OBITUARY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXI, 18 May 1937, Page 4

OBITUARY

MRS MARY ANN SCHOLEFIELD PIONEERING DAYS RECALLED Mrs Mary Ann Scholefield, who passed away on the 9th May, 1937,. wag the second daughter of the late Mr and Mrs Vincent Gibbins. She was born in Northamptonshire, England, on 2nd November, 1852, and came to New Zealand with her parents in 1856 in the ship Emma Colvin which landed in Nelson. They went to live at 88 Valley, Wakefield,and when quite a young girl she went out to work in Nelson for several years, then later went on to Murchison, then known as Hampden. While working at Moonlight she met Mr Joshua Scholefield. and later they were married at Nelson in 1878, From then on her hardships were numerous. She assisted her husband in gold-digging for many years at the Lyell and Murchison. Both Mr and Mrs Scholefield used to carry goods on their backs and walk miles through bush and bridle tracks to their home, and have often spoken of the hardships in the early days. Mr and Mrs Scholefield celebrated their golden wedding in Murchison on the 16th January, 1928. Mr Joshua Scholefield predeceased his wife six years, Mrs Scholefield came to Nelson at the time of the 1929 earthquake, where she resided up to the time of her death. She was very active and enjoyed fairly good health. The late Mrs Scholefield reared a family of. eight children, One son predeceased her thirty-one years ago, She leaves four sorrowing sons, three daughters, twenty grand-children and nine great grandchildren to mourn their loss.