OBITUARY

Northern Advocate, 8 February 1927, Page 5

OBITUARY

WAIPU NOVA SCOTIAN PIONEER.

(From Our Own Correspondent.) With the passing away of Mrs \ Alexandrina McKay on Friday fore-! noon, at her residence, Millbrook, Wai-. pn, the now few surviving Nova Sco- j tian pioneers have lost another of j their number. 1 Mrs McKay was born at St. Ann’s,' Nova Scotia, 82 years ago. When a j lassie of twelve, she sailed with her j father, Mr James Stewart, and the ( rest of his family, in the-ship Spray j (under command of Captain John Dun- ; can) in January 1857, arriving in J

- Auckland in June of the same year. 1 After a little while, Mr-Stewart and r family settled in the Hakarau district. 1 Sixty years ago Mrs McKay married 1 j the late Mr John J. McKay, who pre- ' | deceased her by nearly 20 years, and , took up her residence at the Millbrook, 1 Waipu, whore she raised a healthy family of twelve, three of whom predeceased her. One son was accidentally killed, while Sergeant A. P. McKay, another son, who was one of the 1 first to enlist from Waipu for the ; Great War, paid the supreme sacrifice 'on Gallipoli at Sari Bahr. j Mrs McKay, when on a visit to one |of her daughters, at Dargaville, over ja year ago, took ill, , and was for , 1 months unable to return to her home, j lifter returning, instead of improving] i she gradually became worse until the j lend came, although her hardy constitu-j j tion carried her weeks beyond the ! | span of life allotted to her by her | j medical advisers. j j Mrs McKay was beloved by all who i I knew her, being of a very unassuming,) (friendly and kindly disposition, and j j always anxious to help those in trou- | bio. The respect and esteem in which j (she was held were exemplified bv the j large concourse of people who, as a I tribute of respect to a departed friend, ; followed her remains to their last j resting place in the Waipu Cemetery, J I and the large number of beautiful I floral wreaths which covered the ! casket. Between 10 and 50 cars were in the cortege, and amongst those present were friends from many of , the surrounding districts. The Rev. Mr Bycroft, of Maungn- j turoto, officiated at the home and [ i graveside. | As well as nine children, Mrs McKay j ■ leaves behind her two brothers, Messrs j j Angus and Duncan Stewart, of Haka--i .ran, .00 grandchildren, and five great- 11 grandchildren. Of those who were j; shipmates on the Spray from Nova Scotia with the deceased, only three !i survive her, namely, her brother An- 1 1 gus and Messrs Alex G. and Norman |i McKenzie, of Whangarei. i c