DEATH OF PIONEER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23178, 26 October 1938, Page 19

DEATH OF PIONEER

MRS. MARY GRAHAM EARLY DAYS RECALLED Tho hardships of pioneering life in New Zealand are recalled by the death of Mrs. Mary Ann Dexter Graham, an old resident of Henderson Valley, and the daughter of early settlers in the Nelson district. She was aged 87 years.

Born at Wakefield, Nelson, Mrs. Graham spent her early years in tho isolated and insecure life of the pioneer. She was a young girl at the time of the Maungatapu murders in 1860, in which the Burgess gang was associated. At one stage she was asked for directions by Burgess and, subsequently, information which she was able to furnish to the mounted police was instrumental in bringing about tho capture of tho desperadoes. She was also a young girl at tho time of tho Wnirau Massacre, her father being called upon to assist in the defence of the settlers against tho expected attack. Following her marriago to Mr. George William Graham at Nelson, Mrs. Graham spout some years on the goldfields of Nolson and tho West Coast. Hardship and isolation were characteristic of life in the gold diggings and frequently she was completely shut off from civilisation for months at a time. Later the family moved to tho Henderson Valley, which was then a centre of the timber and kauri gum industries, and she lived in this locality until her death.

Mr, Graham died 17 years ago. Mrs. Graham, who continued to enjov good health until three years ago, is survived by a family of six daughters and two sons. There are 15 grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.