(14 January 1884 - 27 October 1974)
Ada was born on 14 January 1884 on board the ship, Northumberland, during the voyage from England to New Zealand. On arrival in New Zealand, in 1884, the Keymer family lived at 25 Ponsonby Road, in Auckland (on the right hand side, just down a bit from Karangahape Road).
 |
| The Keymer family. 1889. Unknown photographer. (Photo courtesy of the Keymer Family Tree) |
On 23 September 1889, Ada was enrolled at Richmond Road School with her sister Louie. According to the Richmond Road School register, they had previously been students at Ponsonby Primary School. Louie remained at Richmond Road School for about two weeks, and was withdrawn for unknown reasons, on 8 October. She was sent back to Ponsonby Primary. School records don't show what happened to Ada, but presumably she was also removed to the Ponsonby school at the same time.
The school records for Ada's sister, Alice, show that in 1896, the Keymer family were living at Brown Street, Ponsonby.
 |
The Keymer family 1898
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of G J Bland)
|
 |
| The Keymer family, 1904. Seated back from left: Bertha (or could be Edith), Edith (or could be Bertha), Alice Seated middle from left: Eliza, Louie, Laura, William Snr, Mary, Ada, William Jnr Front, from left: George, Hector, Dorothy Unknown photographer. (Photo courtesy of G J Bland) |
On 29 January 1914 Ada was an attendant at her sister Bertha's wedding.
 |
| Bertha and Ernest C Jarrett's wedding. 29 January 1914. From left: Dorothy Keymer (15 years old), Unknown best man, Ernest Jarrett, Bertha Jarrett (nee Keymer), George Keymer (one month shy of his 20th birthday), Ada Keymer (30 years old). Photographer unknown. (Photo courtesy of O D Keymer.) |
 |
| From left: Dorothy Keymer, George Keymer, Ada Keymer, unknown best man, Bertha Keymer, Ernest Jarret. |
 |
| Possibly the wedding of Ada and Albert. In this photo are Dorothy Keymer (left) and George Keymer (back). Photographer and date unknown. |
It appears that Albert and Ada lived in Kaponga, Taranaki for a short period where the first of their three children were born:
- Edna Myrtle Cox (28 May 1916 - 2009).
- George Johnson (19 January 1921 - 2011).
- Esselmont Ada (known as Monty) Petherick (21 June 1922 - 2005)
 | ||
|
When Albert went to war in 1918, it seems that Ada (and two year old Edna) went to live with or near her sister Bertha Jarrett who was living at Ruakura State Farm, Hamilton. Later their contact address was changed 73 Ardmore Street, Ponsonby (with the Jarratts). Two other contact addresses for Ada were given as care of her father, Waimamaku , Hokianga, and care of her sister Mrs J Oldham (Edith), at Victoria Street Hamilton.
In January 1919, while Albert was away overseas, his kit disappeared. An inquiry was held concerning the loss in which it was found that Albert was not responsible. The kit was subsequently replaced at public expense. Albert was discharged from military service at the end of the war on 5 August 1919.
 |
| The Keymer sisters in the early 1920s Standing from left: Laura, Alice, Ada Seated from left: Dorothy, Bertha (or could be Edith), Eliza, Edith (or could be Bertha), Louie Photographer unknown. (Photo courtesy of E Donaldson) |
On May 29 1936, Ada's mother, Mary, passed away at her home in Opaheke. Her funeral was held at the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Mackelvie Street, Ponsonby on the following Sunday afternoon. She was buried at the Purewa Cemetery.
 |
| The Keymer siblings in 1939, possibly at the occasion of William Jnr's second marriage. Standing from left: Dorothy, Bertha, Laura, Alice, Edith, Ada, Louie, Lilah Seated from left: William Jnr, unknown, Hector Photographer unknown. (Photo courtesy of E Donaldson) |
Albert died on 4 June 1971. He was buried at the Waikumete Cemetery, Auckland, Protestant Berm A Row 12, Plot 91.
Ada died on 27 October 1974. She was 90 years old. Ada was buried with her husband, at the Waikumete Cemetery.
The following death notice was published in The Australasian Record a month afterwards:
JOHNSON. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints." Sister Ada Johnson, a saint according to Scripture in the truest sense of that wonderful word, was buried atop the hill in the Waikumete Cemetery on October 29, 1974. Her quiet witness, over many years in isolation in the far north, was indeed precious and valuable, beloved of her family, honoured by their exemplary imitation, and continuing in unspoken covenant that none shall be disappointed in the great reunion day. "Precious" indeed, and :"blessed"! Rev. 14:12, 13. R Pavvitt Brown.
The children of Albert & Ada Johnson
- Edna Myrtle Cox (18 May 1916 - 2009)
- Edna was born in Kaponga in 1916.
- Edna married William Ernest Cox (2 November 1913 - 2000) on 3 September 1947.
- They had no children.
- William died in 2000 aged 86. Edna died in 2009 aged 93.
- George Albert Johnson (19 January 1921 - 2011)
- George was likely named after his Uncle George Keymer, Ada's brother, who died in the war.
- George married Tracey Swizzer (Birdie).
- They had two sons, G & M.
- George died in 2011 aged 90.
- Esselmont Ada (known as Monty) Petherick (21 June 1922 - 2005)
- Esselmont married Peter Petherick on 23 March 1949.
- They had two daughters, L A L (b1952), and K J H (b1956).
- Monty died in 2005 aged 83
Sources
- Births Deaths Marriages
- Auckland War Memorial Museum - Online Cenotaph
- Archway - Military Personnel File
- The Australasian Record - Online archives
- Auckland Council - Cemetery Search
- The Stacey's from Somerset - genealogy website
- Family records compiled by Jessie McLean
- Richmond Road School. Registers of admissions, progress and withdrawals, 1885-1987. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-2002-116. Accessed 27 May 2016.
- Photographs - O D Keymer, E Donaldson
Last updated 28 March 2020
No comments:
Post a Comment