OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 20523, 27 June 1928, Page 4

OBITUARY

MR J. E. HUMPHRIES, TUTURAU.

(From Our Correspondent.) The news of the sudden passing of Mr James Edward Humphries, “Mairarua,” was received with regret throughout the Tuturau and Mataura districts yesterday. The late Mr Humphries was in his 79th year and was apparently quite well when he retired on Thursday. It was in the morning when following the usual custom of taking him a cup of tea that the sad discovery was made that he had passed away. It was only last Thursday that Mrs Humphries and the late Mr Humphries celebrated the anniversary of their golden wedding, when the family were gathered from all parts of the Dominion to take part in the festive occasion. Mr Humphries had resided in the district for over 52 years. He was born in 1849 in Wiltshire, England, and received his education in Victoria, where he had been brought when a lad of six years. He gained experience of butchering and stock-dealing and spent some years on the Australian and New Zealand goldfields. He was at the Hokitika diggings for over a year and in 1869 went to Queensland where he visited Gympie, Charters Towers, Rockhampton and the Bowen. The late Mr Humphries was subsequently at Goulgong in N.S.W., and at Pleasant Creek and Ararat in Victoria. In February, 1877, he settled in Mataura, where he conducted a butchery business for 16 years and also had a branch at Gore part of the time. In 1893, Mr Humphries took up Waimumu Farm now known as “Graham Lodge,” which then consisted of 1200 acres of freehold, and where he had a stud flock of Border Leicester sheep. He was prominent in connection with the dredging industry and promoted the Waimumu Extended and Waimumu Queen Dredging Companies, both of which had dredges operating on his land. Some 20 years ago he purchased “Mairarua” from Mr Holms and the property has for some years been worked by his two sons, Herbert and Leonard. The late Mr Humphries served on the Mataura Licensing Committee for several years and advocated the rope-window fire escape system in connection with hotels. He was always a lover of animals, particularly horses, and in his younger days could sit a buck juniper with the best in the land. The late Mr Humphries was married in June, 1878, to Miss Mortain at the Bridge Hotel at Mataura, which was then run by his uncle. The sympathy of a large circle of friends is extended to his widow and family in their loss. The members of the family are as follows: —Messrs E. J. Humphries (Charlton), Herbert and Leonard Humphries (Tuturau), Frank Huinphries (Lithgow, N.S.W.), and Mesdames McKenzie (Oamaru), B. Sutherland (Wellington), Osborne (Timaru), A. McDougall (Manaia), J. Stewart (Wyndham) and Miss Isobel Humphries (Tuturau). MR DAVID MUIR, TUTURAU. The death which occurred at Tuturau last Saturday of Mr David Muir removes another well-known and highly-esteemed person in that district. The name of Muir has been associated with the district probably so long as it has been known' as Tuturau. The late Mr Muir was a native of the district and was 58 years of age. He was the eldest son of the late Mr William Muir, “Rose Valley.” After receiving his education at the Tuturau school the late Mr Muir took up farming pursuits and he worked a property at Mimihau until he returned to “Rose Valley” and worked it for his father until the latter’s death. The late Mr Muir carried this place on until his health failed, when he leased the property to Messrs Ferguson and Johnstone. The deceased was married at Dunedin about 1920 to Miss Bardwell, and he is survived by his widow and a son and daughter to whom the sympathy of the district is extended in their loss. Messrs William, John and James Muir (all of Tuturau) are brothers and Mesdames J. Greig (Tuturau), G. Beaumont (Mataura), and A. Thomson (Auckland Province) sisters of the deceased. The funeral took place at the Mataura Cemetery yesterday, when a large cortege paid a last tribute of respect to the memory of the deceased. Rev. R. Mackie officiated at the graveside.