The Rev. Ratu Lewis

Te Ao Hou, December 1962, Page 63

The Rev. Ratu Lewis The death occurred recently of the Rev. Ratu Lewis, minister of the Presbyterian Maori congregation in Whakatane. Born in Nuhaka, Hawkes Bay, 59 years ago, Mr Lewis was one of a large Mormon family. He went to school in his home district before taking up landscape gardening. Later he was farming and bus driving for several years. Coming into touch with Sister Edith of the Presbyterian Maori Mission at Nuhaka, Mr Lewis became a member of the Presbyterian Church. Some years later he was ordained as an elder and after serving the church for some years was appointed Moderator of the Maori Synod. In 1955 Mr Lewis was one of the first to enrol in a special course for senior elders at the Maori Theological College, Whakatane. After a two-year course he was ordained a minister and appointed to the full charge of the Taupo Maori Mission station. Early in 1961, Mr Lewis was appointed minister of the Maori congregation in Whakatane. Although he had been in ill-health for some years,

and almost blind for the last few months, Mr Lewis was still at work until quite recently. He is survived by his widow and 14 children. The funeral services at Ohope and the Whakatane Hill Cemetery were conducted by the Rt. Rev. J. G. Daughton, assisted by other ministers of the mission.