'Aunty Kami'

Tu Tangata, Issue 22, 1 February 1985, Page 23

'Aunty Kami'

Mrs Kamiria (Camellia) Mullen, who died in Levin on October 15, lived formany years in Hongoeka Bay.

Known affectionately as Aunty Kami, she was born a European but was adopted at three months by a Maori family when her parents drowned in a boating accident.

Ngawhakahua Aniretimana and her husband, Kerehoma Te Kairangi took the child they named Kamiria to live with them and their own five children at Takapuahia.

A year later they had a son they named Te Waari (Walter). Two years later,

Kerehoma died and Ngawhakahua took the children to Hongoeka Bay, where she built a raupo hut for them. The year was 1893.

Saw both

Kamiria saw the opening of the old meeting house at Takapuahia in 1901, as a child of eight. She was present when the new Toa Rangatira house was opened nearly three years ago.

She married Bob Mullen in 1922. The couple built a house at Hongoeka Bay, where they brought up six children. Mr Mullen died in 1957.

Mrs Mullen was a life member of the Maori Women’s Welfare League and patron of the Ngatitoa branch.

Until a few years ago she travelled throughout New Zealand to every annual league conference.

Aged 92 when she died, she had 24 grandchildren, 66 great-grandchildren and 10 great-great-grandchildren.

She had been in Levin hospital for six months before her death.

She was buried at the family cemetery at the Hongoeka marae.