Maker: Sara Procter

Panel number: 528

Petition sheet number: Did not sign 1893 petition

People honouring: Myrtle Clark and Eileen Procter

Relationship to maker: Myrtle is my maternal grandmother and Eileen is my paternal grandmother

Myrtle Linda Hancock was born on 17 September 1912 and died 6 November 1997. She grew up on her family farm and market garden at Awahuri, one of six children. 

Myrtle was the only one of her family to attend secondary school, biking to and from Feilding each day. She was also a gifted pianist, however could not continue her lessons as each daughter was only allowed two years of piano tuition. She moved to Hawke’s Bay, working on Washpool Station where she married Harold Thomas (Tom) Clark, a shepherd, who she knew from the Manawatu. They moved to Rongotea (with her piano that Tom gave her as a wedding gift on the back of their truck) and purchased a small farm in the centre of the village where they lived with their four children. They bred stud Jersey cows, and also did the village milk delivery via handcart until the eldest child, Eva, started high school. 

Tom passed away in 1965 and Myrtle remained living in the same home until 1990 when she moved into a rest home. Over the years, the land had been sold as the village population grew. Myrtle’s youngest daughter, Trix, and husband Bryan Procter, built a house next door in 1975.

During Myrtle’s life, she was known for her cooking and baking, with stories about tables at a party collapsing under the weight of all the food! She was an excellent knitter and would embellish her work with embroidered rosebuds – which is why my panel has rosebuds on it.

Edith Eileen Hansen was born 12 February 1912, died 27 January 2003. She grew up in Dannevirke on her family farm, working at a bakery before eventually ending up at Pukemarama Farm in Clydesdale (Manawatu) where she met and married Harry (Tim) Procter. They had four children and remained working on Pukemarama until retiring to Feilding. Eileen played the guitar, and was also well known for her cooking and baking, and was an excellent crocheter.

Panel materials: Old bed sheet and scraps given to me by my mum and her friends who are all quilters. Lace recycled from old doily bunting in a local cafe.  The beads and sequins were all left from previous projects. I didn’t purchase anything new for this project.