Klingender, Judith Marion Interview

Today is 20th June 2019. We are interviewing Judith Klingender of Havelock North. Judith, would you like to tell us something about the life and times of your family … yours and Dick’s?

I’ll start with myself. My paternal grandmother, Bertha May Cooper, was born in Birmingham in 1879. Her father, John Cooper, emigrated to Australia in 1883, the journey being very eventful. And eventually in a storm off the Queensland coast, his wife died in childbirth; the child also buried at sea. So there was my grandmother aged about four, and perhaps four other young, in early Australia with a father who had probably no idea about rearing a family. Father, Frank, Bertha, and one or two other siblings later came to New Zealand, where father ostensibly ran a fish shop, I think, in Wanganui, but probably skived off and left his young to do most of the work.

My grandmother eventually married an English remittance man, Harry Edward Clark Randall, in about 1904. She had two children who died, then my father, Harold Clark, who was born in 1908. Husband Harry was an abusive drunkard so – in that day a very brave move – Bertha left him in the Gisborne area and went south to Wellington with her infant child. She looked for work, unsuccessfully; and told me she planned to commit suicide by jumping off the bridge into the Hutt River. However, when she looked at her infant she could not do it.

Eventually she took a job housekeeping for one Percy Dwight, who had two young sons and was a widower. She was a wonderful homemaker, my grandmother, and looked after the other two boys as her own. Percy later asked her to marry him, and they had one daughter, Nancy, who completed the family. My father regarded Percy Dwight as his father, and was also known as Harold Clark Dwight. This was never legally formalised until he was about to wed my mother, Alice Marion Milburn, on 31st January 1934.

In 1935 I was born on 3rd June. A couple of years later I had a brother, John, and two years after that a sister, Adrienne. I was a bit lucky; I went to kindergarten over the road, because the doctor had one son who was a private kindergarten teacher, and I joined and went over there, too. Then I went to primary school in Waipawa.

During that time, my father volunteered to go to the Second World War, and was a navigator in bombers and eventually shot down, and was a prisoner of war in Germany for about eighteen months until the end of the war. After the war when my father returned, we were blessed by [with] another baby, my young brother, when I was eleven. So he was ‘my baby’.

And then I went to high school. I think my father could see that I was going to be a very good stand-in mother, and he thought that my education was important so I was sent away to board at Napier Girls’ High School. There I had four very special years in a very special class, many of whom are still my friends to this day.

Were the Klingender girls there when you were there?

Yes. When I was in about the Fifth Form at school we had little duties that we were to do, like … we would have a picnic tea on Sunday night, out, in the summer. And we were quite fascinated by the fact that the Head Girl of the hostel, a very attractive girl called Judith Spence, was allowed out. And she had a boyfriend who brought her back to school, and we lay under the citrus trees [chuckle] and watched her being delivered. And that was the first time I saw Richard Weston Klingender.

I left school after a Sixth Form year, which is Year 12 in today’s language; and my father had organised for me to have an interview at the Bank of New Zealand. Imagine in today’s age, that your father organised what you were going to do when you left school! I was taken on as the junior in this little bank of about seven staff, and I didn’t know a debit from a credit because at school I had done Maths and Latin, and the Professional course of English, History, Science and Biology, and Geography. However, after being there for a while I certainly learnt about debits and credits, and had my leg pulled very frequently – the staff was a very friendly, fun staff – and they looked after me and taught me.

After a couple of years the typing level was getting very busy, and the accountant at that time said if I learnt to type they would make a position as the typist and then there would be juniors in underneath me. So in my lunch hours I learnt to type from a Pitmans folder. By this stage I had met a dear friend and we were planning to go on an OE, [overseas experience] and so I knew my parents couldn’t pay for me to do things like that. So as well as working at the bank I cleaned the bank each day; and we had an accountant round the corner who was minus a typist at that stage, and I did quite a lot of work in the evenings for him. And we also had quite a good lawyer who worked just down the road, who was so slow at getting documents to the bank that I also learned to type the legal documents, and would take them to him to get him to sign them. Needless to say I won’t name any of those people.

