Road fatality shocks community
Hours before Helga Houlahan was hit by a car on a busy street, she was at church finding peace with her tough past.
Houlahan was struck by a vehicle in Masterton’s High St about 7.13pm on Sunday. She died early yesterday at Wellington Regional Hospital.
Originally from Austria, Houlahan had a tough upbringing and was dealing with several health issues.
After hearing a sermon on forgiveness at her church earlier on Sunday and speaking to her pastor, the 80-year-old woman told him she felt lighter and free from her burdens.
Maria Leinfellner, a member of her ‘‘adopted’’ Austrian family, said she had known Houlahan for eight years.
‘‘She was our rose because she smelt good but could be thorny . . . She was really good at telling people off and was lovable – you could never be angry at her for long,’’ Leinfellner said.
Houlahan was their ‘‘Kiwi grandma’’ who loved her daughters, Leinfellner said.
‘‘If you met her once, you would never forget her. She did not speak much but she was thoughtful about what she said.’’
Leinfellner said Houlahan was also close with her neighbour, who always checked up on her, and the pair would sing together.
Houlahan lived on her own in Masterton and had been a member of the Masterton Community Church for a long time.
Pastor Pete Hampson said that at the end of his most recent service, Houlahan realised she had some issues from her past she needed to forgive.
‘‘She was speaking with another lady in the congregation, and then she sought me out afterwards to let me know what I spoke about had changed her attitude to some things.’’
Hampson said problems in her past had ‘‘haunted’’ her for a long time. ‘‘She wanted to let me know she felt lighter and free from the burden she had carried with her for so long. She had a powerful sense of feeling light and free.
‘‘It was like the slate was wiped clean. It changed her countenance and her look on life. It was a profound moment for her.’’
Houlahan was also involved with the local RSA and her death was quite a shock to the community, he said. ‘‘She made a lot of friends – people loved to see her. She had a real sense of humour; she was quite sharp.
‘‘In some ways, this is how she would have wished it [how she died],’’ Hampson said. ‘‘For her to get to that place of peace before it happened, it is an amazing thing.’’
Outside St James Bakery in High St yesterday, there were flowers at the spot where Houlahan used to have her daily coffee and sausage roll.
The bakery’s owner, Geoff Ward, said his daughter and a neighbour wanted to pay tribute to Houlahan so they placed some flowers in her favourite coffee cup. She had been coming to the bakery almost every day for two years, he added.
Ward said traffic along the street was ‘‘dynamite’’ and it was near impossible to cross the road.
A few years ago, a neighbour had put up a petition in his store for a crossing and Houlahan’s death had put an ‘‘emphasis’’ on needing a crossing for the area.
People wanting to pay tribute to Houlahan could continue to place flowers at ‘‘Helga’s spot’’ outside the bakery.
A police spokeswoman said a serious crash investigation was ongoing.