Death Of Mr. Washington, Storekeeper, Of Upper Waitotara District

Wanganui Chronicle, 27 April 1950, Page 4

Death Of Mr. Washington, Storekeeper, Of Upper Waitotara District

The Upper Waitotara district will be all the poorer by the recent sudden death of Mr. John Washington, aged 66, who had been the local storekeeper for about 40 years. Mr. Washington also controlled the district telephone exchange, and his shop and telephone bureau was referred to as the centre and heart of the community for all those 40 years. He worked under difficulties during the first 20 years when he ran the store in the district. Stores were brought, by horse-drawn vehicle over a 26-mile road, which had a steep, winding hill known as the Saddle as its most difficult stretch. This road was not metalled and in the winter it was a quagmire. . Mr. Washington would endeavour to get in most of the district’s winter needs before the weather broke, but yet those 26 miles of mud had to be tackled constantly. For a number of years he operated a mail and parcel service and this meant that the strenuous return trip had to be done twice a week. However, about 20 years ago a river road, which had no steep hills, was opened and a motor truck replaced the horse-drawn vehicle Seen after its opening the new road was metalled. Un'til a few days before his death last week, Mr. Washington came to Wanganui every Friday to buy his stores and to do numerous messages for his friends and customers. He knew everyone, both pakeha and Maori, for miles around the district. When it camo to an orgznised community effort, Mr. Washington was indispensable. He was a Justice of the Peace and at the time of his death he was president of the Community Club and a member of a number of other committees. In former years he had been secretary of the district sports committee for lengthy periods, chairman of the Marohema School Committee, and held various honorary positions with other organisations No deserving organisation went without his generous support'. Patriotic funds, benefit socials, soldiers’ parcels, aid-for-Britain work, Christmas trees and C.0.R.5.0. drives all met with generous help from him. Mr. Washington will be greatly missed in the Upper Waitotara Valley. He is survived by his wife and two daughters.