SIXTY YEARS MARRIED

Chronicle (Levin), 16 August 1947, Page 4

SIXTY YEARS MARRIED

Diamond Wedding Of Old Levin Ideniities To haye been marrie(d Q0 years is the upique annivers.a?y wLich Mr, pnd Mrs. J, W. Procter, pf "Te Hou," Beach Road, Levin, attain tomorrow. All the more remarkrable is this record by reason of the fact that "both Mr. and Mrs. Procter are New Zealand born. They have resided in Levin thrpughout 44 years of that period, and are widely known and IjeM in very. high esteem. Though both are ii| ...a their early eighties, they are exceps. tionally 'active. Mr. and Mrs. Procter were married in Levin on August 7, 1887, by the late Rev. Mr. McWilliams, of Ptaki, .at the homestead of the lat-r ter's parents, built almost on the site where they now reside. Mrs, Procter wore a plain tucked dress of nuns-veiling, with a veil she . herself had worked and the usual prange blossoms. It is interesting to note 'that Rev. Mr. McWilliams had to travel by train from Otakj. t.o Heatherlea, where the statiop was situated, and here he was met by Mrs. Procter's father, the late Mr. Retter. They proceeded by gig, over a clay road, to where the business area now is and then walked over a rough track, through bush, to what was known as Te Rare, in the vicinity of Arawhata. The last stage of the journey to the house was made by canoe over the 'north-western corner of Horor whenua Lake. . .

Mr. Procter, who was the eldesp son of the late Mr. and Mrs. John Procter, was born at Picton in 1863, and when eight years of age removed with his parents to Welr lington, where he learnt the painting and paper-hangir.g trade. He recalls being engaged in the work of painting the residence of Sir Julius Vogel, . then Governorr _ General of New Zealand. In 1876 he came to Foxton and almost immediately went to the Rangitikei district to train horses fpr the late Mr. Donald Fraser. From there he went to Wanganui and was engaged by the late Mr. H. N. Harrison. Following the same work, Mr. Procter returned to Parawanui (near Bulls) and was associated with the

late Mr. D. Scott in the breakmg in of the' two well-known gallopers of that day, Ahua and Lady Artiste. Mr. Procter's next employmer.t was as stockman with' the late Mr. F. B. Larkworthy on the Carnavon Estate at Parawanui and there he stayed for some eight years, gradually rising •to the position of forer ' man. Tt was during this time that he was married. Mrs. Procter, who was the eldest daughter of the late Mr. .and Mrs. J. C. Retter, was born. at Wellington in ' 1866, and at an early age ' went with her parents to Parawanui. On June 2, 1886, they camp by coach down the coast to Hokip and thence inland by dray to the western side of Horowhenua Lake, where the late Mr. Retter had in the preceding few months built ia house of tirnber slabs with a thatched roof. One of the most vivid recollections that Mrs. Proc- . ter has of her first days in that locality was the advent of a terrific gale one right about the time of the Tarawera eruption (June 1Q, 1886) • The homestead was blown to a lean of six inches as a result, while their pataka, a store house pn legs, was lifted bodily by. thp wind and deposited in an upright positon some distance from where it originally stood. After their wedding in 1887, and incidentally Mrs. Procter. was the first white girl to be married in this district, Mr. and Mrs. Procter spent their honeymoon in Wellington and -then returned to the Carnarvon Estate at Parawanui to reside. A short time after war ds the Bank of New Zealard assumed control of several estates and in 1890 Mr. Procter was appointed mamager of the Hakari Estate, in the Wairarapa district, and they removed there. Subsequently they were transferred to the Awamati Estate at Wairoa, and after, three years' service there, Mr. Procter • severed his cornection with the Bank of New Zealand. In 1896 Mr. and Mrs. Procter went into hotel ownership and during the succeeding seven years they had the Railway Hotel at Turakina, the Waitotara Hotel, the Red Lion in Wanganui and the Club in Marton. In 1903 they came to Levin ap.d Mr. Procter opened pairting and paperhanging premises. He carried on this business for several years and then took up farming pursuits on Beach Road, where Mr. and Mrs. Procter have lived ever since.

As the town developed, Mr. Procter gave his services freely tp the sporting bodies which werp formed. His more definite preference "was for rugby football in this -district and in 1906 he was elected a member of the management committee of the Horowhenua Unio.n. He was chairman for a number pf years and ' in recognition of his work was elected as a life membejr. He joined the Levin Racing Club (in its early days as a steward and' today is one of its life members, the reward* for his sterling support of the club. For 'about twerty years he rendered valuable service as a member of the Levin District High School Committee. Members of Mr." and Mrs. Procter's family are Messrs. F. S. P. Procter (Wellington) , C. G. Prpcter (Paraparaumu) , J. S. Procter (Levin) and W. R. S. Procter (Levin), all sons, and two daughtprs, Mesdames C. A. Ginders (Paremata) and S. Hinton (Pukekohe) . There are also 19 grandchildren and nine great-grand-children. To eelebrate the anniyersary ,a social evening is being held tonight which relatives and old family frlends will attend.