So when the time came for me to travel overseas, by this stage … my friend had sisters, and her next sister wanted to go as well. Would I be happy about that? Yes, I would, as long as we can get a fourth person; I would not travel as three. So I had another friend that I knew at that stage, and asked her to come. And she was younger than I was – I was only twenty-one when we left – and the younger sister and my friend weren’t [chuckle] even twenty, or were barely twenty. And that girl’s father came, and from his large, tall size, looked down upon my father and said, “Are you happy about these girls going off to England by themselves?” And my father said, “It’ll be the best thing for them.” So he wasn’t at all worried about us going off.

So we went by ship … six weeks, I think it was. We left on July 13th and we were on the new ship, the ‘Southern Cross’, and it went to Liverpool because it had to have its first overhaul. And so we went by train down to London and separated into twos, and had a wonderful time finding our feet there, and then headed off – the first of the trips, going up to Edinburgh to the Festival.

Anyway, I was away for sixteen months during which time I had worked in a copying office, and was very blessed to have a huge amount of experience in that office, learning to use dictaphones. And the said accountant that I had worked for in Waipawa contacted me, and said, “When you come back I’ve got a job for you.” So I came home, having been picked up by one Richard Weston Klingender; and came back on about a Saturday and was at work in Waipawa on the Monday. [Chuckles] And that accountant was the first person in Hawke’s Bay to have a dictaphone in his office, so I came in and flew.

Now, having come home and straight to a job and a very constant beau, we eventually became engaged; so I shall tell you where Richard Weston Klingender’s forebears came from.

During the French Revolution in 1685, Huguenots fled into exile for their lives. One such was a noted swordsman who became the fencing master in the town of Kassel; hence, to hide his true identity, he became Walter de Klingen, which translated to Walter Klingender. His grandson, Johann Friedrich, was appointed Pastor in the French Church in Kassel in 1778. He married Wilhelmine Tischbein, daughter of the Court painter. Their son, Friedrich Carl Louis, became a naturalised Englishman, Frederick Charles Lewis Klingender; and two of his sons, William and George, became Klingender Brothers Cotton Merchants, owning ships sailing between America and Liverpool. This venture became bankrupt, and William and his wife Henrietta Jane, née Weston, brought most of the family on the ‘Ionic’, arriving in Auckland 14th December 1886. They came from a wealthy lifestyle to a tin shed on farmland in Patea, New Zealand.

From there the seventh son, Horace, went on to become an ordained Anglican minister. He had two children, Gerald Weston and Dorothy. Gerald married Nancy Gwendoline Hudson, daughter of Edward Varley Hudson and Grace Lillian, née Roach. Then there was Richard Weston Klingender, born 29th [22nd] July 1929 at Rathbone Maternity Home in Waipawa.

Now I shall read from my husband’s notes which he made during his life:

‘I was born in Rathbone Home, a maternity hospital in Waipawa, Central Hawke’s Bay, on July 22nd 1929. My father was at that time managing a sheep and beef farm in the area presently known as the Gwavas Forestry, north-west of Tikokino. Soon after my arrival my parents took on a dairy farm at Meeanee just south of Napier. The Napier-Hastings earthquake was yet to strike, and the Tutaekuri River often flooded, making farming in the area difficult in those times. One of my early memories is of looking out an upstairs window of the Dumble house with my mother, to see my father paddling a canoe down what was usually the main street. I don’t remember anything about the earthquake but on that occasion my mother had not put me in my pram in a favourite sunny spot. A brick chimney crashed down on that spot, so I’m very lucky to be writing this.

‘Our next move was to Church Road, Taradale, where my father leased what was known as Sugar Loaf Farm next to Tom McDonald’s vineyard and cellars. My father milked cows for town supply. Running through the paddock next to the house was quite a large drain which had a plank over it for taking short cuts. On one occasion I went trotting over the plank, pushing my little toy wheelbarrow, but next thing I was lying on the wheelbarrow at the bottom of the drain. It was probably summer time, as the drain bed was dry. I was about four years old at the time. This incident had a profound effect on my life because the fall damaged my left hip joint which became infected with tuberculosis, the farm being a dairy cow unit. I was taken to stay in Auckland with my maternal grandparents, to be taken in hand by Selwyn Morris, recently returned to New Zealand having trained in orthopaedics in England. I suppose at this stage little could be done to save the hip joint, so according to practice at that time I was put in a plaster cast and stayed more or less bed-ridden for two and a half years. My grandmother toiled mightily up and down a three-storeyed house to attend to me; and my grandfather, a former headmaster at a Napier school and a university lecturer, took on my education, giving me a flying start to when I was able to attend school. When the time was considered to be right I was taken out of the plaster cast and started to learn to walk again with a stiff ankylosed left hip.’

