Maker: Janice Rodenburg

Panel number: 400

Petition sheet number: 489

Person honouring: Minnie Wallis

Relationship to makers: Great-grandmother

Minnie Wallis’ family was central to her life. Minnie and her sister Susan were married on the same day to two brothers, Philip and Arnold Wallis.

Wilhelmina (Minnie) was born in Lower Moutere near Nelson in November 1854, the third daughter of Fannie Briggs and William Forfar of Dumfries, Scotland. Minnie’s father, William Forfar, died on the voyage to New Zealand and Fannie was left to face the new country alone.

Fortunately, acquaintances from the voyage, Sir Edwin and Lady Dashwood, invited Fannie and her daughters to live with them. Minnie was born there and shared a cradle with the Dashwood’s new baby.

Minnie was married at age 18. She and her husband Philip, sister Susan, and Arnold Wallis moved to the North Island, settling in Masterton. Before she was 21 she had had three children who died almost as soon as they were born. Another son drowned aged two, and Minnie’s youngest son Frank was killed at Passchendaele in World War 1 in 1917.

Minnie’s surviving children were Ada (married Reginald Vautier), Henry, Eliza (married Tom Hart), Kate (married William Day), Eva, and Minnie. The family lived at 67 Short Street, Masterton for 60 years.

Minnie remained close to her children and grandchildren until she died in 1937.

Panel materials: Materials I already had. The background linen is from an old partly-finished embroidered tea cloth, done by one of the family.The dark green silk fabric is from an evening gown made by my mother, Minnie’s granddaughter, dating from the 1930s. The textured tree trunk is from a dress my mother had in the early 60s. The green velvet is from a dress I had in the 1970s. The batik-spot green fabric on the tree is left over from a patchwork quilt made for my great-niece. I was lucky to have gathered up fabric over the years, including from Mum’s collection.The photo of Minnie is printed on to cotton.