At long last, a daughter! Beth was born at Kinfauns, Outram, on 16th June, 1928 – a favourite of her big brothers. Beth would later tell her daughters she wished she had had a sister. She probably felt outnumbered!
Beth attended primary school at Outram, starting at age 7 as her father felt that was soon enough. As Beth’s parents’ mode of transport was horse and gig, she had to bike the 3 miles each way between Kinfauns and Outram. Anyone familiar with Taieri winters will know why she got chilblains on all her fingers. Beth remembers arriving at school and sitting crying for a while, she was so cold.
Beth began attending Otago Girls High School in Dunedin in 1942, and gained School Certificate in 1944. She left during the year of 1945. (In a nice family connection, her daughter Anne now works there as Business Manager). Beth then worked helping her mother at home.
Marriage to Arthur Everard Albert (Bert) Sim and raising a family
Beth married Bert Sim on 30 December 1952 at Kinfauns, and they subsequently had 6 children – Eleanor 5/11/53, Everard 5/1/56, Anne (also known as Liz) 7/3/57, Susan 11/9/59, Fairlie 19/9/63, and Albert (now known as John) 11/5/69.
Bert was farming at Hindon (in the hills above the Taieri Plain) with his father Chauncey. Bert had lived with his parents in the existing house on the farm, and when he married Beth a cottage was transported from ‘Harry’s Corner’ and placed next door. Bert being the careful craftsman that he was had taken careful measurements of the cottage then built the concrete foundations and had an Invercargill firm shift the cottage to the new site. “It fitted the new foundations like a kid glove.” The house was altered a lot – previously it had a steep gable roof. Bert’s Uncle Earl from Oamaru came down and helped with the rebuild. They had a Wellstood coal range for a while, then the electric power came to Hindon so they replaced the range with a coal heater and put an electric range in the kitchenette, which was also given a nice red formica on the benches.
The Hindon farm was later sold and in April 1961 Beth, Bert and their family moved to another farm at Nicholson Road, Brydone. While here Bert developed a Romney stud flock. Beth became ill in the late 1970s. The farm was sold in 1984 and she and Bert moved to 12 Vera St, Gore, where Beth died 7th May 1986. Bert now lives in Cromwell.
In 1977 there were 2 weddings. Eleanor married Owen Hooper at ‘Mona Vale’ Christchurch in February, and Anne married John McDonald at Edendale Presbyterian Church in April. Eleanor has three children, Sonya, Leanne and Colin. Anne has two, Janey and Roy. Both Eleanor and Anne are now grandmothers (more later). Eleanor lives at Mangatawhiri, south-east of Auckland, while Anne lives in Maori Hill, Dunedin.
Susan married Warren Carey at Mornington Presbyterian Church, Dunedin (same church as George and Eleanor Bathgate got married) in September 1983. Susan and Warren have four children, Jacob, Simon, Jethro and Emma. Susan lives in Richmond, Nelson.
Everard married Lynette Stenning at St Andrews Presbyterian Church, Gore in November 1986. Lynette already had a daughter Shelly, and she and Everard have two sons, Jordan and Matthew. Everard has a granddaughter. Everard lives in Gore.
Fairlie married Nilanthi Wijesekera at Tokoroa in December 1991. They have two children, Hannah and Daniel. Currently Fairlie is pastor of the International Church in Khartoum, Sudan.
John met Kellie Robinson in the 1990s and they have two children, Beth and Kaelin. John lives in Fairfield, Dunedin.
Cousins get together, Christmas 1963
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