OBITUARY

Waikato Times, Volume 194, Issue 22355, 23 May 1944, Page 2

OBITUARY

MRS J. POPE The death has occurred of one of the oldest residents of Hamilton, Mrs Jane Pope. Mrs Pope, whose parents came to New Zealand in 1840, was born 89 years ago. She spent her early days in Taranaki and was in the district when fierce fighting broke out in the Maori Wars of the sixties. Her father, who was an officer in the New Zealand Regiment, was wounded in the Waireka engagement, following which 1200 residents of New Plymouth were removed to the South Island for safety. Mrs Pope’s family was among them and she lived the greater part of her life in the Marlborough, Picton and Kaiuma districts. Mrs Pope gained distinction by being an experieinced traveller by air and she celebrated her 85th birthday by travelling to Sydney in a Tasman Empire Airways flying-boat. She was the oldest passenger to travel by Tasman Empire Airways and it was considered that she was the first person to celebrate her birthday in both New and Australia on the same day. Prior to that trip Mrs Pope had made several flights by the commercial services in New Zealand, including four trips across Cook Strait. In 1879 Mrs Pope married Mr Frank William Pope, who died at the age of 85 in _1937.