Couple leave 40 year home

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 6, Issue 239, 12 April 1988, Page 5

Couple leave 40 year home

A well-known Waimarino couple leave the area this week after 40 years of calling it home. Jim and Nancy Chelley lived in Raetihi when they were first married and a couple of years later moved to the neighbouring settlement of Ohakune. Their two children, Jenny and John were born in the Waimarino Hospital and attended Ohakune Primary School and Ruapehu College. Jim Chelley recently retired from the Ohakune Volunteer Fire Brigade after 35 years service. During that time he served as Chief for 14 years, deputy for one and secretary for 20 years. He retired as a life member. He was involved in St John!s Ambulance, the Waimarino- Brass Band, and Ruapehu Scouts. He was recently awarded the prestigious Gold Star badge for long service in the RSA. "More than 30 years on the committee and I filled every office, bar president," said Jim with a smile. Nancy was better known by the teengagers of the time, as the "firm-but-fair" coach of primary and secondary grade basketball. Nancy didn't begin

playing the sport until years after she was married. "It started off as a joke, with a team of old married women," she said. Nancy coached teams for 17 years and

retired from playing in 1971. A number of her 'girls' went on to play and coach at national level. "You don't get medals for coaching but Turnp. 6

Couple leaving

From p. 5 you get a lot of satisfaction," she said. Nancy was well known to children in the Waimarino. "I made a life of entertaining - the clown at Christmas parties and parades. You can bet wherever there was a parade, we'd be there in the thick of it." She worked full-time at Jenco's Drapery in Ohakune until it's closure in 1980 and was a shareholder in the business. Both Jim and Nancy worked for some years at the bakehouse in Ohakune and also managed their own market garden business for four years, at Karioi. The couple are moving to Mangakino, 30km from Tokoroa artd in easy reach of a number of centres. One of the deciding factors for the move was an increase in rates. "One of oui" happy

memories of Ohakune is when the rates were $30", said Jim. "Mangakino has a lot going for it - it's warmer, central and there's a lot of exWaimarino people living there. Even so, we're leaving a lot of friends behind." The move will mean plenty of work for the Chelley's, who intend making some renovations to the small house they have purchased. Nancy and Jim intend spending more time enjoying the garden and their seven grand-children. And taking a special place of honour in the front yard of their new home is the pair of skis that decorated their previous yard. "They're a reminder of 40 years and good times in Ohakune," said Nancy.