OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, 14 May 1917, Page 4

OBITUARY

•DEATH OF MR THOMAS '©ELL. ■<.!' The death occurred at Richmond last;., evening of Mr Thomas Bell, Mayor of Richmond, Chairman of the Nelson.Hospital and Charitable Aid Board, and a member of the Nelson Harbour ißoard. The late Mr Bell was about as usual,, yesterday, and in the evening conducted the service at the TSrightwater Metho-.' dist Church.' He, returned home about 9.60, apparently in his usual state of. health, and had. just retired to bed at , 9.45, when he had a seizure, the cause bejmjc the rupture of a blood vessel/ in . the brain. He did not regain conscious- • ness, and died at 11.45. ' . : . . ' The deceased' was horn atV Belgtove,.:, and spent his early boyhood in Takaka and Stoke. Later his family shifted to Richmond, and he was educated at the. Richmond 'Public School. Later he worW ed on his father's farm at Richmond. '•',

InT his early manhood the late Mr Bell removed to Murchison, and there ~. is no one who was more closely identified . with the progress of the district or the . welfare of the settlers. The deceased'., was looked upon 'as the "strong man";, of the'district, not only in regard to: pr/blic matters, but in regard to the.-, health and general welfare of the Bet-"' tiers. In those days it took something - like five days to get to parts of-.Mur-. chison from' Nelson —a journey that is accomplished how in so many hours. During the 25 years Mr Bell was a settler of the district a very deal of his time, in fact, it has been said. most, of his time, was given up to attending to the needs of others. His was a generous heart, and his hand was always willing to do the work that was needed. It'didr'not matter if the call came from a settler miles distant from his homestead, necessitating perilous journey across swollen rivers, night or day. 'Mr Bell- was always at the service.of, those in need. Tn the absence of medical aid, he was looked upon as the local "doctor," and manv are the times that he rendered valuable assistance in "cases'of serious accident or illness. It car» safely 'be said that Mr Bell's" death Will be mourned' by none more than the. earlier settlers" of the Murchison district.

The late Mr Bell for 18 >ears. represented Murchison on the Inangahua County 'Council, and) was a, rtember-.of 'the Licensing Bench, School Committee,'; etc, in fact, of every .public for the advancement and development .Jof the district. It was •in rendering- aid in a serious accident necessitating'vJhjS'. standing in the cold waters of'the ;:Btiller for several hours in brought on a severe attack: of •pleurisy," which resulted in permanent injury to his health that forced'.Mr Bell to';leave a fine property at Mtirchisqn. and settle, in the milder climate Oi Richmond, which he did some 10 or 12 years ago. > j Mr Belli, it will be also.. received serious in-jurv in : a Brooklyn tram accident at Wellington. . ■ • .'".-. Ehjring Mr 'Bell's residence at Rich*. mond he; has been a hard worker in the T>ublic interest generally, and, in fact, it can be said that at Hhe time .of: his death he was just coming -into .his- . own, being \just r'ettirnedT'^s..[Mayor ,of.. Richmond .and, elected of , W;e kelson"Hospital and Charitable'' AaH-;,' Board. He was also a member of the : .Nelson Harbour Board." and' some timej previously was, a member of the Rich-. y mond ■ Borough Council. / The late Mr Bell was an adherent of the Methodist*, 'Church, and was a., frequent ~j of +he'.nulpit in the": Richmond !ci£cuifc v ;. The. late Mr (B'ell was. Xf.reg'uepsfc : ,cori--. tribii/fcor.to the Evening Mail.lnotius'palnj. lyunder his' own "hame v .. t ;;S.d,;',iQriiT-, : as/,ihp,-i was' furthering the interests of)the..,dis-, trict-Uiis purpose,.was.' served. , ;'., ■ : '- „' . . Tlie/late. Mr B'ell leaves a widow, ;his:. second wife, and five children'.';Tby.ihia ? first'marriage, arid' two by the 'second'.-' Mr L. Bell,' the eldest : soni is.' sitting .for his .'final, medical examination - at/the Otago University. Mr :. has been on his father's farm: at:, Richmond. The eldest daughter. Miss ', Eileen Bel!, is .in Auckland, and 'the,, second daughter is takin'gthe. v course at the Otagb University, and the * youngest' daughter, is, attending the Nel-.v son/./'.Girl's/' College,"// There are '■:■• 'twx>.l young daughters by 4;he'/ second.. ria'ge.. On All sides it is realized that BelPs ''deafhi has caused a- gap .that't'ifc, will be. most difficult to fill. " '•/ ;■;••■' ;; .\,