OBITUARY

Southland Times, Issue 23978, 20 November 1939, Page 8

OBITUARY

MR JOHN BLAIR The death has occurred of Mir John Blair* of Otara, at the age of 62 years. A son of a well-known ; pioneer family of the Otara district, Mr Blair was born, at Waikouaiti' in . 1877 and came to Otara, with his : parents, Mr and Mrs Robert Blair, ini 1881, when the land was . ’opened 1 for settlement. He received his education at the Otara school, being one of the first pupils. When a young man he and his elder brother Malcolm, who died about two years ago, joined partnership and as Blair . Brothers began flax-milling operations. After carrying oh successfully at Otara for a number of years, they moved the mill to Glenham, and later to Mokoreta. When the supply of flax became exhausted they bought a considerable area of land in Otara and farmed it for a number of years, after which the partnership of 25 years was dissolved. The brothers divided the property into two farms, each taking a portion. In his younger days Mr Blair was a successful athlete and a keen follower of all sports. He was a member of the Otara School Committee for a number of years, was chairman of the Otara Dairy Factory for several years and was a director up to the time of his death. , In 1904 Mr Blair married Helen, youngest daughter of the late Mr and Mrs T. Templeton. He is survived by his wife and a family of eight. They are Mrs J. Fitzharris (Fortrose), Mrs R. Fraser (Waikawa), Misses Annie, Rita and Mary (Otara) and Messrs William, John and Charles (Otara).