Hello,
Ellipitt kindly looked up these newspaper clipping for me
OBITUARY – Mrs A.G. DEARLE
One of Te Aroha’s best known and oldest pioneers in the person of Mrs Alice Grey Dearle passed away at her home on Wednesday evening. Mrs Dearle, who had reached the ripe age of 81 years, was born in the Waikato and went through the troublesome time of the Maori Wars as did many of our best settlers of the pioneer days. In 1880 she married Mr Charles J Dearle, who was one of the Thames early settlers, being connected with the School of Mines, Clerk of the Court, and other Government institutions. After Mr Dearle’s death, Mrs Dearle carried on farming in the Te Aroha, where she reard (sic) her six daughters, five of whom survive her. Her daughters are: Mrs G Rogers (Te Aroha West), Mrs G W Mace (Auckland), Mrs A W Wight (Mangaiti), Mrs E Hines (Mangaiti), Mrs R M Taylor (Te Aroha), and Mrs S Rickards (Auckland), who died four years ago. She leaves 27 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. The funeral, which was a large one, took place at the Te Aroha cemetery on Friday afternoon. The pall bearers were six of her grandsons. [‘Te Aroha News’ Wednesday, 28oct1936, p4]
LADIES OF TE AROHA
For some time, the press, radio and TV have been stressing the diminishing number of our native Maori women who featured the ‘moko’.
As children we were privileged to know one in our own district who carried this distinction with great pride.
Recently, older residents were reminded of this wonderful woman when her grandson, “the self styled millionaire Clarrie Rickard” was featured in the NZ Herald. He proudly acknowledged that he was part Maori and that his grandmother who wore the moko was a great lady.
This man never spoke a truer word for that aptly describes his maternal grandmother, Sarah Dearle who lived in Mangaiti for many years. Here she farmed many acres and raised six daughters, including his mother, the former Cassie Dearle who was very popular among fellow school mates.
Unfortunately Sarah Dearle’s only son died in childhood despite the fact that his mother drove a horse drawn vehicle to Thames each week to consult a doctor.
The only daughter living in the district today is Mrs E Wight, of Centennial Avenue.
The late Sarah Dearle was a gracious woman and to be invited to her home was considered a special privilege. She carried herself like a princess, had a beautiful speaking voice and was always suitably and smartly dressed.
As a proud wife and mother she was determined that her family had the best education available at that time. She was emphatic that her children were sent to school to learn the ‘Queen’s’ english and Maori was not spoken in their home.
Yet, from her, many true and valuable traditions were learnt by the young visitors to her home; where musical evenings around the piano were as popular as their six lovely daughters.
To the present generation her best known and respected granddaughter was the late Mrs E Erison who was associated with many organisations which benefited both the old and the young.
Those who knew her were conscious of the fact that she was a wonderful woman, a granddaughter of the great lady who wore the ‘moko’ and who personified the best of both worlds and cultures. [‘Te Aroha News’, Thursday, 12dec1974, p3]
