Fire survivor becomes fire fighter

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 320, 23 January 1990, Page 3

Fire survivor becomes fire fighter

BY

DONNA

MCGRATH

When just a tmy baby Jimmy Wier was wrapped tightly in a wet blanket and laid down beside a creek's edge by his grandmother to escape the burning flames of the 1918 fire than swept through Raetihi.

At 72 years of age Jimmy looks back gratefully and recalls his life as being happy and busy. Jimmy was born in October 1917 at the Raetihi nurses home in Ballance Street. The son of a farmer and one of six boys, Jimmy attended the Makatuku School on Dave Berry's farm which had a roll of 80. When he was eight years old he moved to Horopito School, with three teachers and 120 students. The farming and milling in the area kept the schools and township prosperous. At 14 Jimmy left school and for seven years he helped his father on the family farm. His mother died of a goitre at an early age. When Jimmy left the farm he took a tractor driving job working for an agricultural contractor. Jimmy recalls ploughing up 1500 acres of land for oats

for Wally Harding in Waiouru over a period of six months. Jimmy's love for engineering later drew him to George Sargent in Ohakune where he took up employment as a mechanic, learning engineering from George. Jimmy says that George was a superb teacher and he had a happy three years with him. With experience behind him Jimmy took up a position as a mechanic for Newmans, who were in what is now the NZ Faunmac building in Seddon Street Raetihi. The firm did mechanical repairs on a fleet of 20 buses including school buses, as well as military work. Jimmy was later given the opportunity, along with his brother Alex and Jack Sherween, to buy out the Chateau branch of New mans. Accepting the offer they renamed the business Chateau Transport Ltd 1950. They ran buses, trucks, and a taxi service, as well as an ambulance from the mountain to Taumarunui for five

seasons. In 1962 Alex, Jimmy and Jack sold out to Bonice. When Jimmy was 45 he took up employment with Reynolds Motors Ltd where he remained until his retirement. During Jimmy's time in the Waimarino he has spent 26 years as a volunteer fireman for the Raetihi fire brigade. He remembers fires like the Cosmolitan Club, the Raetihi printing works and the Crawford

house fire in Seddon Street. Jimmy also spent time as an ambulance relief driver until they retired him at the age of 63. Jimmy says over the years there has been a gradual decline in shopping facilities in the area. He has noticed that the snowfalls in the area are not as heavy or as regular as they were when he was growing up. He recalls two foot six inches of

snow on the ground in December one year. Jimmy believes that the removal of bush over the years has been a major reason for the climatic changes in the area. He says also that the creeks and rivers haven't the flow in them that they used to, so the fishing isn't as good. Today Jimmy lives a quiet relaxed life. Never married Jimmy has also led a lonely uncompli-

cated life. He says he enjoys his days set aside for bowls and fishing, where he enjoys the company of his friends. But while he speaks about the loneliness of an empty

home and uncooked meals, he treasures deeply the companionship of his neighbours Frank and Bernice Stuckey as well as, in the past, the late Joe Waanea.