Maker: Mary Tidbury

Panel number: 471

Petition sheet number: Unknown

Person honouring: Ellen Nielsen

Relationship to makers: Great-grandmother

My great-grandmother Ellen Nielsen had a beautiful voice. She was born in Wales in 1867. At 14 she married a 25-year-old Danish man. Ellen was brought to New Zealand and taken up the Wanganui River to farm. 

Life was extremely harsh. Ellen gave birth to six children, although the fifth child died shortly after birth. We have been told she carried the little wooden coffin while singing with her beautiful Welsh voice. Shortly after, she became mentally unstable and after several years of coping my great-grandfather put her into care. She remained there for 39 years until she died in 1943.

Panel materials: Old family doily and materials, buttons and ribbons I had. Found the wooden angel in an old tin off collectibles.