OBITUARY.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1948, 3 January 1914, Page 6

OBITUARY.

MRS. SARAH ANN RHODES. , A LOSS TO THE CITY. ?$ ho ' don.tlr occurred yesterday:'' aftcr.llooll of Mrs; Sarah Ann ' Rhodes, 1 of ~': : 'lhc - Grange,". Wadestown, a lady whose death means the severance of.ono more link in the chain that, bound modern Wellington to its primitive past, for. .both Mrs. Rhodes and her late husbaild, tho Hon. W. B. Rhodes, wero closely associated with tho. growth and history of 'Wellington. Her death will be sincerely regretted, in many ways, for sho was honoured and respected for her many public and ; privato good works, which will contiinvo to live after her. Mrs. Rhodes had been confined to her, bed for _ tho past three -months .i,ivitfe bronchitis, which ailment- she had 'iiie misfortune to contract dnrijig hor -list .vjsit tt> England, and which recurred after lier arrival back in Wellington. Death was not unexpected, and Bishop jsjirott administered the communion on Thursday last. The late Mrs. Rhodes was the daughter of tho lato Mr. \\m. Moorhouse, formerly of Knottinglev, Yorkshire, and was a sister of tho lato Mr. Wm. Sefton Moorhouse, formerly M.P. for ChrlstcliurclK Sho was born at ICnottingley, lorkshire (England), in 1836. and came out to New Zealand in 1858 to join her brother, Mr. W, S, Moorhouse, who was then Superintendent- of Canterbury. Jen years later sho married Mr. W. B Rhodes, and came to Wellington, whom, w;th the exception of an occasional visit to fcnttlana, sho has resided ever since. •Her husband predeceased lac»r many years ago. Throughout iter life Mrs. Rhodes has been "My Lady Bountiful" to Wellington, and even "beyond tho borders of New Zealand her charil.v has been practically demonstrated. Everyday saw her mail-bag filled- with' requests _ for monetary assistance from' every imaginable' source, for she was besieged by bogging letter-writers. I.ho District Nursing Guild of St.' John owes a great deal to the wholehearted support- a.nd practical sympathy of Mrs. Rhodes. It is fourteen' years ago this, month .since it was', first started, with-tho object,-of keeping a nurse to Work among tho poor of the 9%, and tho first two years of its ex-istence-was nothing but a hard: struggio A fter Mrs. Rhodes became nresident of tho Giiild, her influejioo was such that tlio Guild wa-s in a position, to appoint a permanent mirse; - Later, with the various sums of money which wero left it, together with the handsome amounts that- were the results of different bazaars with which Mrs. Rhodes had a great deal to do, a -substantial amount of money, resulted,'• so"- that', with tho interest two permanent nurses were appointed to. work among tho poor. Somo years .after Mrs. jßhodes; had accepted tho position of pre-sidont, tlio km s honoured her with the decoration of Lady of, Grace of tho Order of St. John of Jerusalem and it was interesting to know that sho was tho on -V v ? man ' n cvr Zealand who was entitled'to wear the dceoration of a "®dy of the Order,, and who had received tho patent from the King at Homo • bomo thrco years -ago . Mrs, Rhodes went to. England to, attend the coronation of Their Majestic-s tho King and. Queen, and subsequently sho,was received at a privato audience with tho Queen, who was desirous of hearing about the work wnich was carried out in Now Zealand. In every wav tho lato Mrs. Rhodes was a tower of strength to the Guild, and almost to (the very last sho retained her interest in it. .Many of tho kindnesses which havo been dono by Mrs. Rhodes can only bo guessed .-at, and in manv unknown quarters there is deep and sincere regret felt, at the loss of one who was content to uo much of her good by stealth. ,

i Among the other 1 institutions that have benefited by the Into Mrs, Rliodes's munificence, have been tho Wellington Boys' Institute, in tlie welfare of which she always manifested a lively interest. Sorno three years ago it became evident that if tho work of the institute was to flourish and expand promises larger than those in Arthur Street would have to, ; bo secured. It was Mrs. Rhodes ivlio! came to the rescue. Sho presented tlie institute .with a valuable blook of land between Tasnian and .Belfast Streets (just to' the south of the Basin Reserve) upon, which' wwo located a, block of cottages valued at about £3003. .It was a fine gift, and the institute at once decided that a. big effort would bo made to niako the most of the gift, . and sines-then have bpeii steadily working to that end by raising fluids jo erect a suitable building. Tho Wellington public was sympathetic, and the result ■ achieved will be manifested this .year, as tenders aro to he cbWfd for the now. building almost immediately.- It will bo erected and opened free of debt. This was made possible by Mrs , Rhodes,' who" before the recent historical pageant promised a donation of £500 if tho sum of £200(1 wero raised by other means. 'This sum was raised, and tho. institute funds benefit©;] to the extent of tlie siim. mentioned; Tli? directors' of the institute will probably perpetuate tlio name.' of the generous donor in tho neiv building. Another of lior gifts to'tho city was tho big hour bell which bangs 'ik tho tower of 'tbo'General• Post• Olfice. -and rns, when erected, tho largest bell in Now Zealand.

The deceased lady had. no children, but is survived by over. 80 nephews ftnd nieces, most of them resident in Nrw Zealand. These include tlio Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Postmastcr-tteneral. and .Mr. W. Sefton Moorhouse, of Messrs. Moorhous® and Hadfield, solicitors, of Wellington, who acted legally for the deceased.

The funeral will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday. A service will be conducted in_ tlie chapel, and the deceased will be laid to rest beside her late, husband in tho Bolton Street cemetery,