Biography

LEI WIA

Burial register ID: 6241
Surname: WIA
First name: LEI
Middle names:
Gender: Female
Age: 27 Years
Cause of death: Unknown
Burial type:
Date of death: 20-Jul-1891
Date of burial: 22-Jul-1891

Block: 79
Plot: 14
Inscription:

In memory of

LEI WIA

Daughter of MATOKOALE

Head chief of

Nguna, New Hebrides

Died at Roslyn July 20th 1891

Aged 27 years

She came to New Zealand with

The Revd P. Milne & family

Erected by the young people of

Kaikorai Presbyterian Church.

Bio contributor:

Death of Lei-Wia. — The native nurse, after long and faithful service to the family and much good influence among the women of Nguna, died in Dunedin in 1891.

— Don, Alexander. Light in Dark Isles: A Jubilee Record and study of the New Hebrides Mission of the Presbyterian Church of New Zealand. Dunedin: Foreign Missions Committee, P.C.N.Z., 1918.

The Second Furlough. Death of Lei-Wia in Dunedin.
During the furlough in New Zealand the family suffered a great loss by the death of Lei-Wia, who had been nurse to the children for a number of years. In February, 1891, she caught a severe cold, and when that was cured had a severe attack of sciatica. She was ailing off and on, and was attended very kindly by Dr Coughtrey. Persistent diarrhoea set in and pernicious anaemia, from which she died on July 20. Eight days before she died the Rev. John McNeil came to see her before he left Dunedin. He sang “Jesus Loves Me” to her, and she joined in. She had risen from bed to wait for his coming; when he left, she went back to bed and did not leave it again. She was buried in the Northern Cemetery, where a tombstone and railing were afterwards erected at the grave, the cost of which (£13 13s) was given by the Young People’s Christian Band of Kaikorai Presbyterian Church.

— Don, Alexander. Peter Milne (1834-1924): Missionary to Nguna, New Hebrides. Dunedin: Foreign Missions Committee, PCNZ, 1927. (p 258)

— See also the biography of Mary Jane MILNE.

Information courtesy of the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand Archives.

There are 1 Interments in this grave:

Surname First names Age Date of death Date of burial
WIA LEI 27 Years 20-Jul-1891 22-Jul-1891