IN MEMORIAM.

White Ribbon, Volume 40, Issue 467, 18 August 1934, Page 10

IN MEMORIAM.

MIIS. HI'CH McLEAN. At Waipawa, on August 4th, Mrs. Hugh McLean, one of the oldest members of the New Zealand W.C.T.U , passed to her reward. Mrs. McLean, who had reached her I*l st year, was born at Ears, Sutherlandshire, Scotland, and arrived in New Zealand seventy years ago. v\e was one of the pioneer members of the Hastings W.C.T.U.. joining shortly after Mrs. Leavitt’s visit to New Zealand. This was fifty years ago and it can la- certainly said that never once in all these years did she stay away from a meeting unless prevented by illness, accident, or some quite unit voidable happening. Mrs. McLean was a staunch worker for Women's Franchise in the days when the Franchise was considered on!\ u fad of extremists. She often told how she went from door to door with peti tions, and always denied the statement that the N.Z. Women’s Vote was fr*-» l\ presented to them without effort on their part. The cause of Temperance was very dear to Mrs. McLean, and to the last days of her life she took a deep interest in the cause of Peace and Arbitration. Within a few hours of her death she whispered hopes of peace in Europe, which shows how near and ever present was her desire for peace Mrs. McLean to her last kept well abreast of oil subjects relating to th<* welfare of women and children and had a wonderful grasp of New Zealand politics and international questions For the last few years her eyesight failed to a great extent, but in spite a partial blindness she «ent a gift of knitting to the W.C.T.r. Jubilee Bazaar, and even after that sent some of her work to an effort in her own Church in Wnlpawa. She was for nearly twenty President of the W.C.T.U. in Waipawa and the members fee! that a very mother has been taken from them. Mrs McLean had remarkable vigour and health till she reached the ago of nr oty. and was mercifully pared from long illness and suffering at the end Her last words were, “Tell mo the old, old story.” and the hymn was sung by the children in her memory’ at the Presbyterian Church the Sunday after her death. As the member-; gathered at the graveside we rejoiced in the memory of her iong and splendid life and we pray that grace may be given to follow the example she has left to us all. MISS S. A. AMIU'HY Miss Sarah Ambury arrived m New Zealand with her brother about 40 v cs ago. She made her home at New Plymouth, and with the exception of four years being spent in Auckland, until 1955. when she came to Hamilton t 1 i \ * * with her sister, Mrs. Maisov. At Vew Plymouth she linked up with the W.C.T.r. and for eleven years was th**ir Secretary. Then she became Superintendent of the Cradle Roll, and was a most efficient officer. Hamilton Pnion v us very phased to welcome her to our

ranks and she was at once elected as our Superintendent for the Cradle Roll, with Mrs. Mitchell us her assistant; in fact, we all became her assistants, as usually her first greeting would be, “Have you got a baby for me?" If we said no, she would ask, “Why haven’t you?” Needless to say, our roll grew by leaps and bounds. latterly, through failing health, she was obliged to spend a good deal of her time in bed, but the cards were addressed and sent out with many a prayer and many a little note or leaflet tm the mother that the little ones might be kept sab- from the liquor traffic. This year she was obliged to give up her work, and on July 13th she passed to higher service at the ripe age of 81 T’uly it can be said of her, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord, they rest from their labours and their works do follow them.” May her mantle fall on every l T nion member. She was an inspiration to all of us.