​TAPATORU​

​Haere ra e Whaea  - Jennifer Edwards July 2012

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Haere ra e Whaea, e Kui, haere ki o Tupuna me o hoa ko haere irnua ia koe. Chrissy and Milly Witoko, The Duchess, Chocolate, Mutz and most recently Frankie and Jonnie and the many others who have passed on.



This dedication is for Ms Ella Toni Wilson who passed on the 15th May 2012 on her way to her 701h birthday New Years Eve this year she looked wonderful and her skin was always exquisite, she swore by her oil of Ulan which she religiously applied morning and night. Even with the slow tedious onset of dementia her skin was always lovely.



It was with some relief to both her friends and family that she slipped away when she did. To see this beautiful woman not knowing who we were and sitting in her own urine was saddening after knowing this person cared very much about her appearance. The indignity of seeing her this way hurt and having your needs taken care of by strangers when she was such an independent individual. The staff in the home she was in were absolutely wonderful and were most helpful.



We had her for a short time two hours only at The Harbour City Funeral parlour. With in that time we dressed her did her makeup and combed her hair up and she looked lovely and the family were thankful to her Wellington family for their support. Her niece Maxine was there to organise transport for her Aunty to be taken back to Te Hauke Marae to lay in state for two days before being buried with her beloved grandmother. The time was ever so brief, that for those who didn't get a chance to say goodbye the family regret as she considered herself a Wellingtonian and most of her friends were here.



Most of her acquaintances were housie and card players and then there were her junkie friends whom she often enjoyed.
She loved her dogs and even had one cremated and put his ashes into her favourite pot plant in her lounge she adored him he was her boy!! they had a few dogs after that and were often seen in the back of their car and walking along the beach. Her partner of thirty years Gary disappeared on that day and we did try to locate him with no success.



My sister and I were able to travel up to Hastings the following day to spend the day with the whanau, and to sit on Te Hauke marae and be made to feel so comfortable was great. The orators made us part of their whanau and thanked us for what we had done to make the transition home easier.



We spoke about Gary with the family and told them we couldn't contact him at all and maybe he couldn't bare to see her lying there like that and maybe he preferred to mourn his way.
Ella was a very private person and didn't open up to many people easily but once you got past her aloofness then you were in for a treat you would be able to experience her intelligence and wonderful sense of humour which could be very vindictive but said in such a way you felt there was no malice.

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"You will be missed by all who know you" Ma te Atua me o Tupuna e Manaaki. Arohanui. By Jennifer Edwards