OBITUARY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26628, 26 November 1947, Page 3

OBITUARY

Mr Thomas Cooper

With the death on Monday of Mr Thomas Cooper, at the age of 80 years, Oamaru has lost a resident of long standing. Born at the old mining town of St. Bathans, Central Otago, in 1867, Mr Cooper was the second eldest of a family of 10, whose father, like many others, was enticed to come to New Zealand by the Gabriel’s Gully gold rush. Most of Mr Cooper’s life was spent gold-mining on the Maerewhenua field, where he followed that occupation for approximately 50 years. During the 1914-18 war, Mr Cooper, although over-age, put his age back and served with the forces until he was wounded in the Battle of the Somme in France. On returning to New Zealand he took up sheep farming at Benmore, where he remained for several years, but he returned to his old occupation of goldsluicing. of which he was a recognised authority During the later part of his life, Mr Cooper spent a number of years with his youngest daughter in Christchurch, but he subsequently returned to Maerewhenua. He married a second time five years ago, and with his wife came to live in Orwell street, Oamaru, where he resided up to the time of his death. To within a few days of his death Mr Cooper worked aetivelv in his garden, of which he was very fond. Although an old man, *he retained all his faculties, and was a keen debater taking a lively interest in public affairs. He was an active member of the Oamaru Toe H.