The marble statue has watched over the family tombstone for over 100 years.
The marble statue has watched over the family tombstone for over 100 years.
A marble statue, fondly known as "Our Lady" by the great-grandchildren of the woman whose tomb she watched over, has gone missing from the Eltham Cemetery.
Nelson Every says for more than 100 years the marble statue has watched over the grave of Emily and Henry Ford, the founders of the Rawhitiroa Brickworks.
Nelson has been slowly restoring the tombstone, and knows the marble statue was in position just a couple of months ago.
"I live in New Plymouth, but had been coming down to do some work on the tombstone. In June I repainted the letters on the grave, and she was certainly there then."
When Nelson returned at the end of July to do the next job, repairing the iron fence around the tombstone, Our Lady was gone.
"It had to have been a planned job, not random vandalism, as she would have been heavy and was at least a metre tall. She was high up, so you would have needed a ladder and at least two men to carry her into a car."
Nelson says the statue was placed above the grave of his great-grandmother, Emily Ann Ford, sometime in the early 1900s. Emily died on November 2, 1907 and it was likely the statue was erected the year after. Her husband Henry James Ford was buried by her after he died on April 2, 1915.
"We grew up on a farm right behind the Eltham Cemetery so as kids we grew up knowing Our Lady was there. We didn't pay much attention to her at the time of course, we were just children, but over the years we've realised she is part of our family history."
That family history makes for interesting reading, the site of the Rawhitiroa Brickworks is marked with a heritage trail sign noting that the family founded the first and only brickworks in Eltham.
Henry was already a brickmaker by trade by the time he, Emily and their seven children moved from Christchurch to Eltham in 1895 having applied for a Crown Grant and subsequently receiving two small blocks for settlement on the Ngaere Swamp Block.
The location of the family brick works is marked with a heritage trail sign.
Nelson says Henry and Emily aren't the only interesting members of the family, Nelson himself is working on a family history book about another member of the family who lost his life in World War II, leaving behind a large collection of letters.
"We have a family reunion planned in October this year, and it would be good to have Our Lady present for that. We are hoping she will be returned before then."
He says he has been told the details in the statue all have particular meanings.
"Apparently the ship's anchor she holds in her left hand is to indicate a strong faith or maybe strong foundations, while the star on her forehead is representative of the wounds of Jesus Christ, while her right hand points up to heaven, indicating that is where she is."
The theft has been reported to the police as well as South Taranaki District Council, with Nelson and his brother hoping someone comes forward with information or the statue herself. They aren't sure exactly when the statue was taken, only that it must have happened at some time in late June or in July.
Nelson says he has no idea why someone would chose to steal the statue, and he and his brother still hope she will be returned.
"We just want her back, no questions asked, just to have her back so she can return to looking after Emily and Henry as she has for all these years."
