Elmo was the fifth member of his family with three older brothers and one sister. Elmo was the first child to be born in New Zealand.
As a very young lad Elmo expressed the wish to learn the building trade. Elmo was discouraged from following his building aspirations as he was needed on the farm. His special responsibility was rearing the calves.
In due course Elmo met and fell in love with Mary Waddington. They were married in the Anglican Church in Waiuku. Whilst Elmo's four older siblings had substantial financial help to establish farms of their own by the time it was Elmo's turn his father had lost a large proportion of his capital through an ill conceived investment in a marble mine.
As a consequence Elmo and Mary struggled to achieve a viable dairy farm. In the early days they had a 74 acre farm at Kohekohe but it was an area infested with rabbits and no rabbit board. Elmo traded this property for a much larger unbroken property on the outskirts of Warkworth.
Soon after this relocation, their old house burnt down and the family had to live in tents beside the creek until they could build a house. The family at that time included Peter and Isobel. Jeanne was born several years later.
Elmo worked tirelessly to increase the area of pasture on the farm and then in 1929 disaster struck in the form of a worldwide depression of huge magnitude. Butterfat price dropped overnight per pound from two shillings and six pence to three pence per pound. This was a 90% drop in price. Farmers walked off their farms as meeting mortgage commitments became an impossibility.
Elmo and Mary made a decision to find a way through the poverty that was staring them in the face. This attitude could be paraphrased in these few words; 'There are no problems only opportunities'. They lived off the land. Elmo bred and fattened pigs that he cured into bacon and ham. He traded this produce for basic groceries. What little income they had kept Bank foreclosure at bay and they survived by their resourcefulness.
Some years later the family moved to Whangaparoa. Elmo had suffered injury through excessive work and SP3 who was now widowed asked them to come and live with him on his 14 acres. Elmo and Isobel hand milked six cows and Elmo ran a few sheep. He butchered the sheep and sold the meat to local residents. Peter used to ride his pony around the district and deliver their orders.
In 1939 World War 2 began and gradually the tranquil life of Whangaparoa changed. Due to its proximity to Auckland plus its beautiful beaches it was perceived as a very likely place for an invasion to occur. Elmo was advised one day that he was to report to Waiwera the next day and his mission was to form a Battalion of Mounted Rifles based in a Military camp at Waiwera. As a much younger man he had been in the Territorials and accordingly was appropriately skilled for the mission he was charged with. The biggest fort in NZ was built on the Whangaparoa peninsula and the roads teemed with the military operation.
The local wives and Mothers found themselves alone at home with their children. They were issued with emergency rations and told to flee into the Wade forest if enemy forces landed.
Elderly men were formed into a 'Dad's Army' and their orders were to beat on saucepans that were located on posts at half mile intervals along the road if the enemy landed! A far cry from modern technology!
Some years later the family moved back to Waiuku and bought a farm at Whiriwhiri. When the war was over Peter returned from overseas, was married to Frances, and lived on the farm. Marin and Jill were born at that time. Peter joined His Uncle Les Henry in what became a very profitable business dredging sand from the Waikato River. Elmo stood as guarantor to the Bank for this venture.
In 1950 Elmo and Mary sold the farm and moved to Manurewa in semi retirement. Elmo embarked on a much belated building career and over the next few years invested in and built two blocks of commercial property. As always he had vision and the work ethic to go with it. He was an amazing man who saw what was needed in a given situation and proceeded to find a solution.
Sadly in his latter years he developed leukaemia and despite this severe illness he entered into life with whatever vigour he could muster. He and Mary loved their family and their family’s wellbeing was their prime concern.
Elmo was a great father and a very loving caring Husband. It could be truthfully said that Elmo was a person who gave love and care in abundance and who was totally unselfish. Throughout his life he always put others first. He was a man of faith, kindness and honesty. Life was not easy for Elmo but he did his very best to ease the path for others. He is remembered by family and friends with fondness and great respect.
