Fifty Years Onward

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 264, 6 November 1941, Page 3

Fifty Years Onward

GOLDEN MILESTONE FOR MR. AND MRS. J. A. WILKINSON

Fifty years of married lifo were celebrated yesterday by Mr. and Mrs. J. A. Wilkinson, of Elmira Avenue, Palmerston North. Owing to the illness of Mrs. Wilkinson, the celebrations were of a quiet nature and were confined to members of the family. A three-tiered cake had been prepared and on top of it was an ornamental bulldog, which was presented by Mr. Wilkinson’s father at the silver anniversary celebrations during the last 'war. Letters and telegrams of congratulation *and many gifts of flowers were received from various parts of New Zealand, and the members of the family present were Mr. and Mrs. A. Owen Wilkinson (Christchurch), Lieut.Colonel G. G. Hancox and Mrs. Hancox, Mr. and Mrs. A. H. Fisher, junr. (Palmerston North) and Misses Elsie and Gwendolyn llaucox (Masterton).

Mr. and Mrs. Wilkinson were born in Dunedin. Mrs. Wilkinson is a daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Aberuethy, of Dumfries, and Mr. Wilkinson is a son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Alfred Wilkinson, of Manchester. The officiating clergyman at the wedding was Rev. A. H. Wallace, who died two,years ago in Dunedin, and the bridesmaids wore Miss Agnes Reid (who died in Wellington about 20 years ago) and Miss Lily Divers (now Mrs. W. Peterson, of Hamilton). The best man was Mr. E. E. Wilkinson, a brother of the brigegroom. Mr. Wilkinson, with his brother, founded the well-known woodware and hardware firm of J. and A. Wilkinson, Ltd., in Dunedin 55 years ago. He retired from business about eight years ago and has been a resident of Palmerston North for the last six years. All his spare timo has been devoted to religious and social service work and he was chosen as a member of the cninmitteo (and is tue sole survivor) which reduced the number of hotel licenses in Dunedin under the reduction vote. He served two terms on this committee from 1906 to 1912. In 1932 he waS appointed chairman of the Congregational Union of New Zealand and was for 16 years a member of the Presbyterian Wocial Service Association. He was also a director of the Y.M.C.A. and u, member of the Council of Churches, lie was for many years a director of the London Missionary Society and a member of the committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society for Otago. In 1911 Mr. Wilkinson visited England to see the Coronation of King George V. and Queen Mary, and in 1924 he and Mrs. Wilkinson attended the Wembley Exhibition and were two of New Zealand’s delegates to the World’s Sunday School Convention at Glasgow. As delegates to the Congregational Centennial, they visited Australia in 1933. Mrs. Wilkinson has been a very prominent figure in church work. She was the founder and first president of the Women’s Federation of the Congregational Union, and as organiser for this federation toured New Zealand in 1932.

Their family consists of Mr. A. Owen Wilkinson, of Christchurch, and Mrs. G. G. Hancox, of Masterton. Mr. A. O. Wilkinson served as a gunner in the last war and returned with a captaincy. Lieut.-Colonel G. G. Hancox, E.D., son-in-law, is at present at the Staff College at Palmerston North. There are also five grand-daughters and two grandsons.