OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 20665, 22 April 1929, Page 5

OBITUARY

OLD IDENTITY PASSES.

MR WILLIAM YORK.

An old and highly respected resident of the Waikawa district passed away last Friday in the person of Mr William York. Mr York was a native of Northern Ireland and came to New Zealand as a young man. He arrived in the Waikawa district between 35 and 40 years ago and was well-known among the sawmillers’ of the district as a very capable bullock driver. In the days when bullocks were used for hauling the logs from the bush to the mill the late Mr York worked teams on several of the mills in the district, and his love for these patient beasts of burden led to his using them on his farm when he later settled on the land.

Mr York married Miss Lily Haldane, a daughter of one of the first settlers in the district, and they settled on land formerly occupied by Mrs York’s parents opposite the Waikawa township on the eastern bank of the Waikawa river. There they cared for a family of six children, now all grown to womanhood and manhood, and it was there that Mr York died suddenly last Friday. Mr York devoted his farming activities entirely to the raising of cattle and, as his stock roamed the bush country towards the coast, he carried clover seed to the open headlands, and numerous cloverfields can now be seen there as a monument to his industry. The late Mr Y'ork had a ready fund of dry, native humour, and was always a welcome guest at entertainments in the districts. He was a keen patriot and attended all farewell functions given to departing soldiers in the Waikawa district during the war years. His knowledge of social conditions in the Old Country enabled him to give his younger acquaintances much excellent advice prior to their departure from New Zealand. He will long be remembered for his kindly advice and for his cheery disposition. ’ 5 Mr Y'ork usually enjoyed good health, and bis sudden death at the. age of 69 came as a severe shock to a very wide circle of friends. The funeral took place at the Waikawa cemetery yesterday afternoon.