70 years of Raetihi memories

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 310, 24 October 1989, Page 9

70 years of Raetihi memories

BY

DONNA

MCGRATH

At just seven years away from celebrating her 100th birthday Mary Evans of Raetihi is as youthful in mind and spirit as a twenty year old.

Mary moved to Ohakune from Woodville in the early 1900's where she worked at Ohakune's Kings Court for three years as a waitress. Mary said Kings Court was a familiar boarding house in the area in those days when prohibition meant the selling of alcohol was illegal. She reflects on the day when a train from Raetihi pulled in at the Junction below Kings Court filled with survivors seeking refuge from the 1918 Raetihi blaze. She said until that moment many people were unaware that Raetihi was on fire. She remembers looking into the sky and witnessing the colour and fury of the fire, reported to be seen as far away as Masterton. Though Mary finds finer details a little hard to recall, she does remember one special moment of her life in 1918. The Raetihi fire sparked off wedding bells for Mary and her late husband William Alfred Evans, formerly of Masterton. William

was a worker for the Waimarino County Council. Together Mary and William had three daughters, Gladis (now in Auckland), Joyce (Te Kuiti), and Velma (Raetihi). As a family they lived for many years during the 192830 depression down the Mangaturoa West of Raetihi. William farmed a few cows for the local dairy factory in the area. The children attended the Mangaturoa School which had a roll of around 25 children and one teacher. As the children grew up the family moved into Raetihi, purchasing their Grey Street home Mary still loves and lives in today. Independence Mary took up a position as a cleaner for the local borough council for extra money, until her husband died at the age of 82 of cancer. In those days Mary explains that cancer was referred to as a "growth ligament." Her daughters have lovingly supported her since, though she still has a need for her independence.

Mary has spent over 70 years in the Waimarino. She recalls Raetihi as a buzzing little township years ago. A town full of industry and a sense of survival. She talks of the many boarding houses in Seddon Street; the most prominent and still standing today, The Golden Acre' owned by Mr Punch. The carrot washing shed of Peter Perkins employed butter makers for the dairy factory that once operated there. The Factory Shop

behind Webb's managed by Frank Saw collected up the empty cream containers brought into town by the milkman, (Mary recalls the late Ian Butler and Gilbert Wise as her milkmen), and filled them with the groceries ready to be sent out on the next delivery. Raetihi survives Webb's garage is built over the remains of a large general store that was burnt down in the 1918 fire. Bowers Electrical took over the place of a large bake house called the

"Classic." Shops have closed and cthers have reopened, and today Raetihi is still surviving. She smiles as she remembers George Chan delivering her groceries in a box on the front of his push bike knee high in mud. She smiles as she talks of her friends, that have now passed away, the memories so close and so precious to her. But Mary says she has seen and experienced a lot in her 93 years. She's seen the beginning of the Turnpage 14

Raetihi memories

From page 9 motor car, the introduction of the telephone and automatic washing machine. Now she says it's a joy to travel to Wanganui. In the earlier years it was a stop over via Pipiriki at Pipiriki House and a trip on the river boat down the Wanganui river. Mary has great admiration for the Waimarino Hospital and the nurses. She feels at her age it is good to be able to rely on them all. She looks forward to her weekend visits with her daughter and son-in-law, Velma and Hobo Alabaster. Her cat "Puss" is her friend and companion. Her nine grandchildren her pride and joy and to this day her only significant regret is the closure of Farmers and Postbank in Raetihi. Mary has a lot more stories to tell.