BrightWings on Family Tree Circles

Evening Post, 22 June 1922

The death occurred last night, of one of the oldest residents of Masterton and the Wairarapa, Mr. Myer Caselberg.

Deceased was born in Poland in 1841. Educated in England; he emigrated to Invercargill in 1803, and after spending two years there, came up to the Wairarapa, where he laid the foundations of the great business now known as the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association. Its origin was a store which he established, in Featherston in 1868. The following year he removed to Greytown, where the business flourished under the style of M. Caselberg and Company. In 1874 it was extended to Masterton, which became the firm's headquarters.

In February, 1892, the large business, together with J. Nathan and Co's. Tinui store, became merged in the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association. There was also a butter factory at Kopuaranga and a cheese factory at Greytown. The butter factory was one of the first in the district, and Mr. Caselberg used to remark on the fact that dairy farmers, when they received 10d a pound for their butter-fat, considered themselves remarkably well off.

The late Mr. Caselberg took a keen interest in public affairs and worthily bore his part in local government. In Greytown he was chairman of the School Committee and the Waiohine River Board, and treasurer, of the old hospital committee. He was also a member of the first county council, representing Greytown riding, and he was on the commission of the peace for very many years. After going to Masterton, Mr. Caselberg was a member of the borough council for three years, and was then elected to the mayoral chair, which he occupied for three years up to 1887.

Mr. Caselberg was first married in 1868 to a daughter of Mr Mark Marks, of Melbourne, and so was a brother-in-law of the late Mr. Joseph Nathan, of Wellington.

There were seven children of this marriage, all of whom survive namely,

Lionel (Wellington),
Joseph,
David, and
Alfred (who are all associated with the business in Masterton),
Mr. Mark Castle (sheepfarmer, of Te Ore Ore),
Mrs. E. L. Harris (Melbourne), and
Miss Kitty Caselberg (Masterton).

In 1892, several years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Caselberg married a daughter of the late Mr. Ralph Keesing, of Auckland. She survives him and their children are

Mrs. Ralph Ziman (Auckland).
Mrs. J. V. Mendelssohn and
Mrs. B. van Stavern (Wellington).

Further reading:
Biography
Caselberg, A. E. The Caselbergs of Wairarapa. Wellington, 1975

The following were elected last night as the Greytown School Committee for the ensuing year:--

Messrs HORNBLOW,
BARNARD,
BOCK,
COWPER
WAKELIN
JACKSON, and
FENTON

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 330, 28 January 1879, Page 2

Scanning ancient family photos can be very poignant.

Working my way through my grandmother's photo album - researching the Wilson family - I spotted a tiny faded photo - about the size of a postage stamp - wedged in the album's spine.

When I scanned the image I found myself looking at a dear little boy: it could have been a photo of my nephew as a baby.

My grandmother was extremely methodical in grouping items in her photo album: why would this be stuck in the spine?

My grandparents had two children die in infancy: one at seven months (Leslie) and one at one year (Kenneth). Given that this photo seemed to have been hidden in the spine, and that it so strongly resembles my nephew, I am confident that this is a photo of one the two great-uncles I never knew.

My father, the middle child and the only one who survived, recalled Lesley's funeral and the poignancy of the tiny casket.

Another extended family member - a retired nurse - believed my grandmother had numerous other pregnancies that failed at various stages. The wide intervals between births: 1915, 1919 and then 1926 would tend to support this.

Looking at that photo on my computer screen I grieved for my grandmother.

