ANOTHER PIONEER PASSES.

Shannon News, 29 October 1926, Page 2

ANOTHER PIONEER PASSES.

DEATH OF MR J. C. RETTER, Death has removed from Levin another familiar personality in the person of Mr Joseph Chapman Retter, who passed away on Monday morning at his residence in Oxford Street, There was no figure in the town better known or more highly held in esteem than that of deceased, who was one of the earliest local settlers.

The life history of Mr Retter is a very interesting one. He was born in ♦'Blue House," Old Maiden, Surrey, England, on the 9th of September, 1838 —BB years ago. At the age of three | years' he landed in New Zealand with his parents, the late Mr and Mrs S. J. C. Retter, at Pipitea Wharf, having come to this country on the '' Lord William Bentinck." The family settled at Wadestown, Wellington, where they resided for over 25 years, taking up land which is now known as Wilton's Farm, but known to the settlers iat that time .as " Retter's Lower Ground." Deceased, with his father and brother, Charles, made the first cart road to Wadestown from the bottom of what is now Park Street, but which was then known as the Swamp Road, to Grant Road, the work being done with the aid of an old bullock popularly known as "Old Charlie," the first known bullock to be shod, The road was afterwards continued along Grant Road and up through what then Avas called "Retter's Two Acres," but more familiar now as Upper Featherston Terrace.

The late Mr Retter served in the Taranaki Maori War, . doing garrison duty for eleven months at the time when'pay was at the rate of Is per day and rations consisted, of one pound of bread and a similar quantity of meat. Shortly after leaving the militia he was married to Miss Hannah Stickle, only (laughter of Captain Stickle, commander of the brig "Louisa" trading ,betAveen Wellington, and Sydney. This was in the year 1861, and after his marriage he went to Napier. One year later he went to the'Otago diggings, taking with him 60 bullocks, 300 sheep and 300 head of poultry. After association with Gabriel's Gully,'Munro's Gully and Featherston Gully, as well as the Blue Spur, he returned to the North Island, and after living at Porirua fbr „about 12 months he was again sworn into the militia. Following a similar period of service with the forces he returned to dairying at Porirua, where he worked in the employment of the Rev. Mr de Castro, who was captain of the militia in which the deceased served. He rejoined the militia in which he served with distinction, being promoted-to the rank of sergeant, and servin'g with the forces for about ten years. In the year 1872 he left that district and went to Rangitikei,, where he worked on Mr Waring Taylor's station. Soldiering must have had a keen fascination for the late Mr Retter for when he went to the Rangitikei district he again joined the cavalry there, and he took pleasure in recalling all the old associations and personalities encountered in the service of the Queen. It was in the year 1885 —the year of the Tarawera eruption—> that he came to the Horowhenua district, where he lived up to the time of hip death, a greatly respected citizen of Levin. In the earlier years of his residence he took a great interest in local affairs and Avas one of the first members of the Levin School Committee serving between the years 1890 . and 1902 as both member and chairman. With the late Mr Marco Fosolla he AVas a foundation member of the now defunct Levin Boating Club. He Avas a prominent athlete in both Wellington and Levin, Avhore he Avon many laurels as a runner. Sincere sympathy will be accorded to Mrs Retter and her family in their bereavement. Deceased leaves two. sons (Messrs Fred (Matangi) and Joe (Foxton), and three .daughters, Mrs J. W. Procter (LeA'in), Mrs J. Roach (Shannon), Mrs Gill (Levin), and 37 grand children and 11 great-grand-child-ren. Mr F. C. Retter (Palmerston N.), and Mrs A., C. Stevenson (Wellington) are brother and sister. ,