Jubilee reunites far-flung brothers
Sons help celebrate birthday of kindy named for their mum
The 50th Jubilee of the Irmgard Ritchie Kindergarten proved to be a real family affair.
About 60 past and present teachers, pupils and parents attended the Thursday evening celebration along with Upper Hutt mayor Wayne Guppy and Rimutaka MP Chris Hipkins.
However it was the presence of the three sons of Irmgard Ritchie that made the occasion especially poignant.
The trio have lived overseas for many decades— John and Andrew in different American cities and Geoffrey in Australia. They had not seen each other for some time.
Jubilee organisers contacted John about the event and by happy coincidence the date set for the gathering also happened to be when Andrew and Geoffrey were to be back in the country for a few weeks.
John was excited at the thought it might all fall together for them, and for their mother’s memory.
‘‘It was the first chance for a long time for the three of us to be together,’’ John, now living in San Franciso, said.
Other family connections also played a important part in the happening, John said.
‘‘My daughter had been in touch with the kindergarten to get a teeshirt or something. I think she was going to give it to me for a birthday and that was how she found about about the Jubilee and how they found us.’’
John’s mother died when he was 15, the oldest of the children. She was just 44 years old.
‘‘So of course my daughter never met her grandmother, so I thought it was interesting she did that.
‘‘We’ve never really had any of this family history, we sort of missed out on all that,’’ he told the Leader the morning after he and his brothers presented a plaque to the kindergarten in memory of their mother.
‘‘We have been rejuvenated by our return to Upper Hutt,’’ he told the jubilee audience.
‘‘Our mountains are the Tararuas and the Rimutakas; our river is Te Awakairangi – the Hutt River.
‘‘We are connected to this kindergarten and all of you through our mother, Irmgard Ritchie,’’ he said.
The Ritchies grew up in a house ‘‘right next door’’ .
Irmgard Ritchie was a teacher who spent six years with the Upper Hutt Free Kindergarten Association, including two as director.
Because of ill health she left teaching and went on to play a major part in forming the McLeod St Kindergarten, which operated out of church halls.
Irmgard was involved with the kindergarten till she passed away in 1961. Soon after, the kindergarten management committee had the name change approved although it was not till 1965 – 50 years ago – it officially opened.
‘‘One of my the lasting memories I have of our mother is her teaching me to drive,’’ John said.
His father took the train to work and in winter his mother would drive him.
‘‘It was usually dark but if I was awake when they were getting ready to leave, she would invite me along. On the way home, she started out by letting me change gears from the passenger seat while she worked the clutch.
‘‘Eventually, she let me sit in the driver’s seat and drive home,’’ he said.
‘‘I don’t know if my father knew she was giving me lessons. I do know that because I was only 14, I was not supposed to be seen driving in public.
‘‘Eventually, six days after my 15th birthday, I took the test and got my licence,’’ he said.
‘‘Ten months later, our mother passed away.
‘‘Because we were so young, most of the other memories we share of her are scattered childhood recollections from a happy home life,’’ he said.
‘‘Our mother was a gifted teacher and nothing came more naturally to her than sparking a child’s interest in new ideas and new ways of doing things.
‘‘Because of her influence when we were growing up, we became inquisitive about the world and everything in it,’’ he said.
Naming the kindergarten after her ‘‘was a wonderful tribute and a lasting affirmation that even though her career was abruptly cut short, her influence went far beyond any individual child or any particular classroom,’’ John said.