Eric Louis Fetzer

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 5, Issue 3, 16 June 1987, Page 10

Eric Louis Fetzer

Eric Louis Fetzer, who died in Raetihi Hospital last Thursday at the age of 87, spent all but one year of his life in the Waimarino. As a child he lived at Makaranui (next to the present Waimarino Golf Club) before moving to Lakes Road when his father, Lou Fetzer, had bought a 300-acre property which became the family farm. The farm still reimains in family hands - Eric's younger brother Wardy farms the property these days though he is unlikely to match his father's

alleged legendary prowess at growing vegetables. There is a story being told about how Lou Fetzer once planted only five swedes in a large paddock - one in each corner and one in the centre. Apparently only one matured - the one in the centre because it grew to such a size that it forced the others out! Eric Fetzer received all his schooling in Ohakune in the early 1900's attending first at a school building situated where the present bowling club now is and then another situated behind the former RSA Clubrooms (now the Turoa

. staff hostel) in Clyde Street. By the time he left school the family had bought the Lakes Road farm and it was there he worked for the first few years shearing, fencing, haymaking and generally maintaining the property and its equipment. It seemed natural therefore when he set up in his own business it should be as a general contractor. With a truck, a hay-baler and a couple of tractors - one of which (a caterpillar) was the first crawler tractor

in the central North Island - Eric undertook all sorts of contract work for farmers and others in the Waimarino area. He retired 22 years ago at the age of 65. As a young man Eric enjoyed his rugby and this was the reason for the year he spent away from the Waimarino - he spent this time in Wellington as a building apprentice in order to play the game down there. He was very much an outdoors man who was keen on tramping - he did a lot of guiding on the mountain. He must have been fit too: on one occasion he and some companions climbed all three mountain peaks (Ruapehu, Ngauruhoe and Tongariro) in a single day! Eric Fetzer was also noted for his publicspirited community involvement. contd. pg. 14