Laurie Ward's whakapapa: Rita was born on 22 October 1916 and married Ralph Taylor who was born on 15 April 1910 and died 15 June 1987. Their children were: Hugh, Bryan Ralph, Ngaire Rita, Ronald Kerry, Michael Lynn and Lorraine.
Anecdotes:Aunty Rita had the gift of making kete. I remember her smooth skin where she rolled the flax. She was a clever student at school. My Mum mainly called her Reet or Boodah.
The homes that I remember Aunty Rita living in included Tarurutangi, Brookes Terrace and corner Cracroft and High Street West.The first huhu bug I remember seeing was in a log at her Brookes Terrace home. During the second half of the 1960’s, Aunty and Uncle operated the Waitara Beach Motor Camp. They were very precise in their management, everything was spic and span in the cabins and grounds. Aunty provided tea and sandwiches service in the kiosk. I had a long walk to my holiday job in the attached shop taking a path down Blake St, Cracroft Street, Centennial Avenue, a sad day when the bike was not mobile. I served in the shop and had to learn to dig out lollies from containers using a spoon. Aunty was fastidious about hygiene. The adjacent storeroom was where the cheese was stored with its wire to cut amounts required. Paperbacks were for sale and, hidden amongst the sand dunes, I read about The Perfumed Garden, and it wasn’t about horticulture. I used to visit them both at their corner home, gaining in family history and a chance to see Aunty’s history books, and once I was allowed to see the whakapapa case of Uncle Tui’s.
Anecdote: A childhood school chum of Rita's was Avelda Petersen, who later married a diplomat. Avelda's niece, Nola was one of the riders of the Petersen's mog from their farm at the bottom of Rona Road down to Central school.
If you get to read Granddad's Tale, Aunty Rita is mentioned as to her skills at writing
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