OBITUARY

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 79, Issue 283, 3 December 1935, Page 6

OBITUARY

MISS CATHERINE FRASER LINK WITH THE EARLY PIONEERS The death of Miss Catherine Fraser, which occurred at the residence of Mrs McCosh, Upper Aramoho, severs another link w’ith the early pioneers Of the Bangitikei. The deceased lady, who was over 90 years of age at the time of her death, was the last of a family of 14 of the late Mr Duncan Fraser who, with his wife, came to New Zealand by the ship Blenheim and landed in Wellington in 1840, afterwards settling at Parewanui, Bulls. Those were the wild early days, when there were few white people in the country.

Miss Catherine Fraser was born at “Pukehou,” Bulls, and on the death of her father went to Patea, where she conducted a private school for some 20 years, later retiring to Aramoho, where she spent the remainder of her days. She bore the stamp of the old pioneers and looked back on a family record of which anyone might be proud. “Aunt Katc’ b was'the familiar, title by which she was known to practically the whole of the Bulls distri»ct, and her father and mother and the rest of the family were known throughout the length and breadth of the Rangitikei. Her parents, when they came to New Zealand, had five children, one of whom was born when the ship was crossing the turbulent Bay of Biscay. The Frasers hailed from Inverness and brought with them that hardy spirit of the Scots which did so mui* to lay well the foundations of th*** Dominion. On arrival in Wellington they found about. 1000 whites, of whom' a fair number were ticket-of-lcave men from the penal settlement in New South Wales. About 6000 Maoris were also located there and the new arrivals were deeply grateful to them for their protection and hospitality. 3he first cousins of the original family numbered over seventy, and their descendants enlisted for‘the war in France to the number of one hundred.

Representatives of pioneer families attended the funeral at the Fraser private cemetery, Bulls, on Friday, among the mourners being Mr J. J. M*eDonell, of Marton, whose father, the late James McDonell. was the first white man in Rangitikei, taking up farming at “Inverhoc.” Rev. T. G. Shilton conducted the service at the graveside, and the pall-bearers were Messrs J. E. Walker, R. C. S. McKenzie, C. Fraser, K. Fraser, R. F. Scott, and D. Campion.