OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXI, 3 April 1926, Page 6

OBITUARY

MR ANDREW MILLER Death removed on Wednesday after--110,(0 a well known business man in the city in the person of Mr Andrew Miller, bulkier and contractor, at the age of about 65. Deceased was about as usual up to the end of last week, when lie entered a private hospital to undergo .in operation, death subsequently ensuing. Deceased as a youth was employed by the late Mr John Merit, in t.he promises subsequently taken over by himself and carried oil until the time of his death. For several years the into Mr Miller was carrying on building opera I inns in .Motueka. then returning in Nelson to enter business on bis own account. In his younger days the late Mr Miller was keenly interested in music, being a violinist of no mean order, and one of the earlier members of the present Nelson Harmonic Society, being at i,ne lime leader of the orchestra. lie was also conduct nr ot tin.* Motueka Brass and String Bands. the late Mr Miller was the eldest *■■ n i ■(" the late Mr Ji.lm Paul Miller, of Nelson. He is survived by a widow and two sons, Messrs Hayden and John Miller. both of Nelson.

MR FRANCIS LUSTY An old and highly respected resident of Richmond, Mr Francis Lusty, has passed away this week. Mr Lusty was I..iiii at Stoke o:i December 11. 1845. three vs ars alter the foundation of Nelson, His parents came to Nelson from England in the first year of the Settlonieni. his father, the late Mr Benjamin Lusty, arriving by the ship Clifford in May. 1842. while his mother was a passenger by the Sir Charles Forbes, which !■'ached nort In Angus! of Urn same year. When the late Mr Lusty was in iis infancy his parents took up their M-sidoiiee at Richmond. where they made their home for the remainder of their lives. Mr Francis Lusty, with the i xeentioa of eight years' residence at Collingvvood—from 1868 to 1876—had lived at Richmond for the whole of his long and husv life. He commenced farming pursuits there nearly fifty years ago and was engaged in this occupation until Ids retirement in 1920. He followed a particularly active life until about ten or eleven years ago. Since that time his activities have been restricted by impaired eye-sight. but his general health continued fairlv good until bis death, which occurred suddenly, as a. result of heart failure, on Monday last. The late Mr Lusty, who bad entered Ill’s 81st year, was greatly esteemed by a large circle of friends throughout (lie <‘•‘■tl'ic-t. As a voung man lie saw much of the ups and downs of early pioneering life. He possessed a very retentive memory of events of early times, and although la* kept no written records he was able to recall with unfailing accuracy the dales and circumstances of occurrences extending hack for nearly seventy years. This faculty was demonstrated in a striking manner.a few years ago. When a youth of not quite 19. Mr Lusty made a prospecting tour to the Buller district. He had no definite nlans in view when lie started on his iournev. which was made by way of the Wakamarinn. Wnirau Valley and Ton House, hut he fell in with two diggers in the Buller Valiev. The three gold-seekers spent some little time at the Mangles, hut owing principally to the high price of provisions', the venture was not a syeesss. The party short. Iv afterwards separated, and Mr Lusty returned to Nelson. After a lapse of exactly fifty years lie revisited the locality in October J 914. Although lie was then nearly 70 years of age. lie surprised his friends and eh her wayfarers bv spinning down the Buller Valley on a “push” bicycle. He went over tin* old prospecting ground and washed out a few “colours” of gold on tlie spot mi which lie had sought Hie elusive metal exactly fifty years preciously, the dates corresponding to a day. He cycled all the wav home to Richmond, covering the distance in 13 hours, despite several showers of rain.

For over half a century past Mr Lusty had been a member of the Ancient Order of Foresters. lie was n foundation member of (Yurt Aorne, Collingwood, and for nearly fifty years past he had been a member of Court Sherwood Freest, Stoke. The funeral, which look place at the Richmond ceineterv on ■, > hiirs lav aflt rnimn, was verv largely * '’■ 'ended, an" ng the mourners being the Mayor and Councillors of the Borough. 1 of Richmond, and representatives of ■ Court Sherwood Forest, members of which acted as bearers. The burial rcremonv was conducted by the Rev. F. C. Every, the Foresters’ service for (lie dead being read by Bro. Janies ■ Citing, secretary of Court Sherwood For- > eat. Mr Lusty is survived by Ids wife, six sons, four daughters. 29 erand children and Iwo great grand children.