OBITUARY.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XLIV, Issue 5963, 24 July 1912, Page 3

OBITUARY.

Last week the Tuapeka district lost by death three of the early pioneers of the district, viz., Mrs Grundy and Samuel French of Clark's Flat ancl Mr George Munro of Evans Flat.

MitS iGBUNBY. This lady, who had resided in tho (Jiark's Flat district for upwards of half a century died from hvart failure on the IHth inst. 'She was the relict ■>! the late jMr Thomas Grundy who for some years in the early settlement of the Otogo province was Crown .Lands ranger. For some years phe 'had resided in a small cottage near 'by tier son's residence, and on the morning of the ltsth it was found that she had passed aw,ay during the night. She was very 'higihly esteemed throughout' the district a ud on Sunday her remains were followed )to their last resting place in the Waitahuna Cemetery bj a very large number of settlors from all parts of Hie Tuapeka district.

Mli, SAMUEL FlvfflOH. Who died on the "*>>"> WU;S also a very old settler in the Clarks Flat district. He was a native oi Baudalstown, Antrim, Ireland, and after spending some time on the \ ictorrain goldlields arrived in Hvw 'lea.Land 40 years ago. After working for a short tinno at the Duns-tan he came to Gabriels Gully where later he formed one oi the JSortb. oi Irelaud party on the Blue Spur. On getting married he disposed of his interest in this company and took up laud at Clarks Flat on which hc( had since resided. He was a men oi sterling character but of a quiet and unassuming disposition and took little interest in public ahairs. He is survived by his wife and a family oi five sons and two daughters. His rewere yesterday interred in tho Lawrence-Cemetery, ibeing followed to. their lust 'resting plaoe by a very large number of farmers ami residents from all parts of the Tuapeka district. The service at the graveside was impressively conducted by tho liev. P. C. Durward.

MK GEOHGE MUiNKO ; AGEID 82 Wo regret to have to record the death on Saturday morning of Mr George. Munro, of Munro'9 Hill, .who had the distinction of being the oldest inhabitant of tli« Tuapcka district, he and his family, having' resided continuously in this neighbourhood since tho end of November, 1856. Atbout two mouths ago he was attacked by heart weakness and his life was' despaired of, but such was his wonderful vitality that ho rallied and during tho past few weeks he was able to move about, and it was hoped that with the approach of the warmer weather he would make a complete recovery. On Sunday morning lie was altout and had dressed and was sitting beside tho lire awaiting his breakfast. His son had just left him to attend to some outside duties and when his daughter (Mrs Sutherland) brought hiiiu his breafcfn!st a few minutes later sho found that lie had passed peacefully away in his .chair. The deceased who had only last weok entered his eighty-third year was a native of Tongue, Sutherlamlshiro, Scotland, where he had been brought up to farming pursuits. On tho 6th of May, 1860, he was married at W'eymdss, Sutherland-mire, and at the end of the same month left Scotland with his young wife for .New Zealand by t.hofship Strathmore landing at I'art Chalmers, after a six months' voyage, at the end of November. On his arrival he immediately found employment with Messrs Smith and 'Allan who occupied in Partnership a grazing run in the Tuapekn district, and was sent there to tako chargo of a portion oi their territory. His iirst residence was on the Kill above what is known as Grundy'ii property, Clark's h'lat, where he remained till -lui>, 18/.V7, when he removed to tin.' head of what is known as Munro's Gully so as Id to more centrally situated a* regards tho pastoral country he had charge- of. Hero he remained till some time after the outbreak of , the diggings in Gabriels Gully. When the partnership between Messrs Smith and Allnn was dissolved Mr Munro was offered a continuance of employment by Mr James Smith, of Greenfield, but as this would have necessitated removal to Greenfield he de-i-liui'd the oiler, and in partnership with Mr John Sutherland (late of Waii.ahuna) a shipmate and also a fellow employee with Messrs Smith and Allan, he went into the dairvum, -butchering, and 'carrying 'business for which the stirring days of the early diggings offered stronu- inducement. This partnership subsisted for some years when Mr Sutherland retired and devoted himself to pastoral pursuits and Mr Munro continued on his own account. With the early pioneer diggers the late Mr Munro and his wife wore exceptionally popular, their hospitality and kindness beinsi proverbial, and it was not surprising to find that, on the occasion of the recent Gabriels Gully Jubilee celebrations, their homo was tho Mecca to which a very large number of the visiting pioneers turued their footsteps for the pleasure of renewing a friendship formed in those far off days. Tho deceased's, wide experience in the handling aid management of sheep made him very 'popular with dealers and farmers generally, and his services as a drover, to which ho mainly devoted himself in later years, were in keen request, and it was only quite recently that his failing health and weight of years made it necessary for him to relinquish this work. Though a man ot more than average intelligence, of very strong conviction' and pronounced views on political matters he never took any part in public affairs. -He was a great admirer of Scotland's national baa-d and nothing pleased him 'better than declaiming to interested listeners many of the popular I poems of Bt'bbie Burns. Of a hearty and genial disposition he took life as it came with stoical philosophy, and his hearty friendly grreting will be missed particularly by the older generation of Tuapcka residents. He is survived by his wife who is also an octogenarian, and two sons and two daughtei'S (Mrs James Sutherland, of Caversliam, and Mrs Peter Cullen, ot Gore).