Deaths Of Islands People

Mrs. Rosabel Edith Nelson

After a long illness, Mrs. Rosabel Edith Nelson, widow of the late Hon. O. F. Nelson and head of the prominent Nelson family, died at her home at Papauta, Apia, West Samoa, in early June, at the age of 71.

Mrs. Nelson was the daughter of the late Mr. H. J. Moors, a pioneer of the Samoan cocoa industry and a friend of Robert Louis Stevenson.

Educated at Mills College. Cali fornia, Mrs. Nelson married the late O. F. Nelson, who with his father founded the firm of A. Nelson & Son (later O. F. Nelson & Son Ltd. which in 1922 merged with the firm

of H. J. Moors). The firm and the members of the Nelson family have played a prominent part in the political, social and economic life of the Territory of Western Samoa.

Mrs. Nelson’s brother, Mr. H. W Moors, is a leading businessman and planter and a former member of the Legislative Assembly. Of Mrs.

Nelson’s daughters one, Irene, is married to the Hon. Tamasese, OBE, Fautua and member of the Council of State; a second, Mrs. G. F. D.

Betham, is the wife of a European member of the Legislative As sembly; while a third. Mrs. Sina (E.) Annandale, is the wife of the General Manager of O. F. Nelson & Co. Ltd.

Due to her indifferent health, Mrs. Nelson led a retired life dur ing the past few years.

O. F. Nelson became leader of the European representatives in the Samoa Legislative Council and head of the Samoan Mau Organisation.

Mrs Nelson, a leader of the Women’s Association, shared the stormy years of her husband’s political life in the late 1920’s and early 30’s. Mr.

Nelson was twice deported to New Zealand but was re-instated when the NZ Labour Government re turned to power in 1936.

Mr. S. G Marshall

The death occurred suddenly at Honolulu, Hawaii, early in June, of Mr. Stephen George Marshall, a former administrative officer in Fiji. He served in Fiji from 1938 to 1957 as a district officer and magistrate, and later in the Secretariat. Mr. Marshall, who was an MA, was promoted from Fiji to Nigeria as secretary to the Min ister of Education, in mid-1957.

Recently, though only 44, ill health compelled him to leave the tropics and he was on his way to Australia on retirement, when he died. He is survived by Mrs. Joan Marshall, two sons and a daughter.

Mr. Howard Birkenhead

Riley

Fiji’s best-known dental surgeon, Mr. H. B. Riley, died at Lautoka in his 80th year on June 10. He had been living in retirement.

Mr. Riley went to Fiji in 1904 from Sydney. He set up a dental practice at Suva, and later trans ferred his practice to Lautoka, where it was until his retirement.

Soon after arriving in Fiji Mr.

Riley married a Miss Calder, daughter of Captain Calder of the AUSN Co. and they had a son and a daughter. Following the first Mrs. Riley’s death, Mr. Riley married Miss Bessie Williams of the Rewa district and they had a daughter. The present Mrs. Riley survives her husband.

Mr. Logan Morrisby

Mr. Logan Morrisby died at Taveuni, Fiji, on June 1, at the age of 79. A resident of Fiji for 55 years, Mr. Morrisby first went to the Colony as an engineer for the long defunct Vancouver Sugar Company at Navua, later joining the Colonial Sugar Refining Co. with which concern he was stationed at Labasa for many years.

Later he shifted to Taveuni, and operated an engineering business at Nacaugai.

Mr. O. J. Atkinson

Mr. Oliver John Atkinson, late Resident Magistrate of Buna, Papua, died in Woombye, Queensland, in early June, aged 73.

“OJ” first went to Papua about 1915, from the NSW Police Force to join the old Papuan Con stabulary. He later became ARM in District Services and finally RM, Northern Division.

Mr. Atkinson was with the Allied Geographical Section in Brisbane in 1942 during the Pacific War, and returned to Buna afterwards.

He is survived by his widow and sons Kevin (in the P-NG Service) and Ron, a Rhodes Scholar, who is with Fairey Aircraft Co.