Community Contributed

Mrs Elsdon Clark (Alma)

Kete Horowhenua2020-03-23T16:53:23+00:00
Member of Levin Red Cross 1945 - 1973
Date of deathDecember 1973

CLARK Mrs Elsdon (nee Alma Reeves)

Mrs Clark, a member Levin Red Cross 1945 - 1973 was born in Levin, a member of a very well and highly regarded settlers family (the Reeves) from which the name Reevedon home (coupled with that of Mr Elsdon Clark) has been derived. She joined Levin Red Cross in 1945. After 21 years service in 1966 she was awarded the long service medal at the Jubilee. She regularly attended the weekly sewing afternoons.

She had the task of arranging the flowers for all festive occasions and was always to the fore with offers of help.

Mrs O Hudson said the late Mrs Clark had been one of their best workers. The late Mrs Clark was a very quiet painstaking worker who did things without fuss. She had also done some really beautiful mending. "give her a garment which had a little hole in it and she would pull threads from the seams and use them so that you could hardly tell it was mended." (In those days of perfection in needlework, this was praise indeed! )

Her husband, Mr Elsdon Clark supported her, helping most generously in all manner of ways, donating articles for the rooms, for shop-days and putting his car at the Red Cross service - his help has been much appreciated.

Mrs Clark died in December 1973. She left a bequest to the Levin Red Cross of $500 to be used on building or maintenance work in the Levin area.

Alma and Elson had no offspring and when Alma died, their family homestead, eventually went to the Presbyterian Social Services for an old folks home called "Reevedon". The name is a combination of Almas maiden name "Reeves" and "Elsdon". The homestead forms the most southern part of the complex in Salisbury Street. Elsdon persuaded other home owners north of his homstead to offer their properties to the Presbyterians so that the complex could offer more accommodation for the aged. This was achieved to nearly the RSA bowling Green (Clark Memorial Green). The last property was originally owned by Elsdons parents Walter Mace Clark and Maud, later to be Mrs Lett.