Clarence Augustus and Helen Crispe's family of three
Clarence Augustus was Bessie and Heywood Crispe's third (but second surviving) son, born at Mauku in 1881, following the death of his brother Joseph Leslie Crispe in May 1880 when he was only five months old.
Like the rest of the family he was educated at the local Mauku School and joined his father on the family farm "Stanlake" until he moved to a dairy farm at Patumahoe in 1932. At the age of 31 he married Helen Eustace Neale in 1912. Helen had been born in a tent in Bondi, Sydney, before coming to New Zealand with her parents at the age of three. She grew up at Patumahoe and trained as a nurse and spent 20 years nursing in various parts of New Zealand. She was 35 when she married Clarence.
Clarence took a very active role in community and family affairs. He had a long association with Federated Farmers and was president of the Farmer's Union. When he farmed at Patumahoe he exhibited in the produce section of the Franklin Agricultural and Pastoral Society shows.
He was very involved in Mauku district organisations, being on the hall committee, and St Bride's Church vestry. He was Patron of the Mauku Cricket Club (founded in 1859) and was a keen cricketer for 60 years. His grandfather Joseph Crispe had also been a keen cricketer and cricket seems to have run in the family as a sporting interest.
At the time of his death in 1962, Clarence was believed to be the oldest person born in Mauku who was still living in the district.
Clarence's dates:
Born 17 August, 1881, Mauku
Died 20 January, 1962, Mauku
Like the rest of the family he was educated at the local Mauku School and joined his father on the family farm "Stanlake" until he moved to a dairy farm at Patumahoe in 1932. At the age of 31 he married Helen Eustace Neale in 1912. Helen had been born in a tent in Bondi, Sydney, before coming to New Zealand with her parents at the age of three. She grew up at Patumahoe and trained as a nurse and spent 20 years nursing in various parts of New Zealand. She was 35 when she married Clarence.
Clarence took a very active role in community and family affairs. He had a long association with Federated Farmers and was president of the Farmer's Union. When he farmed at Patumahoe he exhibited in the produce section of the Franklin Agricultural and Pastoral Society shows.
He was very involved in Mauku district organisations, being on the hall committee, and St Bride's Church vestry. He was Patron of the Mauku Cricket Club (founded in 1859) and was a keen cricketer for 60 years. His grandfather Joseph Crispe had also been a keen cricketer and cricket seems to have run in the family as a sporting interest.
At the time of his death in 1962, Clarence was believed to be the oldest person born in Mauku who was still living in the district.
Clarence's dates:
Born 17 August, 1881, Mauku
Died 20 January, 1962, Mauku