OBITUARY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 October 1943, Page 2

OBITUARY

MR JAMES CHRISTOPHER COOPER The many friends of Mr James Christopher Cooper, of 17 Worksop Road, Masterton, will regret to hear of his death, which occurred yesterday, after an illness extending over some months. The late Mr Cooper was formerly managing director of the Wellington Farmers’ Meat Co. and was superintendent of the St John Ambulance Brigade, Masterton. Born at Oney, Buckinghamshire, England, 73 years ago, the late Mr Cooper came to New Zealand with his parents when he was two years old. The family settled at Harewood, Canterbury, and took up farming. Educated at the Boys’ High School, Christchurch, and at Canterbury College, Mr Cooper associated himself with the Pioneer Farm Homestead Association, of which he was chairman, formed in Canterbury to take up land in the North Island. He was one of three selected to choose land for settlement, the area selected being , the Mt. Baker block, Mangamahoe. Mr Cooper, with a number of other Canterbury young men, took up bush sections about 1890 in this block, which extended to the Ihuraua Valley. The’ land was under the L.I.P. tenure, which Mr Cooper vigorously attacked later in favour of the freehold.

Mr Cooper was elected to the Mauriceville County Council on its formation in 1898 and was for a period chairman, serving on the council until he sold his property about 1909. He had a long and active association with the Farmers’ Union. He joined the Mauriceville branch of the Union in 1899, was chairman in the following year; became a member of the Wellington Provincial Executive in 1901 and was a member of the Wairarapa Provincial Executive for many years until the time of his death. Mr Cooper was a foundation member of the Dominion executive of the Farmers’ Union and a member of its advisory board. For some years he took an active part in the organisation set up to fight the L.I.P. land tenure of the Seddon administration and in furtherance of this campaign for the freehold he unsuccessfully contested, as a supporter of Mr W. F. Massey, the Pahiatua and the Masterton seats, in the latter case against the late Hon A. W. Hogg. For some years Mr Cooper was chairman of the Ihuraua School Committee. After selling his property at Ihuraua, he purchased a farm at Bideford, on which he was actively engaged until six months ago. In 1910 Mr Cooper organised and formed the Wellington Farmers’ Meat Co., with works at Waingawa, and became managing director. He was manager of the company until he retired in 1923. While holding this position, he paid several visits to England in furtherance of the interests of the industry. Soon after establishing the works at Waingawa, Mr Cooper, from his own experience, saw the need of a first aid organisation to attend to accident cases and about 1912 lie formed the Masterton branch of the St John Ambulance Brigade. Ever since he had maintained his interest in the brigade and was for many years its superintendent. He rendered yeoman service during the influenza epidemic of 1918. The King conferred on him the honour of a Serving Brother of the Order of St John of Jerusalem and in 1936, the Governor-General, the late Lord Galway, presented him with the medal of this award at Government House. In July of this year Mr Cooper was presented with the long service ribbon of the St John Ambulance Brigade. Mr Cooper took a prominent part in the establishment of hydro-electric works in the Wairarapa, being chairman of the investigating committee which inspected sites for the proposed undertaking in the district. He organised the Wairarapa Electric Power Board and was its first chairman. For a number of years he was president of the Masterton Chamber of Commerce. The late Mr Cooper is survived by a widow (a daughter of Mr and Mrs B. Corrigan, of Canterbury), two sons, Messrs Frank (Bideford) and Desmond Cooper (serving with the New Zealand forces overseas) and two daughters, Mrs G. Hales (Weber) and Miss Cooper (Masterton). The funeral will take place in Masterton tomorrow, leaving St Patrick’s Church, following a service at 2.30 p.m., for the Masterton Cemetery. Requiem Mass will be celebrated at St Patrick’s Church tomorrow at 9 a.m. MRS. MARY CUSACK. The death occurred in Masterton last evening of Mrs. Mary Bridget Cusack, who was born at County Monaghan, Ireland, 55 years ago. She was the widow of the late Patrick Michael Cusack, and came to New Zealand with her family about 16 years ago, taking up her residence in the Wairarapa five years ago. She had been in indifferent health for the past few years. Her only son, Michael Joseph, went overseas with the Second N.Z.E.F., and has been missing since the Greece campaign. A daughter, Sister M. St. Francis Xavier, predeceased her four years ago, and she is survived by two daughters, Miss Anne Cusack, who has been on the staff of the Mater Misercordiane Hospital, Auckland, and Miss Rosaleen Cusack, of Masterton. The funeral will take place in Masterton on Wednesday, leaving St. Patrick’s Church following a service at 2 p.m., for the Masterton Cemetery.