Rev. Henry Curran Was Missionary For Half-century

Taranaki Daily News, 29 October 1945, Page 7

Rev. Henry Curran Was Missionary For Half-century

After devoting more than 50 years to evangelical and undenominational medical missionary work among Maoris and Europeans, the Rev. Henry Curran died at his residence, Camberwell Road, Hawera, on Friday. He was the husband of Mrs. Louisa Curran and was aged 79 years. He had been in good I health earlier in the day, but after taking part in a marriage ceremony he i complained of not feeling well. Some hours later he died. . Mr. Curran, who was bom at Kaiapoi, entered the ministry of the Primitive Methodist Church. He became a fluent Maori linguist and preached in almost all parts of New Zealand. During the past 25 years he lived at Hawera, where he exercised a great deal of influence among the Maori people of South Taranaki. For more than 15 years he was in charge of Bible instruction m schools in the Hawera district. After his marriage -at Makino in 1889 Mr. Curran and his wife entered a lifetime of devotion to the betterment of the lives of European and Maori people, living in obscure places under the most primitive conditions. Mrs. Curran accompanied her hushand to all the stations he attendcd after her marriage and lived often under poor conditions until they t.ook up residence at Hawera. Missionary Work. Beginning as a local preacher in and about the Feilding, Manawata and Rangitikei districts in association with the Primitive Methodist Church, Mr. Curran later resigned and took up nnssionary work. He would have liked to take up foreign missionary work, but was prevented from doing so. After preacbing for some time at Main Trunk railway settlements, Mr. Curran moved to Hastings, where he became the first missionary to the .Waikaremoana district. He worked both as a missionary and as a healer among ihe Maoris, and during the coursc of his mission performed dental operations under a, willow tree and on a wnarf. A;o missionary had been stationed in the district before him. The people were among the last enemVes of the Government and had harboured Te Kooti; wlule the prophet Rua lived on one side of the lake and he on the other. Fiom Waikaremoana Mr. Curran went to the Urewera country. . A keen advocate of the Bible-in-schools movement, Mr. Curran had the co-operation of teachers and the assistance of members of the Hawera Mmisters' Association and other helpers. He preached wherever his services were needed in any church of anv denornination, and in this way he had a considerable association with the .whole ot South Taranaki. He is survived by his widow and by one son, Mr. S. W. Curran, Auckland, and four daughters— Mesdames L. C. Funnell, Bulls, W. F. Eade Hawera T. W. Reid, Johnsonville, and R. W. Palmer, Marton. There are 12 grandchildren.