Deaths Of Islands People

Mrs. Phyllis Hilton The death occurred suddenly in Wewak on June 19 of Mrs. Phyllis Hilton, a pioneer of New Guinea.

She was in her early sixties.

Mrs. Hilton was one of three Castles sisters who came to New Guinea with their parents about 1926. She married the late Cyril Hilton in Wau when he was an accountant with a goldmining com pany, but just before the war they moved to Wewak where Mrs. Hilton ran a store and Mr. Hilton was a labour recruiter.

After the war she started the present Wewak Hotel. It is now owned by a small local company but Mrs. Hilton retained a large shareholding. At the time of her death she was managing the hotel, although in recent years she has spent periods away from the territory.

She is survived by a married daughter, by a younger daughter, Lorraine, who was assisting her in the hotel; and by two sisters at Lae —Mrs. Powell and Mrs. Harry Starr.

Mr. Hilton died in 1955.

Mrs. J. Gemmell Mrs. Janet Gemmell, wife of Mr.

T. J. Gemmell, a former City Engineer in Suva, died in Brisbane on June 1.

Mrs. Gemmell was an active worker in youth organisations in Fiji, and played a leading role in organising the marching girl movement.

Miss Sarah Hollis Miss Sarah Hollis, a missionary in China for many years, who was later connected with Chinese educational work in Suva, died at Suva on June 15, aged 89.

She arrived in Fiji in 1948.

Miss Hollis taught at the Chinese School where, with her knowledge of several dialects, she was a valuable teacher.

Mr. Bernard Gurr The pages of Samoan history rustled slightly in late May on the death on Tutuila of Mr. Bernard Gurr, son of a leading figure in the

assumption of American sovereign!) over Tutuila.

Mr. Gurr, a battle-scarred Anzac of World War I, was an expert ir tropical agriculture and for man) years managed his family’s tions at Maloloa, Tutuila.

Pastor Charles Vernier Pastor Charles Vernier, a membei of a noted Protestant missionar) family in French Polynesia died ir France in June at the age of 83.

Pastor Vernier was born ir Papeete, Tahiti, on June 23, 1883 He was one of the eight children oi Pastor Frederic Vernier, who was sent to Tahiti in 1867 by the Societe des Missions Evangeliques de Paris. The first Vernier served as chaplain tc both Queen Pomare IV and Kinj Pomare V, and built the beautiful Temple of Paofai, one of Tahiti’s landmarks. Five of his eight childrer became missionaries, and for S 4 years, there was always a Vernier al the head of the Protestant church ir Tahiti.

Pastor Charles Vernier was a leading figure in the church ir French Polynesia from 1911 to 1951