MID-CANTERBURY

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21415, 6 March 1935, Page 9

MID-CANTERBURY

ASHBURTON PERSONAL „ r T Morrill, until recently leader ?£ Baring square senior young «f . Bible- class, was presented with meii i £bvMr E. Lcadley. on behalf TftfcU" at the banquet held on c a evening Mr Leadley exM H the class's appreciation of Mr ffuV-rk 3 " d regn * hiS "• «* on Monday afterftitute f to Mrs Pitts, r,oon u - hpp'n associated with the circle who ,^ S lSt 18 months, and who will iV '"Ydiburton shortly. Mlss E ", X 3f3V . e «vJ an interesting talk on her Wl , Sa !r PJ Andrew, on behalf W*S' cjrci'o. presented to Mrs Pitts ?&? bedroom clock. WaJtanui Road Board •n- monthlv meeting of the WakaRoaci was held yesterday E ui K° acl ~..,,, ~,,• Messrs F. Framp--8!W-XrmL ' Ilanrahan. J. WatX A&tt. and A. Gregory. The A'hbtirton County Council wrote -din/if the board would consent to ?K!nier of four miles of the Wakaroad to the council as a main i,rf which would then become a S ee on "he general account. The S>l explained that by taking over fhe roads in the county on which there iras heavy traflic. the cost of mainten.riM would be more equally spread. It was agreed to accede to the councils "jt'waE reported that the shingling of Wilson's road would be completed in about a week's time. The distance ihineled would be 100 chains. It was decided to rarrv out about 60 chains of shingling on Flynn's road between Boundary and Chertsey roads. OBHTAKY MR ROBERT ELLIS NELSON. March 5. The rie;ith occurred last evening of Mr Robert Eihs. who was responsible for the V.Viimea electrical undertakir.!J. and was among the best-known residents of the district. Mr Ellis was born in 1861 at the homestead "iva" in Uxbridge. England bciii2 a son of Mr and Mrs Rkh'-rd Ellis. There were 12 in the iamilv: Percy Ellis, ot Guernsey, now being" the only survivor. The Ellis home wn= later bought by Lord Howr. E'-commg -a member of the Royal staff at an early age. Robert Ellis joined tne navy as a trainee in the ship Britannia, and it was there that 'he received his education. Kin 3 Georzc was a fellow trainee en this vessel. When he was about II years eld Mr Ellis left the navy and rame to New Zealand to join his elder brothers. Richard Campbell Ellis and Louis Frederick Ellis, who hid taken up property in the Motueka Valley. The brothers owned a large sheen run. of 17.000 acres, extending along the Motucka river valley from I.lotupiko to Gordon's Knob. A lew years later lie took over the Mttopifco portion of the pPoperty and began Sax milling. He was successful in this and disposed of sections cf tie property, a greater portion of wfsleh is now owned bv Mr W. B. North. In 1888 Mr Ellis married Miss Kate Evan*, a daughter of pioneers of the district Mrs Ellis died in 1916. Of the family of three sons and two daughters, the one son and one daughter who survive are Mr Howard Ellis (Tshunu) and Mrs R. Best (Foxhi!U. When in the navy 56 years ago Mr Ellis, who was then a midshipnan, was responsible for saving the future Kin;.', from a serious and possibly a fatal accident. When ascendMZ a ladder. Prince George fell, but Wis caught by Ellis, who managed to retain his ho'd. preventing both from filing to the deck below. Mr Ellis" visited England when the Metrical developments were taking P*ace. He returned and completely ',nydro.elfctriliL'd" his house. Then h E was seized with the idea of supWing Waimca with hydro-el actric He succeeded, despite oppo*>.ion from a!) quarters, including local bodies • MR .MICHAEL KEENAN 'WECUL TO THE PRBSS.' HOKITIKA. March 5. The death occurred at the Westland on Sunday morning of Mr Michael Kccnan, a well-known and Popular resident of Woodstock, as the result at a severe eye injury he received when a belt broke while he *as sawing wood. Mr Keenan was yetmset- of the Roval Mail Hotel, "OrxJstock. and was a member of the Zetland Hospital Board. For a cumber of years he was a member of ,i! ,v , csUar!d County Council. and ■fved one term as chairman. He was «tteiated with the timber industry « the district, and took a keen inter«j w all local sports activities, bet.fles beins a well-known racehorse wner. Mr Keenan was born at Rimu *» years ago. and leaves a widow and ■ amily of five sons and five daugh■«ra t wo brothers, both cf Rimu, and » «*ter in Wellington.