OBITUARY

Dominion, Volume 27, Issue 151, 23 March 1934, Page 12

OBITUARY

Mrs. Anders Olsen One of Eketahuna’s original settlers, Mrs. Anders Olsen, died late on AA rednesday afternoon, according to a “Dominion” Special Service message from that town. The late Mrs. Olsen, who was 86 years of age, was a striking specimen of the best type of Scandinavian emigrant who so successfully settled Eketahuna and other portions of the Forty Afile Bush. Her personal qualities and her close association with tlie very earliest days of settlements made her most interesting.. On her arrival at Port Nicholson, on Alarch 4, 1573, by tlie sailing vessel Forfarshire, she entered the service of a Mr. Aloffatt, an early AVellington dentist. She knew not a word of English upon her arrival, but with the assistance of her employer's son she soon obtained a command of the language After about a year in AVellington she visited Dryer's Rock in Hie Bush district. While there she met Air. Alexander Jacobsen, whom she subsequently married. After a time in that part of the district Hie young couple left for Eketahuna. There the late Airs. Olsen spent the first night under a hollow hinau log, with a canvas tent fly thrown over one end. Since then she had watched the town and district steadily progress to its present dimensions. Her husband and Air. B. Sigvertsen felled the first four acres of bush on land hel.ll by himself and another settler, this being the first land cleared for cultivation in Eketahuna. About three years after arriving in the district Air.'Jacobsen died, leaving a family of two, the late Airs. Hardingham, who was the first white child born in Eketahuna. and Air. A. Jacobsen, of Eketahuna. After three m- four years Airs. Jacobsen married tlie late Air. Anders Olsen, a widower with two children. There were, seven children of this marriage, making eleven in all. The late Airs. Olsen established the first business in Eketahuna-—an accommodation house standing on or about the site of the present municipal buildings, in the main street of Hie town. The house was constructed of pit-sawn timber, and Hie furniture consisted of a few tallies, chairs and stretchers fitted with mattresses stuffed with dry leaves, were made of the same material. Besides successfully rearing her large family, the late Airs. 01 son assisted her husband to bring his section into cultivation. Her second husband pre-deceased her in 1917. There are surviving one daughter and four sons by Hie second marriage. 13 grandchildren, two greatgrandchildren, a step-daughter and a step-son. She also leaves four sisters, all of whom are over eighty years of age.