with the Methodist Church ... He does not hesitate publicly and frankly to declare that it is his connection with the Methodist

Church which has been the inspiration of all his public life.” At Wakanui Mr Frampton was patron of the Defence Rifle Club for many years, and he took a very keen interest in the affairs of the school, being chairman of the Committee for a long period. On the Hall Committee, too, he did good work as a member and as its chairman over a number of years. Mr Frampton was a staunch supporter of the prohibition causeand was a member of the Ashburton No-Licence Council. He was a firm supporter of the National Party.

Mr Frampton is survived by his wife and six sons, two of whom are farming in the North Island, two at Wakanui and two on the home farm. A seventh son was killed in France in the last war.