OBITUARY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 98, 12 July 1946, Page 5

OBITUARY

REV. Wm. McNEUR

Many of the older residents of Whakatane will regret to learn of he sudden, although not entirely unexpected, death of the Rev. Wm. McNeur, a former minister of Knox Presbyterian Church, Whakatane. The late Mr McNeur had not been in good health for some time but lately had shown promise of a more permanent improvement. On Monday morning, July 2, he suddenly collapsed and almost immediately passed away. Mr McNeur began his ministry in Whakatane in. 1917, a charge which at that time consisted of the present Whakatane, Taneatua and Rangitaiki parishes. Later he served at Westmer'e, Pleasant Point and Clutha Valley, in each of which places his quiet, devoted, and consecrated ministry earned the respect of all who knew him. The Rev. Wm. McNeur was a man greatly beloved and a wide circle of friends will mourn his passing and feel afresh the challenge of his forthright Christian character. Those who sat under his ministry in Whakatane will remember him with deep affection. His first wife predeceased him some six years ago and just last year he married Sister Hazel Bruce of the Presbyterian Maori Mission Staff at Kawerau. There were two sons of the former marriage; the elder a doctor on the staff of the Dunedin Public Hospital, the younger a student for the Presbyterian Ministry at the Theological Hall, Knox College, Dunedin. The funeral service was conducted by the members of the Clutha Presbytery in the Balclutha church after a brief service at the house. At the Church service a touching tribute was paid by the Rev. C. A. Kennedy to his former colleague of three different Presbyteries. The Rev. A. W. Smaill, Moderator of Presbytery, conducted the service, assisted by other members of the Presbytery. Two of the late Mr McNeur’s brothers, the Very Rev. Geo. McNeur, formerly of China, and the Rev. Alex McNeur, attended the funeral. - MR CHAS. SHALFOON The death occurred last week of a well-known Opotiki businessman in the person of Mr Chas. Shalfoon in his 75th year. Mr Shalfoon was born in Batroun, Lebanon, on July 4th, 1871. At the age of 18 he left Batroun for the U.S.A. and was there for seven years. He saw the gold rush days of the Yukon and traversed all parts of America from Alaska—where he dealt in furs—to the south in Texas. He returned to Lebanon and in 1899 he left for New Zealand arriving in this country in 1900. He commenced a business in Auckland and about six years later he joined his brother and cousins in Opotiki where he has resided until his death.' ...

Mr Shalfoon had early contact with the East Coast where he pioneered trade. In 1911 he obtained his master mariner’s certificate and maintained regular contact with the coast by boat r '- • Up until the time of his death he was actively engaged in business in Opotiki. He is survived by his wife and two sons and one daughter.