A tribute to Eunice Park, by her Granddaughter Joy.
Read out at the funeral, Otorahanga, New Zealand.
17 August 1999.
Nana was born on the 28th day of January 1910 at Patea.
She was the third of 7 children. After Nana's father
borrowed money off a highway man, they bought a farm and
moved to Mangorei Rd New Plymouth, There she stayed until
she met her first husband Henry Sears. Times were tough
back then as it was in the middle of the slum, the day she
was to marry Henry she got up out of bed went and milked
her 7 cows, she returned to the house got changed for the
wedding and went by horse and trap to New Plymouth to get
married. After the service she returned home got out of her
wedding dress milked the cows and then went and got back
into her dress and went back to the wedding for the dance.
After the wedding and in years to come she had three
children Pat, Rex and Dawn, Unfortunately luck was not on
Nanas side and Henry died tragically at the age of 37
leaving Nana to bring up 3 little children then aged 9, 7
and 2. He had been collecting mussels at the mouth of the
Oakura River and had been swept off a rock.
Nana continued to struggle bringing up her children
until she met her 2nd husband George Mackie Nana and George
were married in Raetihi where George helped raise the 3
children and they had 2 more Marion and Lynette. When
George got sick with cancer Nana nursed him till his death.
Nana remained on her own for many years until she
decided to take on a border. She saw an ad in the local
paper for a border and replied to it. A young handsome man
arrived at her door and one night as he brushed past her in
the hall way!!!! What can I say it all blossomed from
there. Nana and Cecil were married on April the 12th 1975.
They have been married for 24 years and 127 days. Cecil
automatically acquired an extremely large family. This now
includes 5 children, 24 grandchildren 54 Great
Grandchildren, and 3 Great Great Grandchildren. What else
could a man ask for.
What can I say about Cecil a special man and a special
place in all our hearts. Without Cecil Nana would not of
lived to the grand old age that she did. Cecil was her
nurse, her friend, her lover and her companion for those
very special 24 years and of course 127 days. Far this we
will always be eternally grateful to him. When Nanas
Granddaughter Eunice was over a few weeks ago Nana told her
about her 3 husbands and we thought you would like to hear
what she said, My first husband Henry was the love of my
youth, well my 2nd husband George, I honor him for taking
care of me and my family, but my last husband Cecil is the
love of my life.
As all of us who are Mothers know to loose a child is
very hard to accept and Nana found losing Aunty Marion and
my mum Dawn very hard. She pined for them and always would
say to us it should of been me not them, But now finally
Mother and Daughters are reunited and I am sure they will
be having a good chat right about now.
I would just like to share a few things with you which
are special to myself and my sisters and brother. Nana has
been a very special Nana and Little Nana to our children
Since Mum died 6 and a half years ago she has watched over
us, checked up on us and loved us like our own Mother did.
On her 89th birthday this year Linda and myself came down
for supposedly morning tea. Little did we know that she had
been over to her neighbour Pat's and asked for a can of
beer, she sent Cecil down town for a bottle of lemonade and
for her birthday this year we didn't have a cuppa but a
shandi. This all taking place before opening time. She
thought it was such a joke and said to us what do you think
the boys would say if they saw us now.
Rhubarb chutney if you haven't tasted it you should ask
John. Every year when they made a new batch Nana would
insist that they bring a jar up for John as for some
unknown reason she thought John really liked it. John being
the guy he is said to Nana yes that was lovely he never
wanted to offend Nana and so he gratefully accepted it and
passed it on to the Murrays.
The last thing I mill share with you is the Barley
Sugar story, Every time Nana would come up to see one of us
she would have a box of Barley Sugars in the glove box she
loved to see the kids fight over who was going to help lift
her leg up into the car because the first person who did
got a barley sugar you can imagine how many little hands
were there to help, just so they would get her barley
sugars. And even after her death the barley sugars still
have a place in our hearts as Shaun got into them at Nanas
on Wednesday and consequently Linda was up with him
Wednesday night singing twinkle twinkle little star he was
high on sugar.
l think I speak for all of us kids when I say how
special Nana was to us. We have been very fortunate and
blessed to have lived close to our Nana and we know how
lucky we have been. Even though Nana didn't keep in contact
with all her grandchildren she talked about each and every
one of you. We have been very lucky to be able to do
everything possible for Nana right to the end and we are
very grateful to have been able to spend her last few hours
with her. Our link to our Mum has gone but never ever to be
forgotten.
HTML JHS. August 1999