Sudden Death Of Mr Wi Smith

Northern Advocate, 14 January 1948, Page 2

Sudden Death Of Mr Wi Smith

KAITAIA, Wed. (Sp.)—The death occurred suddenly at his home at Kaiaka. Fairburns, last week-end of a well-known Far Northern Maori resident. He was Mr Wi Smith, aged 42, married, with eight children. Both Mr and Mrs Smith were formerly of Kohukohu. Mr Smith returned from a visit to Kohukohu late in the afternoon. Shortly afterwards he was found, while resting, to be seriously ill. and died almost immediately from heart failure. He had been receiving medical attention. Mr Smith had been a farmer and timber mill worker in Kaitaia district. He was employed by Mr P. Cashman at the sawmill on Fairburns Road, just south of Kaitaia. which was acquired some seven years ago by the Kaitaia Timber Company, and continued in employment with this company both at that mill and at the new plant recently installed nearer Kaitaia after the old mill was destroyed by fire last year. DAIRY COMPANY DIRECTOR He was a director of the Oru.ruFairburns Coop. Dairy Co., Ltd. His funeral at Peria Cemetery during the week-end was attended by the largest gathering of both Maoris and Europeans ever seen there. Tributes to his memory were paid by Mr Hone Wi Kaitaia and by Mr C. J. E. Barriball, chairman of directors of the dairy company he had served. The funeral service was conducted by the Rev. K. H. Pou. Staff members of the Kaitaia Timber Company were pallbearers.