PERSONAL ITEMS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 20 May 1915, Page 4

PERSONAL ITEMS.

■ v __ Three sons of Sir John and Lady Findlay hold commissions in the Imperial Army—Mr Wilfred" Findlay is a second lieutenant in the King's 'Royal Rifle Corns; Mr Lloyd Findlay is a second lieutenant in the 7th East Surreys, and expects, to leave for the front very shortly; and Mr lan Findlay is a second lieutenant in the 3rd Battalion of the Special Reserve of the Yorks and Lanes Regiment. Mr George; Dear,, who' died at Rongotea on Saturday morning at the age of 80, was one of the oldest settlers of the 'district. He came out, from England when a. young man to ijhe goldfields of Australia, and then on to New j Zealand, joining in the gold rushes of the West Coast. He subsequently came to the North Island, and took up land at Rongotea, which was then covered in bush and manuka scrub. That was 40 years ago, and Mr Dear had farmed' there ever since. Lance-Corporal Leonard Armstrong,, who is reported'to have- died of wounds received at the Dardanelles, was a son of Mr John E. Armstrong, railway traffic manager at Wanganui. In swimming and boxing circles in Wellington and Wanganui lie >vas well known, having; represented Wanganui at the New Zealand" swimming championships. He was the holder of the Wanganui District Hi^n. School and College championships. Mr J. R. McDonald, a well-known horse* owner of Levin, dropped dead wiiile walking with a near Moutoa Gardens, Wanganui*, last night. Death was attributed to heart failure. A Wanganui press message states that Mr Thomas Mitchell, who was well known in mea't-industrv circles, died yesterday at the age of 63 years. The death occurred at Petone last night (says a Press Association message) of the Rev. William Kirk, a well-known Methodist missionary, in his ninetieth year. He had only been confined to bed for two days/ Deceased arrived in the colony in 1846, and was afterwards stationed in many parts of the Dominion, and retired in 1885. In 1848 he married the eldest daughter of the Rev. John Hobbs. It will be remembered that Mr Kirk wrote a very interesting letter in connection with the Rev. Mr. Hammond's history of the Maori missions'on this coast. Word has been received, says an Opunake correspondent, that Corporal F. J. Davey, attached to the Otago Battalion, has been wounded at the Dardanelles. T4r Davey is well-known in. this district, and^ especially at Te Kiri, where be has resided for a number of years. Mr Davey i-epresented Te Kiri on the Egmo«t County Council for two terms, and retired at the last election. His many friends wish him a speedy recovery.