Stories from graveyard come alive

Group member Linda Green opened the talks with her research on the Rickit family. Photo / Dean Taylor

Te Awamutu Genealogy Group opened Waipā Libraries Heritage Month on Saturday morning with “Stories From the Dead Centre of Town”.

The public presentation built on group projects members completed in 2015 when they transcribed and printed booklets on the headstones and plaques in the St John Church graveyard in town and the St Paul Church graveyard at Hairini.

Starting at the Library Community Room, a good turnout of visitors heard about the beginning of the project from group coordinator Sandra Metcalfe before heading to St John’s Church for presentations that delved deeper into the stories of 11 families who have members buried in St John’s graveyard.

Among the stories were those of the Bathurst, Bond, Brooks, Cottrell, Gibson, Hutt, Miller, Morgan, Rickett, Taylor and Woolly families.

Waipā outreach librarian Dee Atkinson said there was a clear interest in the work of the Genealogy Group after a great turnout for the presentation.

“A comment was made on how much hard work had been undertaken by the group,” she said.

Those attending appreciated the opportunity to see the inside of Old St John’s and hear from group member John Graham about the Morgan family and the history behind two of the stained glass windows, which also related to a local family of the time.

Waipa outreach librarian Dee Atkinson (left) and Te Awamutu Genealogy Group co-ordinator Sandra Metcalfe welcome guests to Waipā Libraries Heritage Month's “Stories From the Dead Centre of Town” . Photo / Dean Taylor

Sandra said the Te Awamutu Genealogy Group was thrilled with the response to the Stories presentation.

“Although we had previously done something similar for the Kihikihi Cemetery Talk & Walk back in 2019, St John’s was the first time the group have done a ‘live walk and talk’ in a cemetery,” she said.

“Starting with nothing other than a headstone, branch members did the research and many of them then spoke on the day about what they had discovered.

“The interconnectedness of local families buried in the cemetery surprised many.”

For those interested in exploring their family history, the Te Awamutu Genealogy Group meets on the first Tuesday of the month at the St John Ambulance hall in Palmer St.