OBITUARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 August 1938, Page 4

OBITUARY

MRS GEORGE BEETHAM. Mrs George Beetham, formerly of Masterton, died in London toward the end of July. Mrs Beetham was a sister of the late Mr W. H. Levin, founder of the firm of Levin and Co, merchants, Wellington. Her husband was Mr George Beetham (who also died, in London), at one time M.P., for Masterton. MR R. O. JARRETT. The death occurred yesterday in the Masterton Hospital of Mr Richard Owen Jarrett, of Kopuaranga, at one time a prominent figure in the sporting world, well known for his feats on the track and in the boxing ring. He had been living at Kopuaranga for the past fifteen months. The late Mr Jarrett was born in Sussex in 1869 and arrived in New Zealand when he was six years of age. For some years he lived at Bulls and then shifted to Wanganui. Largely on account of his health, he took up physical culture work in earnest and before long acquired a constitution envied by many. While on the track he -achieved remarkable success as a runner. He had his first race when 16 years of age and was placed 167 times in finals, securing first place on 65 occasions, second on 633 and third 39 times. He persuaded the Wanganui Education Board to give him an opportunity of showing the value of properly applied physical culture exercises and deep breathing. As honorary instructor he did good service in district schools and it was not long before he had started physical culture classes throughout the Wanganui, Manawatu and Wairarapa districts. In his prime, he had a chest expansion of 10J inches and he could repeat any of the feats of strong men who visited New Zealand in those days. He was a resident of Masterton at the time war broke out and as the physical standard of recruits had to be. high in the early stages, there were many rejected because they lacked the needed chest measurements. Many of those turned down on this ground were told to see Mr Jarrett and after a special course of exercises were able to meet all requirements. He trained many of the most notable athletes New Zealand has known. . ■• ' The late Mr Jarrett is survived by a widow and family of three daughters, Mesdames J. O. Law (Raglan), F. Dobson (Ashhurst), and C. Williams (New Plymouth), and one son, Mr C. P. J.arrett, of Kopuaranga, besides 16 grandchildren. Messrs James (Wanganui), Frederick (Mangaweka), and Sydney Jarrett (Feilding) are brothers. Two sons predeceased him, Lieut. Owen Jarrett, who was killed in the Great War and Mr Herbert- Jarrett. The funeral will take place tomorrow, leaving the chapel of Hyde’s Funeral Service at 2 p.m. for the Masterton Cemetery.

MR A. H. HOBBS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The death has occured of Mr A. H. Hobbs, Immediate Past Deputy Grand Master of the Masonic Lodge of New Zealand, and President of the New Zealand Justices of the Peace Association. He collapsed and died suddenly last evening. , Mr Hobbs was a member of a family that settled ,in Canterbury in the ’forties and was a man of wide interests. ——