Well-known Resident Of City Passes

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 3, 4 January 1941, Page 3

Well-known Resident Of City Passes

MR. J. J. GILLIES !' | The death occurred on Christmas Day *! of Mr. John Jarvie Gillies, of Andrew L j Young Street, who had been well-known in Palmerston North and the district [- for many years. Mr. Gillies, who was - 74 years old, came to New Zealand at s the age of 19 from Castle Mary, Scotland, where ho was Lorn. •’ After a short period at the Clydes--0 | dale Station, Otago, Mr. Gillies came to j j the North Island and spent the rest of i his life in the Mauawatu district. He ■ first worked at Foxton and then was -, sawmilliug at Wliakarongo. When the £ New Zealand Dairy Farmers’ Union | began operations he was one of the first e j persons associated with it, working in ’ the Palmerston North factory and then 1 going to Bunnythorpo as manager of the j creamery. In 1903 he built the Bunny- ' thorpe butter factory, aud then went to 1 Colyton to build the Colyton creamery, D which was eventually destroyed by fire. i -During liis stay in Bunny thorpe Mr. t Gillies was a keen member of the local • School Committee. 1 j Mr. Gillies later gave up his activities in connection with the creameries to enter the taxi busiuess in Palmerston j North, which ho started in 1914. He r was one of the first taxi drivers here, i but had actually been driving a car for • some years before then. He could claim • lo have been one of the earliest ear 5 drivers in the district, and his son can , recall having to hold horses while his I father drove past in a high-wheeled car. . | Mr. Gillies retired from taxi-driving . four years ago and had since lived a , I quiet life, spending much of his time louring the surrounding districts with 1 a caravan made by himself. 3 j Mr. Gillies in 1894 married Miss • I Agnes Hopkirk, of Wellington, who ! died in 1905. In 1908 he married Miss ! Elizabeth Blain, wuo survives him. By the first marriage there was one son, 1 Mr. A. G. Gillies, of Palmerston North, , and two daughter?/ Miss Agnes M. • Gillies, of Wanganui, and Mrs. R. F. j G hidings, of Wellington. By his second | marriage there were two daughters, Mrs. Dolan, of Palmerston North, and . Mrs. Purvis, of Palmerston North. . There are two brothers in New Zealand, j Messrs. J. Gillies (Upper Hutt) and W. ] Gillies (Umutoi).