Obituary

New Zealand Tablet, 17 April 1924, Page 37

Obituary

AIRS. MARY KELLY, KAKARAMEA, v At Kakaramea, on February 19. an old and highly esteemed resident in the person of Mrs. Mary Kelly, relict of the late. Thomas Kelly, of Co. Clare, •Ireland, passed to her rest after a comparatively short illness. Until three years ago Mrs. Kelly lived at the old home in Ireland, but on, her husband’s death she decided to come out to the Dominion to be near her married daughters, and came to live with her son-in-law, Mr. J. T. Dwyer, of Kakaramea. Up till a, few months ago Airs. Kelly enjoyed perfect health, but then she began to fail. She moved to Mrs, R. Dwyer’s, and gradually grow worse until the 19th, when she- passed away in her sleep. Although she had only been a short time in Kakaramea, her kindly nature secured a warm place in the affections of many friends. She is survived in the Dominion by five members of- a large family—-Messrs. S. Kelly (Pihama), AT. Kelly (Opnnake), Airs. R. Dwyer (Kakaramea), Mrs. John McCarty (Ohaugai), and Alias A. Kelly. The late Mrs, J. T. Dwyer was also a daughter. There are also 23 grandchildren to mourn their loss. With •them all sincere sympathy will be felt in their sorrow, although the memory of a. well spent and useful life will to them be a great, comfort. Rev. Fathers Phelan and Mas-t-erson attended the deceased lady during her illness. The funeral, which took place at iiawera, was largely attended by sympathisers from all parts of the district, many coming long distances to par their last respects to the deceased. Rev. Father John Power officiated at the church and afterwards at the grave. Her six oldest grandsons (P. and J. McCarty, R. and P. Dwyer and T. and J. Dwyer) were pall-bearers.—R.l.P.

MR. JOHN SCANLAN, LYNDON. WAIAU. Mr. John Scanlan, of Lyndon, Waiau, who died on March 12 following on an operation at the Lewisham Hospital, was born in Co. Kerry, Ireland, near the Lakes of Killarney. As a young man he arrived in New Zealand in 1871, and for some time was engaged in farming pursuits in the Springston district. He was afterwards employed for some years in cropping and contracting oil the late Sir John all’s property at Hororala. Later he undertook the construction of water-races for the Sehvyn ami Amuri Counties, and for the Waimakariri-Ashley Water Supply Board, and for the latter body be successfully completed contracts abandoned by other contractors, in 1.901 he took up land in the Lyndon Settlement, developing and occupying this property up to the time of his death. His varied experiences and keen insight into public matters made his assistance a valuable acquisition to the various discussions for promoting the advancement of the district, lie took a keen interest in sport, having been a prominent member of the Waiau Racing Club and of the Waiau Football Chib, holding the position of president of the latter body at the' time of bis death, lie was also a member of the Aiunri A. and P. Association and of the Waiau branch of the Farmers’ Union from the time of their inception. His genial disposition and kindly consideration made him very popular in Waiau, and his familiar figure will be sadly missed by all who knew him. Mr. Scanlan was never .married, but leaves a sister, Mrs. Cronin, and two nieces, who reside in Sydenham, to mourn their loss. Two nephews fell in the Great War. —R.I.P.

MR. JOHN ALBION SMITH,, LEVIN. The death from heart failure occurred on Thursday night, the 27th ult., at the residence of his son, Mr. J. P. Smith, "Winchester Street, Levin, of a very old resident of this district in the person of Mr. John Albion Smith, of Moutoa, Foxtoiv. The deceased, .who had not been ailing long, was born in Callaghton, Shropshire, England, in 1831, and went to Australia in 1855, engaging in gold digging at Goulburn with some success for the following 12 months. On the discovery of gold in New Zealand he came across to this country, landing at Wellington in 1856, and for the next two years was engaged in alluvial mining on the Clutha, Otago, and in Nelson. In 1858 he took up land at Moutoa, where the first settlement, on this coast was then commencing, and during the following thirty

years wont through all the hardships and difficulties inseparably associated with the early pioneering days, and including absence of roads, severance from civilisation, and alarms from the then numerous and warlike Maoris. Air. Smith was in the Alontoa during the whole of the Alaori war days and in the ’6o’s when the fighting was in progress in laranaki and it was feared that the conflagration would spread to the Manawatu, he assisted in transferring the families of the other settlers of the Aloutoa, to Foxton, where a redoubt was built at the rear of the local State School. , He himself remained on his farm during the whole of the period. Among the many other hardships of the life in those early clays was the entire absence of roads, and All. Smith in the days before the first track was cut over the hills to Wellington, on numerous occasions walked the distance over the old Alaori Hack. He naturally had seen the whole of the settlement of the district and remembered when Palmerston North was . a manuka flat with a few lints scattered on it, and much later when there was one whare in Levin situated a few chains below the gravelpit at the Weraroa Settlement. The late Air. Smith was the pioneer dairy farmer of the Aloutoa district. When he took up land at Aloutoa, it was covered with dense hush, with a. track along the river bank. By strenuous labor he cited his bolding into one of the most valuable farms in the district. The late Mr. Smith was a man of sterling integrity whose word was his bond and was held in the highest esteem by all who knew him. He did not take part in public affairs, applying his time to the impiclement of his farm. Tie possessed all his faculties right up to the last and was talking to his son and daughter-in-law a few minutes prior to his peaceful passing. Deceased was a staunch Catholic and a very generous supporter of his Church, being probably best known for his donation of the sites for the Catholic Church, school and convent at hoxton, all of which were built mainly through his exertions and financial - assistance. A man of the highest integrity, he was deservedly popular with all who knew him. Rev. Father Fitzgibbon who regularly attended him, administered all the last rites of Holy Church. He leaves a family of three sons and three daughters—Airs. W. Mathesou (Ron go tea), Airs. N. Alai tin (Wairoa, H. 8.), Airs. Jacobson (Foxton), and Messrs. W. H. Smith (Aloutoa), J. A. Smith (Alartinborongh) and J. V. Smith (Levin)—to all of whom the sympathy of a large circle of friends will be extended in their sad loss. His wife predeceased him by nine years, and the youngest son (Mr. F. B. Smith) math' the supreme sacrifice during the war. The late Air. Smith was a subscriber to the Tablet from its very first issue, and lie often related that he bought a copy, of the initial edition about 51 years ago from a boy who was selling them outside St. Alary’s old Cathedral, Hill Street, Wellington. The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon, the 30th nit. The body was conveyed from Levin to St. Alary’s Church on the previous Saturday afternoon, where it remained until the service. The officiating priest was the Rev. Father Fitzgibbon, of Levin, assisted by the Rev. Fathers Alelu (Otaki) and AlcDermott (Foxton). As the cortege left the church the “Dead Alarch” from “Saul” nas played on the organ. All the sons and daughters of the deceased were in attendance at the service and several relatives, including Air. G. Turley Smouth (nephew) of Apiti, Airs. C. Pettigrew (niece) Kimbolton, and Airs. G. Soutine (niece) Kimbolton." Among those present were friends from all parts of the district and the cortege was one of the largest seen in Foxton. The casket was covered with beautiful floral tributes and the family received letters and telegrams of sympathy from all parts of the Dominion. —R.I.P.