Lived celebrating Scottish heritage
Southland identity
SMALL in stature but a large presence in her extended family, Athole Macpherson was a proud ‘‘Scottish Kiwi’’.
She died on December 14, the day before her 95th birthday, in Invercargill.
A Clan Macpherson stalwart and lifelong member of the New Zealand branch of the clan, Athole felt a strong connection to her Scottish ancestry, visiting with her late sister, Isabel Lamond, in search of family connections and historical records.
She and Isabel attended an international clan rally in Scotland in 1977, when Isabel was chairman of the clan association in New Zealand, and Athole the secretary.
During her 2012 visit to New Zealand, association chairwoman Shelagh Macpherson Noble (visiting with her husband, Alastair) presented Athole with a certificate signed by the clan chief, to recognise her 33 years of service to the Clan Macpherson Association.
“I heard about Athole long before I met her,’’ Shelagh wrote.
‘‘Her reputation as being a stalwart of the Clan Macpherson Association was renowned, and when I was preparing for our visit to New Zealand in 2012, Cluny (the clan chief) spoke so kindly about her. It was decided that while I was in the Invercargill area, I would present her with a certificate signed by myself and Cluny, along with a Hunting Macpherson tartan shawl.
“A lunch was arranged and I was delighted to see 45 Macphersons meet up for lunch in Riverton. Athole was there and graciously accepted the certificate and shawl.
‘‘The following day we met again for lunch in a restaurant near to the Scottish Hall in Invercargill when Athole turned the tables on me and presented me with a beautiful cobalt blue necklace which I still wear. She truly was a lovely lady.”
Athole Helen Macpherson was born in Alexandra on December 15, 1925, the fourth child of James and Belle (nee
McKellar), and younger sister to Arch, Ivan and Isabel.
As a teenager, the youngest of four, she corresponded regularly with her older brother, Arch, then a fouryear prisoner of war in Stalag 8B in what is now Poland.
Athole trained as a kindergarten teacher, and later worked for the New Zealand Department of Agriculture in Alexandra then in Invercargill for the Customs Department.
While she did not marry and have children of her own, she was a ‘‘loyal and loving’’ aunt, her nephew, former Central Otago mayor Malcolm Macpherson, said.
‘‘She remembered everyone’s birthdays, and always sent Christmas cards, some still in transit around the world when she died.
‘‘The biscuit tins were full of home baking whenever family and friends dropped around to visit. She also loved her cats very much and they were a part of her family.
‘‘Athole was a very special, beloved and respected family elder, small in stature but very significant to us all. ‘Truly one of a kind’ sums up this remarkable Scottish Kiwi.’’
Athole spent years living with sister Isabel before she died in 1996, and they travelled widely together.
Athole was a keen family historian, establishing contacts and corresponding with clan members around the world, including in the US (Wyoming and California) and in Newfoundland.
She was delighted to host more distant kin in person, and to visit them. On a visit to Scotland, she and Isabel traced the ancestral Crossbeg Farm to the Isle of Bute, and took photographs to share with the family.
She and her mother were also foundation members and active supporters of the Alexandra and Districts Historical Society.
Athole was a keen gardener and enjoyed visiting public and private gardens around New Zealand. She loved to knit, and along with making jumpers for family, she knitted blankets for the Red Cross — one still to be completed at the time of her death.
She was generous to charities, especially those supporting children and animals. On display at her funeral was a commendation from Arthritis New Zealand, and another marking 57 years as a gold member of the Pacific Leprosy Foundation.
She was an avid and knowledgeable cricket and rugby follower, proud of New Zealand’s success in both sports.
Athole is survived by her nieces and nephews.
— Supplied