Long service to country women

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32679, 7 August 1971, Page 6

Long service to country women

'The Press" Special Service

BLENHEIM, Aug. 5. Mrs Ellen Eva Gane, who died in Christchurch recently, was a past Dominion president of the New Zealand Country Women’s Institute. She was the wife of Mr H. L. Gane, of “Selmesbrook,” Spring Creek, Blenheim.

Mrs Gane was to have attended the triennial conference of the Associated Country Women of the World in Oslo this month and would have been elected unopposed as the South Pacific area

■vice-president of the world organisation.

In 1967 she attended the regional conference of the A.C.W.W. in Australia and led the C.W.I. delegation from, New Zealand to the triennial conference in the United States the next year. At the time of her death, Mrs Gane was secretary of the national co-ordinating committee of the C.W.I. and the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers. She had also been chairman and deputy-chairman of the coordinating committee. Bom in Blenheim, she was the youngest daughter of the late Mr and Mrs E. J. Gridley, of Spring Creek. Mrs Gane was educated at Spring Creek and Marlborough College. On leaving school she worked in the Spring Creek Post Office until her marriage. She joined the Spring Creek C.W.I. in 1935 and took part in several drama festivals. She held the office of president and vice-presi-dent of the branch.

She was also president, secretary, and a voluntary organiser of the Marlborough C.W.I. Federation executive committee, a federation councillor and the recipient of a Good Service Badge. In 1964 she was elected to the Dominion executive committee with special duties as drama and choral convener. Two years later she received the institute's highest award, the Gold Honours Badge, and was elected Dominion president.

As a C.W.I. officer Mrs Gane was actively associated with the Untied Nations Association of New Zealand, U.N.1.C.E.F., Corso, Junior Red Cross, the Anti-Litter Society, the W.E.A discussion group, and was contact member for Nelson, Marlborough and Murchison for the N.Z. Wool Board woolcraft competitions.

Before her marriage she was captain of the Spring Creek Girl Guide Company. Her church activities later included the Mothers’ Union, Ladies’ Guild and being organist at Holy Trinity Church, Rapaura, a church with which her husband’s family has been associated since it was built 98 years ago. She also served as a president of the Marlborough Horticultural Society, and her interest in daffodil growing was reflected in her membership of the National Daffodil Society.