PERSONAL

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 July 1942, Page 2

PERSONAL

The death has occurred in Dunedin of Mr J. P. McGowan, a former director of Sargood, Son and Ewen, Ltd., Mr McGowan was the first secretary of the company on its formation in 1888, and was made a director in 1915. Nearly all of Mr McGowan’s activities with the firm were in Wellington and Dunedin. He retired in 1933. He is survived by Mrs McGowan. Once Wellington’s leading lyric soprano, Miss Harriett Eliza Randell, Karori, died on Friday at the age of 85 years. Miss Randell was born in Wellington, and as a young woman she was associated for some years with the choir of the Taranaki Street Methodist Church, -when it boasted such gifted singers as Mr John Prouse and Messrs J. W. and E. J. Hill. On one occasion she was engaged to tour New Zealand with Miss Bessie Doyle, the famous violiniste. Over half a century ago, Miss Randell visited Australia, and among other engagements she appeared as soloist with the Melbourne Liedertafel at the Town Hall on August 19, 1889. The funeral of the late Mrs Elizabeth Frances Eton, wife of Mr Edgar George Eton, J.P., Cornwall Street, took place at the Masterton Cemetery on Saturday afternoon, the cortege being a large and representative one. Many beautiful floral emblems, testifying to the respect and esteem in which the late Mrs Eton was held throughout the Wairarapa, were placed on the grave, the wreaths including those from the following:—-Members of the Mastertoil Police force, chairman and members of the Wairarapa Hospital Board, chairman and members of the Trust Lands Trust, Masterton Permanent Investment and Building Society, staff of accountants’ section of the Social Security, Head Office, Wellington, committee of the Masterton Plunket Society. The service at the residence and at the graveside were conducted by The Ven. Archdeacon E. J. Rich. Amongst the chief mourners were Messrs E. Eton (Wellington), M. R. Jago (Palmerston North), Eric Eton (Palmerston North) and Private J. Eton. The pall-bearers were Messrs A. H. Herbert (Eketahuna), W. Letham (Napier), AV. G. Lamb, R. Krahagen, W. C. Perry, H. J. Fairchild, and E. J. Brown.