OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 25314, 18 June 1935, Page 3

OBITUARY

• MRS D. CONWAY BLUFF RESIDENT PASSES (From Our Correspondent.) Bluff lost an old and respected resident on Friday night when Mrs Margaret M. Conway passed away at her residence, Burrows street. The deceased was born in Mitchellstown, Limerick, Ireland, and came out as a girl to New Zealand in the sailing ship Ayrshire, landing at Lyttelton. From Lyttelton she came on to Invercargill where she met and married the late Mr David Conway, the ceremony taking place in St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Clyde street, in the late ’eighties, the Rev. Father McEnroe being the officiating clergyman. After a brief residence in Invercargill, and later in Winton, the young couple settled in Bluff and remained as reresidents of the port for the rest of their lives. (Mr Conway, who died in 1917, entered the service of the Bluff Harbour Board and was engaged on the original tug Awarua and on the dredge Murihiku from the time the latter was first put in commission by the board.) The late Mrs Conway was of a kindly, but retiring disposition, devoting herself to her church, home and family. ■ Known more particularly by the older generation at Bluff, she was held in high esteem by friends and acquaintances, and was recognized as one who loved her church. In all activities of the Roman Catholic congregation she was an ardent helper and found great happiness in such work. Possessed of deep religious convictions, Mrs Conway was sustained in all the bereveaments amongst relatives and friends inseparable from a long life by her unwavering faith; and at the end passed very peacefully away. As a mark of respect to the memory of the deceased and her late husband the flags on the Harbour Board offices and vessels were flown at half-mast. A very sad occurrence in the lives of Mr and Mrs Conway took place in the year 1913 when the launch Iris disappeared off Bluff, their son Robert (with his companions D. White, B. Lightfoot and W. Bowers) being lost. No trace of the crew (all well known young men of Bluff) nor of the boat was ever found and although various theories ’were advanced to account for the happening, the cause of the tragic disappearance remains a mystery. The interment took place on Monday morning in Bluff cemetery and was preceded by Requiem Mass at the church, both services being conducted by the Rev. Father McKay. A large number of mourners attended the funeral. The pall-bearers were Messrs D. and V. Conway (sons). F. Vella, T. Ross, G. Dennis and E. Kelly. Mis Conway is survived by a family of two daughter and three sons: Mrs T. T. Grant (Dunedin), Miss May Conway (Bluff), Messrs David Conway (Bluff). George (Australia) and Vincent (Hillside Workshops, Dunedin). As already stated, she was predeceased by her husband and their son Robert. Two other sons, John (the eldest of the family) and Thomas died in 1918 and 1915 respectively.