OBITUARY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVII, Issue 214, 24 August 1927, Page 4

OBITUARY.

MR. JOHN HARRIS. Happy in the knowledge of a well spent life, John Harris, of Eavelock North, yesterday went peacefully to his rest. Born at Calstock, Cornwall, in 1857, the sou of the late Joseph Harris, he was brought to New Zealand, a child in arms, by his parents, who landed in Auckland in 1858 from the ship Harewood. Leaving school at the age of 14 years, he worked on a farm in the extreme north of Auckland, and afterwards spent a short period of his boyhood mining at the Thames. At the age of 16 years he came to Hastings, ami then proceeded to Wanganui. In 1878 he settled in Woodville, where he resided until 8 years ago, when retiring from farm work, he came to live in Havelock North. At Woodville in 1888, he took tip the management of the late Hon J. D. Ormond'Woodville estate, which he conducted in conjunction with two farms of his own. He was a member of the Woodville Jockey Club, the Woodville Domain Board, the Woodville A ..nr-’ P. Society, and the Pahiatua Licensing Committee. He was the first, or one of the first chairmen of the Woodville County Council.

On coming to Hawke’s Bay, hj was elected a member of the H.B’ Hospital Board, and became chairman of the Old Peoples’ Home at Parke Island. In the good work of coring for the sick and aged, he threw the remaining years of his life with a devotion which made him an outstanding figure, loved and admired by his acquaintances, especially those who were associated with him in this work, and above all by the old people at the Home, who by his death, have lost their greatest friend. As his worth has been recognised during his residence .in Hawke’s Bay. so it has been all through his life, and the old residents of Woodville will have remembrance of him as a kindly comrade, a man of the strictest integrity and a nature’s gentleman. He was married twice, his first wife, who predeceasin', him by about 30 years, gave issue to four sons and four daughters. One son, Alick, was killed during the war, and one daughter, the late E. Ebbett, of Hastings, died a few years ago. Surviving him are his widow, three sons—Messrs. John Harris (Hastings), Alfred and Percy Harris (Woodville), and three daughters—Mrs Wakford and Mrs Dobbie. of Woodville, and Mrs- Walters, Wanganui, to whom, with Mr Joe Harns, his brother, the deepest sympathy in their bereavement is extended by a large circle of friends. The late Mr. Harris was a member of the Masonic Order, and the interment. with Masonic rites, will be at the Havelock North Cemetery at 2 o’clock to-morrow (Thursday).