Waiapu Church Gazette. Monday, February 1st, 1926. Abbotsford Home.

Waiapu Church Gazette, Volume XVI, Issue 8, 1 February 1926, Page 4

Waiapu Church Gazette. Monday, February Ist, 1926. Abbotsford Home.

OFFICIAL OPENING, FEB. 10th.

The Abbotsford Children's Home Has been unofficially opened and already has several children m its charge. The matron, Sister ■ Elsie Smith, a trained nurse with- considerable English experience, took over her duties on January 19th. She is assisted by Miss A. Ruddock, who is also a trained nurse. The official opening will take place on Wednesday, February 10th. The Bishop will perform the ceremony. All who are interested m the social work of the Church are invited to be present. As has been noted m the "Gazette" before, the Home is a gift of the liissie Rathbone Trustees to the Diocese of Waiapu, who have m addition made a grant of £3500 as an endowment to assist m its maintenance. The Home is a splendid building on a beautiful site previously donated by Messrs H. M. and W. H. Rathbone, overlooking, the town of Waipawa. The plans, as finally approved by the trustees did not include a chapel or a sick room. The sick room will be provided for m the meantime by the use of a bedroom m the tower, but a chapel is urgently required. It is hoped that it will be provided by the gifts of churchmen throughout the diocese asj a memorial to the late Mrs Lissie Rathbone m appreciation of the many large benefactions which the Trustees have provided m this Diocese put of her estate. It is fitting that the Diocese should show its gratitude and that a suitable memorial should be erected of a lady whose pious gifts, to the Church have assisted its work m every diocese m

New Zealand. The trustees have naturally considered it unseemly that such a. memorial .should be provided out of her own estatej but it certainly behoves those who have received so much benefit from it to erect some token of their thanks, as an offering to God m acklowledgment of the Christian graces . with which she was endowed. . .

Mr William Rathbone and his wife were very early settlers m Waipawa. On the death of her husband Mrs Rathbone continued for several years to. reside m Waipawa, but later retired to the Hutt, where she died on February 25th, 1918, leaving certain legacies , to members of her family and others to the Church and to various institutions and providing that half the remainder of her property should be administered by her trustees for religious, educational and charitable purposes. From this bequest of considerably over £100,000 many denominations and public - institutions have benefitted m all parts of New Zealand.

A special collection will be made at the opening service towards the cost of erecting a chapel at Abbotsford Home to the memory of Mrs , Lassie Rathbone. It is hoped that those attending will take this opportunity of contributing towards this urgent need.

The opening ceremony will begin at 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, February 10th. Afternoon tea will be provided after the ceremony by the ladies of Waipawa.