Mrs. Lavieia M. Berry

Northern Advocate, 25 November 1943, Page 2

Mrs. Lavieia M. Berry

Daughter of one of the earlier families of Auckland and well-known in the Mangonui County where she resided for a quarter of a century, Mrs Lavinia Mary Berry, died at the Whangarei hospital last evening after a short illness.

Born in Auckland 74 years' ago, Mrs Berry, after receiving her education there, took up the profession of school teaching and for 10 years taught at ihe Harrisville and Tuakau schools, near Auckland. She retired from her profession to marry Mr David Berry a son of Mr William Berry, the then editor of the “New Zealand Herald.” After a short married life, on the death of her husband, Mrs Berry returned to schoolteaching and for 25 years was head of the Oruru school in the Mangonui County. While at Oruru Mrs Berry took a prominent part in the socal life of the district and the esteem in which she was held was shown by the cordial relations that always existed between herself and the school committee, as well as by the tangible manner in which this esteem was expressed on Mrs Berry’s retirement in 1925. Many of the present settlers of the Oruru district received their education at the hands of Mrs Berry, and since her retirement she has made periodical visits to the district and has always received a warm welcome from these old pupils who are now grown to man and womanhood. For the past 18 years Mrs Berry has lived in retirement in Auckland, but being of an energetic nature she has taken -a leading part in women's organisations in that city. About two months ago Mrs Berry contracted the first illness that she had suffered during her long and useful life and then came to reside with her daughter, Mrs L. H. Weston, in Whangarei. From this illness she did not recover but passed peacefully away at the Wangarei hospital last evening. One daughter, three grandchildren and one great-grandchild are left to mourn their loss. The funeral is to be held at Whangarei on Friday morning.