DEATH of MR. F. J. VON STURMER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 10514, 6 August 1897, Page 5

DEATH of MR. F. J. VON STURMER.

We regret to announce the death of an old colonist), Mr. F. J. Von Stunner, of Hamilton East, Waikato, who died yesterday morning, in his 68th year. The deceased was born all Oxford, 1829, and was the eldest eon of the Rev. Frederick Von Sturmer, M.A., rector of Heapham, Lincolnshire. He wag educated with a view to taking holy orders in the Church of England, bub was attracted to the colonies in 1851, by the discovery of the Victorian goldfields, and ho underwent all the ups-and-downs of a gold-digger's life. In 1858 he came to New Zealand, landing at Auckland, He went to the Wade, and engaged in fruit growing and farming for three years, sinking bis capital like many others. At the expiration of tljab tim|, he joined the staff of the New Zaalander, and wrote a series of agricultural articles under the nom de plume of "A Cockatoo Settler." On the establishment of the New Zealand Herald ho became eub« editor, and subsequently editor till 1872, when he went to Coromandel to edit the Coromandel Mail, and afterwards started the News on his own account, bub sold out to the opposition proprietary, and joined the staff of the evening paper. In December he accepted from Mr. F. A. Whitaker the position of editor of the Waikato Times, but when Mr. Whitaker sold to Mr. E. M. Edgciimbe, the purchaser took over the editorship himself. Mi'. Von Stunner settled at Hamilton, Waikato, where he engaged in fruit-growing, etc., and acted as correspondent and agent for the Herald up till his decease. He had been in delicate health for some time. Six years ago he met with an accident and lost an eye, and underwent several operations in consequence, and two years ago he [had a stroke of paralysis. During the Waikato campaign Mr. Von Sturmer saw active service with the Auckland militia during the war, and received the New Zealand war medal. In early life he published a small volume of poems, which Lord Tennyson said gave great promise. Deceased leaves a widow and six children-four sons and two daughters. The eldest son, William, is in the service of the Bank of New Zealand, and another is settled at Taranaki. Of the daughters, oneis married. Ex-JudgeSpencer Von Sturmer, of the Native Lands Court, of Parnell, is a brother ot the deceased. The late Mr. Von Sturmer was not only good journalist, bub had an excellent knowledge of horticulture and farming matters.