Ethel and Jim Thompson and their 5 children
Ethel was the second child and first daughter of Tom and Louise Wheeler, born in Auckland before they moved to the Hauraki Plains.
Ethel trained as a nurse at Cook Hospital, Gisborne, partly under the supervision of her maiden aunt Gertrude who was trusted by the family to "keep the girls out of trouble."
Ethel's younger sister Jean said that with the six year age gap she always looked up to Ethel and wanted to be like her as she was ( in Jean's words) very beautiful when she was young and had lots of admirers as a young woman. She was a keen player of hockey at school and could play the piano very well. Ethel Wheeler and Jim Thompson were high school sweethearts at Ngatea School, and after Ethel moved to Gisborne for her nursing training, Jim became anxious about losing her, so decided to propose.
Ethel married Jim Thompson in Ngatea in 1935 when she was 23 and for many years they ran Clyde Orchards at Te Kauwhata, just down the road from Ethel's brother Allan. They later moved to Auckland, where they invested in property and the orchard passed from their hands to two of their sons, Warren and Carrick. For the latter years of her life, Ethel's mother Louise lived with them, until she passed away in November 1969. Ethel and Jim's oldest daughter, Heather, recalls Ethel as being a devout Christian whose wisdom increased with age, always ready to give good advice and a person who seemed to have a good general knowledge about many things.
Ethel kept up to date with current affairs and was a good conversationalist. She enjoyed floral arrangement, knitting, crochet and dabbled in several handcrafts as an artistic outlet. Heather says that when she was a teenager, she remembers her mother was a very good and fast knitter and was very talented in doing floral arrangements and won some competitions in that area. Heather also commented that all through Ethel's life she was very hard working and she always dressed stylishly when she went to church or a function.
After 60 years of marriage, Jim Thompson passed away in 1996 at the age of 87, and four years later, Ethel died in Auckland aged 88 years of age.
Ethel's dates: Born 1912, Auckland
Died 27 Sept, 2000, Auckland
Ethel trained as a nurse at Cook Hospital, Gisborne, partly under the supervision of her maiden aunt Gertrude who was trusted by the family to "keep the girls out of trouble."
Ethel's younger sister Jean said that with the six year age gap she always looked up to Ethel and wanted to be like her as she was ( in Jean's words) very beautiful when she was young and had lots of admirers as a young woman. She was a keen player of hockey at school and could play the piano very well. Ethel Wheeler and Jim Thompson were high school sweethearts at Ngatea School, and after Ethel moved to Gisborne for her nursing training, Jim became anxious about losing her, so decided to propose.
Ethel married Jim Thompson in Ngatea in 1935 when she was 23 and for many years they ran Clyde Orchards at Te Kauwhata, just down the road from Ethel's brother Allan. They later moved to Auckland, where they invested in property and the orchard passed from their hands to two of their sons, Warren and Carrick. For the latter years of her life, Ethel's mother Louise lived with them, until she passed away in November 1969. Ethel and Jim's oldest daughter, Heather, recalls Ethel as being a devout Christian whose wisdom increased with age, always ready to give good advice and a person who seemed to have a good general knowledge about many things.
Ethel kept up to date with current affairs and was a good conversationalist. She enjoyed floral arrangement, knitting, crochet and dabbled in several handcrafts as an artistic outlet. Heather says that when she was a teenager, she remembers her mother was a very good and fast knitter and was very talented in doing floral arrangements and won some competitions in that area. Heather also commented that all through Ethel's life she was very hard working and she always dressed stylishly when she went to church or a function.
After 60 years of marriage, Jim Thompson passed away in 1996 at the age of 87, and four years later, Ethel died in Auckland aged 88 years of age.
Ethel's dates: Born 1912, Auckland
Died 27 Sept, 2000, Auckland