OBITUARY.

Waikato Times, Volume 105, Issue 17711, 15 May 1929, Page 6

OBITUARY.

MRS GEORGE MOON. RAGLAN’S OLDEST RESIDENT. Born in the reign of King William IV., Raglan’s oldest resident, in the person of Mrs George Moon, passed away this week. Mrs Moon’s maiden name was Rachel McGregor, and she was the eldest daughter of Gregor and Jessie McGregor, of Loch Rannock, Perthshire, where she was born on July 19th., 1830. When she was five years of age her father emigrated with his family to Sydney. He was a carpenter by trade, and his first job in New South Wales was to take charge of a gang of convicts who were helping the Government carpenters. He was soon afterwards sent to New Zealand to get timber and spars for the Admiralty, arriving with his family at Kawhia about 1838. They went on to Northern Wairoa in the summer of 1839-40 and settled at Mangawhare. Members of the family lived in the Northern Wairoa district for many years. The late John McGregor, who wrote several Interesting accounts of the early days, was the last of Mrs Moon's brothers, lie died about six years ago. When Mrs Moon arrived In New Zealand as a little girl the only language she could speak was Gaelic. The next language she learned was Maori, which she could speak fluently. She was a powerful swimmer and saved three lives from drowning in the Wairoa river. One of their nearest neighbours was ti>e Rev. Mr Buller, the well-known early missionary.

On May 10, 18G2, she was married in Auckland by the Rev. D. Bruce to the late George Moon, of Raglan, formerly of New Plymouth. She went to Raglan with tier husband immediately after her marriage, and had lived there ever since with the exception of the year J 803, during the Maori War, when all the women in Raglan were sent to Auckland. The old lady was a well-known figure in the Raglan streets. She took her daily walk round the town up to a few weeks of her death. She was very fond of flowers and was generally seen carrying a posy of wild flowers which she had gathered on her rambles.

MR E.. Y. REDWARD. DROPS DEAD AT PLIMMERTON. (By Telegraph —Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. Mr E. Y. Redward, compiler of statutes, formerly of the Grown Law Office, dropped deal at Plimmerton this morning while proceeding to a tram on the way to his office in Wellington. MR W. C. EDWARDS. AUCIvLAND, Wednesday. The death occurred in Sydney on April 25, after a short illness, of Waiter Glecve Edwards, only son of the late Archdeacon and Mrs Edwards. MR ANDERS NIELSEN. PALMERSTON NORTH, Tuesday. One of the pioneers of the district, Mr Anders Nielsen, died this morning at the age of 81 years.