Written by his daughter, Jeanne Speedy
As a very young lad Elmo expressed the wish to learn the building trade. Elmo was discouraged from following his building aspirations as he was needed on the farm. His special responsibility was rearing the calves.
In due course Elmo met and fell in love with Mary Waddington. They were married in the Anglican Church in Waiuku. Whilst Elmo's four older siblings had substantial financial help to establish farms of their own by the time it was Elmo's turn his father had lost a large proportion of his capital through an ill conceived investment in a marble mine.
As a consequence Elmo and Mary struggled to achieve a viable dairy farm. In the early days they had a 74 acre farm at Kohekohe but it was an area infested with rabbits and no rabbit board. Elmo traded this property for a much larger unbroken property on the outskirts of Warkworth.
Soon after this relocation, their old house burnt down and the family had to live in tents beside the creek until they could build a house. The family at that time included Peter and Isobel. Jeanne was born several years later.
Elmo worked tirelessly to increase the area of pasture on the farm and then in 1929 disaster struck in the form of a worldwide depression of huge magnitude. Butterfat price dropped overnight per pound from two shillings and six pence to three pence per pound. This was a 90% drop in price. Farmers walked off their farms as meeting mortgage commitments became an impossibility.
Elmo and Mary made a decision to find a way through the poverty that was staring them in the face. This attitude could be paraphrased in these few words; 'There are no problems only opportunities'. They lived off the land. Elmo bred and fattened pigs that he cured into bacon and ham. He traded this produce for basic groceries. What little income they had kept Bank foreclosure at bay and they survived by their resourcefulness.
Some years later the family moved to Whangaparoa. Elmo had suffered injury through excessive work and SP3 who was now widowed asked them to come and live with him on his 14 acres. Elmo and Isobel hand milked six cows and Elmo ran a few sheep. He butchered the sheep and sold the meat to local residents. Peter used to ride his pony around the district and deliver their orders.
In 1939 World War 2 began and gradually the tranquil life of Whangaparoa changed. Due to its proximity to Auckland plus its beautiful beaches it was perceived as a very likely place for an invasion to occur. Elmo was advised one day that he was to report to Waiwera the next day and his mission was to form a Battalion of Mounted Rifles based in a Military camp at Waiwera. As a much younger man he had been in the Territorials and accordingly was appropriately skilled for the mission he was charged with. The biggest fort in NZ was built on the Whangaparoa peninsula and the roads teemed with the military operation.
The local wives and Mothers found themselves alone at home with their children. They were issued with emergency rations and told to flee into the Wade forest if enemy forces landed.
Elderly men were formed into a 'Dad's Army' and their orders were to beat on saucepans that were located on posts at half mile intervals along the road if the enemy landed! A far cry from modern technology!
Some years later the family moved back to Waiuku and bought a farm at Whiriwhiri. When the war was over Peter returned from overseas, was married to Frances, and lived on the farm. Marin and Jill were born at that time. Peter joined His Uncle Les Henry in what became a very profitable business dredging sand from the Waikato River. Elmo stood as guarantor to the Bank for this venture.
In 1950 Elmo and Mary sold the farm and moved to Manurewa in semi retirement. Elmo embarked on a much belated building career and over the next few years invested in and built two blocks of commercial property. As always he had vision and the work ethic to go with it. He was an amazing man who saw what was needed in a given situation and proceeded to find a solution.
Sadly in his latter years he developed leukaemia and despite this severe illness he entered into life with whatever vigour he could muster. He and Mary loved their family and their family’s wellbeing was their prime concern.
Elmo was a great father and a very loving caring Husband. It could be truthfully said that Elmo was a person who gave love and care in abundance and who was totally unselfish. Throughout his life he always put others first. He was a man of faith, kindness and honesty. Life was not easy for Elmo but he did his very best to ease the path for others. He is remembered by family and friends with fondness and great respect.
Written by his daughter, Jeanne Speedy
Elmo's dates
Born: 28 January 1898
Died: 23 July 1969
Born: 28 January 1898
Died: 23 July 1969