PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 November 1939, Page 4

PERSONAL

His Excellency the Governor-Gener-al, Viscount Galway, accompanied by Captain Lord Dormer, lunched at the Hotel Midland yesterday with Mr J. MacFarlane Laing, of Masterton. Mr Laing's other guests included the Rev E. J. Rich, chairman of the Sedgley Boys’ Home committee, and the Mayor of Masterton, Mr T. Jordan. Mr J. H. Cunningham, general manager of the Wairarapa Farmers’ Co-op-erative Association, Ltd., is paying a business visit, to Auckland. Major Sam Hayes, the Salvation Army’s senior chaplain to the New Zealand Forces, has been promoted by General Booth to the rank of Brigadier. Visitors to Masterton who are at the Empire Hotel are Messrs W. Ellis, Sydney, N.S.W.; Reid, Auckland; Kennedy, Levin; Warren, Keating and Neilsen Palmerston North; Field, Mowtell. Topp and Herbert, Wellington. At’ the funeral in Masterton of the late Mr Alex Turner, a former resident of Masterton, who died in Pahiatua, the service at the graveside was conducted by the Rev J. Davie. The pall-bearers were Messrs D. Buchanan, L. Cowan. J. Burness, G. Cave, H. Morison, A. lorns. Mr W. E. Aitken, son of Mr and Mrs W. A. Aitken, Church St., Masterton, who is in camp in Trentham, was one of a number of trainees at the Army School, Trentham, who passed his second lieutenant’s examination last week. Mr Aitken was formerly a well known Wairarapa and Bush footballer, and had recently resided in Gisborne. The death has occurred of Mr Matthew Archibald Moody, Palmerston North, at the age of 77. Mr Moody was born in Gavagh, Ireland, in 1862, and came to New Zealand at the age of 18. He farmed for several years in Lyttelton, later going to Napier and finally in 1888 buying a block of bush at the foothills of Linton. In 1902 he was elected to the Kairanga County Council, on which he served continuously for 33 years. In 1914 he was elected a member of the Palmerston North Hospital Board, on which he served continuously till his retirement from public life in 1938. Mr Moody is survived by his wife, and Messrs F. H. Moody (Linton), H. G. Moody (Woodville), B. A. Moody (Linton) and K. R. Moody (Linton), Mrs W. T. Aitchison (Manutahi, Hawera), and Mrs J. Whyte (Tokomaru). The death occurred in Palmerston North recently of Mr Stephen Edward Whitta, at the age of 63 years. The late Mr Whitta, who was born at Ohaka, North Canterbury in 1876, was the eldest son of the late Mr and Mrs T. Whitta. At the age of 17 he came to the North Island with his parents who purchased land in the Bush district. He served for two years at the Boer War, joining the 7th Reinforcement, Nelson Battalion. Later he and his two brothers. Mr Thomas Whitta and the late Mr Walter Whitta, purchased land in what is now known as Horoeka, where they farmed till 1937, when the late Mr Whitta was obliged through ill-health to retire in Palmerston North. Mr Whitta is survived by his widow and three daughters, Misses Eileen Whitta (Manakau), Sylvia Whitta (Woodville), and Norah Whitta (Palmerston North).