BEFORE HER BIRTHDAY.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 178, 29 July 1932, Page 8

BEFORE HER BIRTHDAY.

DEATH OF MRS. SUSAN MARTIN WOULD HAVE BEEN 95 TO-DAY. There passed away at Papakura yesterday afternoon Mrs. Susan Martin, one of New Zealand's oldest women pioneers, who would have reached the age of 95 years'to-day. Mrs. Martin had been in New Zealand just on 70 years. Originally she came out from Belfast with relatives as far as Melbourne in 1852, and then travelled on to Dunedin in 1862, taking up a position as milliner and dressmaker at the establishment of Herbert Haynes. Mrs. Martin was married in 1864 to Mr Joseph Martin, who had arrived in New Zealand from the Old Country about the same time as herself. Both husband and wife followed the Otago gold rushes, being .in the Gabriel Gully rush. Mrs. Martin was the first white woman to cross the Shotover River in Otago. After the. "old rushes the couple settled in Waimate, South Canterbury, where most of 'the family were born, there being nine boys and one girl. Seven sons are still living. Mrs. Martin was a life-long a'dh'erent of the Methodist Church, being one of the first Sunday school teachers in Dunedin. The sons are Mr. Sam Martin, late of the Wellington Harbour Board; Mr. W. Lee Martin, Matangi, formerly M.P. for Raglan; Mr. G. A. Martin, of Christchurch; Messrs. Wesley, Stanley and Harvey Martin, of Auckland; and the Rev. J. F. Martin, Methodist minister of Papakura, with whom she resided. Mrs. Martin's birthday was to have been celebrated to-day, a cake having been prepared with 95 candles. Up to the last few days Mrs. Martin had enjoyed fairly good health, and was conscious to the last. A short service will be held at the Methodist Church, Papakura, to-morrow afternoon, prior to leaving for the Waikaraka cemetery, Onehunga. The Rev. E. D. Patchett, chairman of the Auckland Methodist district, will take the services, and an in memoriam service will be held at the Methodist Church on Sunday, when Professor Blight, of Trinity College, will conduct the service.