Roger Alfred Frank RAWLINGS aka Frances RAWLINGS c. 1943 - 2023.

[Fresh Fields]

Greetings from down under [NZ]

As you may be of assistance to this news story seeking NOK, I have decided to post here.

A sad story – Seeking NOK.

Published in the Christchurch “PRESS”  and a sister publication the “WAIKATO TIMES.

A lonely death at Horseshoe Lake | The Press (waikatotimes.co.nz) 

A lonely death at Horseshoe Lake | The Press


Roger Alfred Frank RAWLINGS  aka Frances RAWLINGS   c1943 – 2023.


Born in Porthcrawl, Wales to an R.A.F. father.

Estranged from most family. Emigrated to the South Island NZ on the CORINTHAIN in 1963, with his grandmother, Ruby BOX.

Believed to have been in contact with a sister, or two, in years leading up to death.  One believed to have lived in Brisbane Australia, and Malaysia.

If you have knowledge that may assist in the search, feel free to contact. Charlie MITCHELL of the Christchurch PRESS. 

See links provided.

Alan.

OOp's typo on my part  RAWLING

[Fresh Fields]

OOp's links do not appear to have attached.

www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350105339/lonely-death-horseshoe-lake 

Right this one looks OK now so will try for the other.

www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/350105339/lonely-death-horseshoe-lake

Alan.

[Dundee]

It Is RAWLING not RAWLINGS.  Comments on Ancestry trees are that his mother lived in Australia in 2011 and had dementia, his elder sister died in 1974 in the NT, nothing about the younger sister.

“Last letter from Vinny”, Christensen reads. He sighs. “I don’t know who Vinny was.”

Probably his elder sister who used her middle name.

Debra 

[Dundee]

The mother Doris (using the name Vita) remarried in 1962 to Cyril OLIVER.  NAA shows the whole family minus Roger emigrating to Australia in 1965.  They were living in Brisbane in 1977.

I don't know if this is the same, but the ABC in Australia frequently post these types of stories when they already know all the answers.  They just like to have audience engagement and lots of people chasing around looking for clues.

Debra 

[Fresh Fields]

Thanks for taking an interest.

I have taken the press reporting at face value.

Some years ago I turned to Rootschat, when a duty undertaker, choose to take charge of a body when there was no known NOK,and went to the press after a lenghty period of ashes storage. Fortunately the Rootschat community was able to provide a resolve.

Makes me a bit of a softy.

Alan.

PS I will forward a link to the "PRESS".

[Fresh Fields]

PS by way of explanation. Shows how ones recollection is not all that accurate. Just looked up the thread referred, to out of renewed interest. The Dargaville undertaker referred to the body as "The lonely dead"  When assigned to him, at their own initial expense, they embalmed it, and had been storing it for over six months, hoping a NOK could be found. But without avail.

Alan.

[Fresh Fields]

Greetings - sequel update, Tuesday 16th January 2024

Today NZ’S STUFF news published sequels to their recent requests for help, locating long lost people.

RAWLING  request for help, sequel.

www.thepress.co.nz/nz-news/350143945/sister-red-zone-stayer-frances-rawling-pays-tribute-her-missing-piece

RC – DUNDEE , Debra

I emailed the PRESS newsroom with the info you supplied. Up to now, I have had no email reply acknowledgement of assistance offered.  At the time I found your reply, re the good will of the establishment a bit cynical, and assumed it came about with hard learned, lack of manners, and good will, from the TABLOID press of the UK.

I did not necessarily expect a similar experience in NZ. So three days ago joined Carol80 on the NZ board, in the hunt for a HERBERT family.  In the past Carol, and I, have contributed to research.

www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=879390.0  Herbert

For once I struck lucky, and while again I have not had a personal reply [from my families local newspaper since 1906,] their sequel story today refers to help contained in the eleven replies that they received, and specifically two that came about from my search.

The best being contact details for a Herbert family member now living in the South Island.

This morning the South Island couple emailed me asking if I could scan the sequel in today’s edition, as the online copy, has in the last month, gone subscription only, for lead stories.  If you dial up the Waikato Times news on the www, you may only get to see the headline and a paragraph or two of the story.  [Edited for clarity. FF]

When the Rural Delivery arrived I scanned, and forwarded it.

THEN Debra, this afternoon I received a thank you for the scanning, and a note that they had emailed the paper asking for a copy of the article, only to be told, SHURE we will happily send you a copy once you subscribe.

So much for good will, and a journalists contacts being a valuable resource.

What that person who replied on the papers behalf, does not know, is the man, while in business in Hamilton, was not only a subscriber, but for a period supplied monthly copy for a section of the paper, and professionally provided essential services to that masthead.  I to have often been a contact point for obit bio material, and on occasion over the past 50 years supplied reports and copy, free of charge.

However, as I can never repay fully those who have gone out of their way to assist my research, I am only to happy to respond to others requests, where I can.   Paying it forward. One well known helper on the NZ board went looking for 3 pages of a 1874 letter in a large archived file for me. Said he should be able to find it in the file of 30 years of correspondence. When he discovered the subject of the correspondence, he took the initiative to photograph nearly the whole file. 25 emails of high resolution photos. Approx 150 pages. It has grown into my largest local history project.

Keep up your good work

Alan.