OBITUARY

New Zealand Tablet, 1 May 1913, Page 47

OBITUARY

MRS. AUGUST KRAKOFSKY, ROSS. The many friends of the late Mrs. August Krakofi sky (writes an occasional will regret to hear of her demise which occurred on Sunday, April 13, at the residence of her mother, Mrs. Boyle, Donohues. The deceased had been a most patient sufferer -, edifying all : with Christian fortitude and resignation. Fortified by all the rites of i the V Church, 1 and :in the presence of her sorrowing husband and : sisters, she passed peacefully away. : On Wednesday the funeral cortege, composed of : representatives from = all parts of Westiand, moved to St. Patrick's Church, Ross,- where a Requiem Mass was celebrated by the Rev.';: Father jHanrahan. Then the cortege.proceeded to the cemetery where in the presence of a* still -more; numerous assemblage the burial service was read. On Sunday, the Rev. Father Clancy at Hokitika referred in : touching terms to the bereavement which, had afflicted two families notable for their devoted attachment to Holy Church, and requested the prayers of the congregation^for the eternal repose of the soul of Mrs. Krakofsky.—R.l.P.

: MRS. MARGARET RALPH, PONSONBY. We regret to report the death of Mrs. Margaret Ralph, who passed away at the family residence,,Ponsonby, oil April 6. , ~,The;. deceased, who was born in the : : Qld Country, •;spent: a number.; of ; ; years in India, her knowledge of that . country and her recital of the stirring deeds of the Mutiny times always being most interesting and graphic. Some 65 years ago (says a local paper) Mr. and Mrs. Ralph arrived in New Zealand, so that they participated in the strenuous and - stirring times of the Dominion's early history. Their . first home was a Maori whare, but, acquiring land in this district, they set up-their modest.home near the site of the present King's Hall, in Huntly, where they brought up a large family, settled down to develop the resources of the district as well as to lay the foundation of that prosperity which was naturally the consequent of hard work carried out on sound and permanent lines. In the town which her family founded Mrs. Ralph took the greatest interest. ■. She watched it grow, and to the very last evinced that anxiety for its welfare that still characterises her . descendants. Keen and shrewd, possessed of great mental powers and natural business acumen, the late Mrs. Ralph possessed all the qualities that go to make a loving mother, a helpful life-partner, and a pioneer settler of the right . sortone of an early band who, believing in the principles ,of . self -help, put their hands to the plough, and, despite obstacles and drawbacks, carried on their work with the courage and determination to which the present generation owe so much. The history of Mrs. Ralph and her family is the' history of Huntly, with which their names will for ever be indissolubly connected only as the founders of the but as benefactors whose donations of building sites for churches, for a library and other purposes, as well as their generous contributions to . every scheme having for its object the common weal, will form a monument more lasting than one of brass or stone. After Sir Walter Scott had transformed Abbotsford from a bare, bleak patch into a delightful and palatial demesne, a visitor once remarked to the novelist: 'Si monumentum requiris, circumspice.' So with the deceased lady for," while her virtues and her excellences may be forgotten,'the imprint of a strenuous active life has been indelibly written over the face of -this district. Mrs. Ralph had a large family, and is survived by Messrs. W. J. and E. V. Ralph, of Auckland"; Mrs. L. B. Harris, sen., of Harrisville, Huntly; Mrs. Lovell, of Taupiri; Miss Ralph, of Auckland; and Sister Ignatius, of Dunedin, to all of whom is extended public sympathy on the death of a revered and beloved mother.—-R.I.P.

of a sad drowning fatality a mile or two . beyond Browns. Later intelligence proved that the report was only : too true and that the victim T was Mr. Patrick Walsh, an old and highly esteemed resident of Browns It spears that on Friday morning Mr. Walsh accompanied Mr. J. Dixon in a trap to Mr. W. Dixon's farm across the Otapiri river. • TJie stream was then fairly high, but not sufficient^to-cause; the occupants of the trap any alarm. About 2.30 the Dixon brothers and Mr. Walsh started on the return journey ' to Browns. Shortly after entering; the.river, which had risen; considerably, Walsh said, ' Turnback; 'V but it was. too late, the being immediately swept off 7 its feet. The three.men jumped out of the trap into the aeeo water Mr. W. Dixon struggled to a gorse bush, while his brother and Mr. Walsh clung to the trap Messrs.: Bell and Irwin came to the assistance of the men in danger, and rode their horses well ; into the river and cast out a rope with a piece of- woo* attached to keep it .afloat.,:, Walsh t got hold of the ; rope and called out all right, pull away!' : Unfortunately the line got fast on something:, and the rescuers could make no headway./ Bell was pulled Out into the deep water, and lost hold of the rope and Mr. Walsh immediately disappeared; : . Desperate- efforts, and ■: at great risk were made to reach the Dixon brothers; who were m deep water Mr W. Dixon struggled to^ gorse bush, finally a boat was procured, and Mr. J. Scott rescued tho two young men from the perilous i positional they had been in for: over four hours. At mid-day on Saturday the body of- Mr. Walsh was recovered a few reet away from the scene of the accident. /--The' sad event cast a gloom over the whole district. Deceased who was 57 years of age, was an honorable, upright man, and was esteemed by all. The deepest sympathy prevails for the bereaved widow and family in their sad and sudden; trial.—R.l.P. // ';•■-/: ;;. _<;,;;.

MRS. J. A. MACEDO, BUENOS AIRES. ~. 7 c ™ Ne Tr haS been received in Dunedin of the death of Mrs. Macedo, wife of Mr. A. Macedo, ; well known as a Catholic bookseller in Dunedin some years ago The. late Mrs. Macedo was born in Carlow, and left Ireland m 1864 and /arrived in Dunedin with her sister now Mrs. Pearson. She was married to Mr Macedo three years after her arrival, and lived : in Dunedin until 18 years ago, when they left for Sydney where they kept a news agency. About ten years - ago they went to Argentine, where they engaged in farming, from, which they retired and went .to reside in Buenos Aires. The deceased lady had been in ill health tor some time, and she passed- away fortified-by all the rites of the Church, being attended by an Irish priest resident in the city. She leaves a,&mily. of three daughters and one son (Mr. J. P. Macedo, of Feilding). The deceased was a sister of Mrs. Pearson,- and an aunt of Mrs. Prmgle, both of Mosgiel.—R.l.P.

n n v 6 ™ a "g matioll of the first city branch of the Uathohc Federation took place on Sunday evening April 13, in St. Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, in the pre' sence of an immense congregation. : Leading- citizens from all professional ranks are giving whole-hearted support to this grand movement, and, ere long' (says the Freeman's Journal), branches, will; flourish in every parish m the State to act as living Sentinels and champions against insidious evils, base influence, and pernicious literature which is undermining the morals of Australia ; The general secretary of the Victorian Catholic Federation, Mr. T. J. O'Brien, was one of the speakers during the evening, and in his address he outlined the remarkable success achieved by the Federation in the sister. State. ,-; %/*