ABBOT, Madge, Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
AKUHATA Elsie, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
ALEXANDER, L., Standard IV, Lower Hutt Main School
ARMSTRONG, George, Standard I, Lower Hutt Main School
ARMSTRONG, Jack, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
ARMSTRONG, Jack, Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
ARMSTRONG, Vera, Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
AYSON, A., Standard I, Eastern Hutt Side School
BAILIE, William, Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
BAUMBER, K., Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
BIRCH, Ruby, Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
BOWIE, Iris, Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
BOWMAN, L.D., Standard II, Eastern Hutt Side School
BOYD, Eva, High School, Lower Hutt Main School
BURN, Stan, Standard I, Lower Hutt Main School
BURN, Leslie, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
BUTLER, Keith, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
BUTLER, Agnes, Preparatory, Lower Hutt Main School
BUTLER, Nellie, Infants, Lower Hutt Main School
CARR, F., Standard IV, Lower Hutt Main School
CARR, E., Standard VI, Lower Hutt Main School
CHORLEY, A., Standard IV, Lower Hutt Main School
CHURCHHOUSE, Mary, Standard II, Eastern Hutt Side School
CLOUT, Nat, Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
CLOUT, Private W., Shooting prize, Lower Hutt Main School
COTTON, Ophir, Standard II, Eastern Hutt Side School
CROSS, Bertha, Standard II, Eastern Hutt Side School
DAWSON, Tui, Infants, Lower Hutt Main School
DAY, Doris, Preparatory, Lower Hutt Main School
DAY, Private Chas., Shooting prize, Lower Hutt Main School
DORAN, Arthur, Infants, Lower Hutt Main School
DORAN, A., Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
DORAN, P., Standard IV, Lower Hutt Main School
DORAN, Alex, Standard I, Eastern Hutt Side School
DORAN, Grace Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
DORMER, Ivy, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
ENGLAND, Leon, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
EVERTON, Frank, Standard VI, Lower Hutt Main School
FERGUSON, Mary, Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
FLEET, Hector, Infants, Lower Hutt Main School
FLEET, Daisy, Standard II, Lower Hutt Main School
FLEET, Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
FLEET, C., Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
FLEET, C., Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
FLEET, Private C., Shooting prize, Lower Hutt Main School
GIBBON, Alfred, High School, Lower Hutt Main School
GIVEN, Barker, Standard III, Lower Hutt Main School
GLENNIE, A., Standard V, Lower Hutt Main School
GORTON E. Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
HAGARD Minnie Preparatory Eastern Hutt Side School
HAISELDON Thomas Infants Lower Hutt Main School
HAISELDON Eva Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
HAMMOND Jack Standard II Eastern Hutt Side School
HAWK Chas. Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
HEPPLE E. Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
HEYES Norman Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
HICKSON Doris Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
HOHMAN Horace Infants Lower Hutt Main School
HUMPHREYS Tom Upper Infants Lower Hutt Main School
JENNESS Vera Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
JENNESS Leslie Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
JOHNSON Delsie Infants Lower Hutt Main School
JOHNSON Gordon Preparatory Eastern Hutt Side School
JUDD Lorna Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
KING Nellie Infants Lower Hutt Main School
KING Fred Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
KNIGHT Leon Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
KNIGHT N. Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
KNIGHT Leo Standard II Eastern Hutt Side School
LAZARUS T. Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
LAZARUS Marjory Infants Lower Hutt Main School
LEE Grace Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
LEE Harry Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
LEE Florence Standard I Lower Hutt Main School
LUDLOW Private M. Shooting prize Lower Hutt Main School
LUSTY Robert Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
MAIDMENT Private H. Shooting prize Lower Hutt Main School
MARCHANT D. Standard I Lower Hutt Main School
MARTIN Stanley Upper Infants Lower Hutt Main School
MASON Peter Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
MASON Gordon Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
MASON Lance-Corporal H. Shooting prize Lower Hutt Main School
McCAN Agnes Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
McCAW Isa High School Lower Hutt Main School
McCAW Jas. Standard II Eastern Hutt Side School
McCAW James Standard II Eastern Hutt Side School
McDONALD Vera Infants Lower Hutt Main School
McDONALD Roy Standard I Lower Hutt Main School
McDONALD Hector Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
McDONALD Dora Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
McDONALD Dorothy Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
McDONALD Dorothy Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
McDOUGALD Private Shooting prize Lower Hutt Main School
McILVRIDE A. Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
MELDRUM Grace Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
MUDGWAY Percy Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
MUDGWAY Elsie Standard I Eastern Hutt Side School
MURRAY Myra Standard I Lower Hutt Main School
NEILL Clara Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
NICOL Ethel Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
NICOL Ethel Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
NICOL Ethel Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
OLIVER Ruby Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
OLIVER Milta Upper Infants Lower Hutt Main School
PALMER Thelma Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
PATTEN Ruth Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
PEARCE Harold Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
PECK G. Standard I Eastern Hutt Side School
PHILP Gordon Infants Lower Hutt Main School
PILCHER May Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
PINNEY Irene Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
POLE K. Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
POLE Herbert Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
POST Gordon Standard I Lower Hutt Main School
PRIER O. Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
PRINCE Albert Preparatory Lower Hutt Main School
ROSS Ethel Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
ROSS Ruby Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
RYDER Rita Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
SEED T. High School Lower Hutt Main School
SIMPKINS Bert Preparatory Lower Hutt Main School
SLADDEN Hector Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
SLATER Mabel Standard II Eastern Hutt Side School
SLYNN T. Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
STEVENS John Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
STRATTON Ethel Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
SUMMERS Jack Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
SUNDGREN Noel Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
SUNDGREN William Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
SUTTON Maria Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
TAYLOR Etai Infants Lower Hutt Main School
TAYLOR Raymond Standard V Lower Hutt Main School
TRESEDER Jessie Infants Eastern Hutt Side School
UPTON Rupert Standard I Eastern Hutt Side School
WALTON W. Infants Lower Hutt Main School
WALTON Grace Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
WARD Nancy Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
WARD M. Standard VI Lower Hutt Main School
WAUGH Phyllis Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
WAUGH Thos. Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
WAUGH Flo. Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
WENGDAL Jack Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
WILSON C. Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
WILSON A. High School Lower Hutt Main School
WILSON Mabel Standard III Lower Hutt Main School
WILSON Private A. Shooting prize Lower Hutt Main School
WINNIE Private P. Shooting prize Lower Hutt Main School
WOODWARD Guy Standard II Eastern Hutt Side School
WRIGHT Alex. Standard II Lower Hutt Main School
YATES O. Standard IV Lower Hutt Main School
YATES Mervyn Standard I Lower Hutt Main School

List available in spreadsheet form

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1407, 6 April 1912, Page 8