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Trevor
Lewis Rose & Oakley
Précis of writings
by Rose Oakley and daughter Julie.
T REVOR LEWIS OAKLEY was b: 17 Jun 1920 in Oak Grove, Allenton, Mid Canterbury, the son of ARTHUR LEWIS OAKLEY and ETHEL MARY nee BRANNAN and d: 1 Aug 1995 in Timaru.
Beryl, Edna, Hamilton and Trevor, the youngest child, received their primary schooling at Hazelburn school. Depression years, no school buses and no money to board meant he was unable to attend High school. Education over, Trevor worked on the home farm until aged 20, he spent 18 months working on his aunt's dairy farm at Te Puke. He returned to the family farm and in World War 2, in 1942, joined first the army, and then transferred to the airforce where he was to serve three and a half years employed as a driver, He was stationed ar Fiji for 18 months followed by the remaining time overseas on Florida Island, Bougainville) Reg No 437604 LAC RNZAF. He and Rose became engaged when home on leave, and on his next leave, they married on 14 April 1945 at St John's Anglican Church, Wai-iti Rd in Timaru. Rose was daughter of ARTHUR ERNEST PELVIN and ROSEANNA HUMPHRIS. The house on
the farm was a square wooden structure of four bedrooms with a
large kitchen. It had not been lived in for a time and sheep had camped on
the verandah. It had an outside wash house entirely covered with
honeysuckle and hop vines. When these were hacked back to get inside,
they found old tubs and a rusty bath. There was no electricity and an
early priority was the building of new laundry with concrete tubs
and a petrol driven washing machine and a corner was reserved for a
new toilet which in time would replace the outside dunny -
meanwhile, it housed the kerosene fridge. Cooking was done in a black coal range which
was eventually replaced by a smart red and cream enamel range with a
thermometer. A solid sledge-pulling horse came with the property
but Trevor had had his fill of horses as a child, so Dobbin was rapidly
replaced by a tractor (hire purchase from Pygne Gould Guiness) causing
older resident farmers to shake their head doubtfully at the smart young
newcomer with his new fangled ideas. They soon followed doing away with
their chaff eating horses A temperamental power plant was rigged up
which wouldoperate for a certain time before the lights seized.
The old tilly lamp was lit along with candles to see the way up the
dark passage to the bedrooms now occupied by four small children. The
nightly trip to the outside dunny was assisted by a small stable lantern
or, some resorted to a handier stand of bushes!
Evenually phone lines
were installed connecting the nine houses in the immediate
vacinity and shared the same line. Weekly grocery were able to be
phoned on a Monday and delivered next day, and there was a weekly meat
delivery. For the next 22 years, the farm was largely
self-sufficient with chooks, muscovy ducks and even turkeys; sheeo, cows,
grain growing and lucerne for
hay despite the limitations of it's
size. Trevor and Rose sold in 1970 and bought a near-new
home at Poplar Grove in Timaru. To celebrate, Trevor suggested he and Rose
have a 3 month trip around England and Europe - the highlight
of their lives. On their return, Trevor put a lot of work into
developing the garden soil - potatoes a favourite crop and his efforts
were mirrored by Rose's love of flowers. She won many
prizes for her endeavours over many years. Despite keeping active, walking
and spending time at the RSA playing pool with friends, Trevor's health
deteriorated in the 80's and 90's. Poplar St was sold and a
lovely brick unit purchased 322B Church St. Together, Trevor and Rose shared family
highlights celebrating anniversaries of their 40th and 50th years of
marriage, but despite keeping active, walking and spending time at the RSA
playing pool with friends. Trevor's health deteriorated in the 80's and
90's with a chronic heart condition resulting in several hospital
admissions. During a final long admission in 1995 Trevor died on 1
Aug 1995 and was bur: Timaru Cemetery 5th Aug
1995.
Children of T i. TIMOTHY ARTHUR OAKLEY ( Their children are Lynn Marie,
Danielle Elizabeth and Glen Timothy Lewis
Oakley Tim remarried (2) JOAN Evelyn Mills nee Duff from Christchurch dau: of Frederick William Duff and Florence Grace Lissenden nee Marra. ii.
JULIET ROSE OAKLEY, b. Geraldine; mar:
at Timaru to THOMAS JAMES DEVLIN
(b. Geraldine) Their sons are Phillip Leigh and Blair Jeffrey
Devlin iii. MYFANWY (ANNE)
EDNA OAKLEY, (b. Geraldine) mar:
Victoria, Australia to JOHN (HANK) WYLLIE (b. Minyip,
Victoria) Their daughter is Tessa Marie
Wyllie iv. JEFFREY TREVOR OAKLEY (b. Geraldine)
mar. Takapuna, Auckland to P Their daughters are Jessica Hannah and
Justine Roseanna Oakley Images and data used in this site copyright - ©
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