Now I shall give you just some brief snippets about Richard Weston Klingender’s early life. To his sisters he was always Richard; to his mother and a lot of his friends he became Tigger; and in his work life he was known as Dick.

How did he get the name Tigger?

As he said, you know, he ‘more or less’ stayed in bed; and there was quite a lot of ‘less’ in the hospital. And at that young age his reading level was Winnie the Pooh. So, because with his legs in plaster with an iron bar between it, [them] somehow or other he could get … with a modesty rag … to the window so he could see out; so he was called Tigger the tiger. So that’s how he got Tigger.

All right, now these snippets:

• Schooling – both at Taradale Primary and by his grandfather whilst he went through his ankylosis procedures in Auckland; later at Napier Boys’ High School. Now even with that hip he still managed to play hockey and things like that so he wasn’t going to let it stop him.
• He was very involved with the St Mary’s Taradale Anglican Parish as a crucifix bearer.
• After he left school his first job in 1946 was office boy at Murray Roberts in Waipukurau. He would bus to Waipukurau, five days’ board, and home for the weekends. Wages did not cover the cost of getting there and back.
• But while in Waipukurau he spent a lot of the time with the Waipukurau Dramatic Society.
• And then he was back to Hastings as junior stock agent in 1950. His father Gerald was at that stage the senior agent.

• He was very involved as a supporter for the Greater Hastings Queen Carnival, supporting his aunt by marriage, Gladys Hudson.
• He also spent time with the Hastings Musical Comedy Company and was in their first production, ‘Anchors Away’.
• Regular socialising at mini balls, almost weekly in the winter months; and spending a lot of time in tails being the best man for mates getting married – in other words, having a great time.
• He won the Tacon Flying Scholarship and learnt to fly small planes … wonderful, but a huge drain on the income.
• About 1955, starting to take a more singular approach to female company, and by 1956 was holding a candle for one Judith Dwight. The latter was making plans to experience the big OE with three other girls, leaving on Friday 13th July 1956. Instead of bemoaning the fact, that special man said, “Go, and make the most of it.” And she did.
• So … then there was marriage to the said Judith Marion Dwight on 1st November 1958. After the nuptials we purchased an old villa at 42 Middle Road – mortgaged to the hilt at rates over seven percent for the first, and double figures for the second, mortgages. Judith worked in the office at the Whakatu Meat Company, and when told to take annual leave went back for a couple of weeks to work at her previous job in Waipawa. It did help clear the second mortgage though.
• Then the children arrived … Gendy Sue on 28th August 1960; Merryn Jane on 13th June 1962 and Gerald Weston on 20th February 1965.
• By then Richard – Dick at work; Tigger to his mother and close mates – was an active stock auctioneer. He drafted lambs in the season, and took a very close oversight of all his clients. By 1958 he was head auctioneer.
• In 1958 the flying wings had to be clipped too, because unfortunately, despite having his hours done and having had his medical, the medical wasn’t put in in time which meant he would’ve had to do it all over again, and we could not afford it.

Just one thing you mentioned – he started at Murray Roberts; but when did he move to de Pelichet’s? [de Pelichet McLeod]

Oh, a couple of years after that … in 1950, so that was four years later. So he had four years in Waipuk. [Waipukurau]

• He was active at St Luke’s Anglican Parish; on the vestry, and eventually became elected people’s warden, a position he held for quite a few years.
• He joined Havelock North Rotary Club in 1964 and was President of that club in 1980-81.
• After years of being the announcer at the annual Hawke’s Bay A&P [Agricultural & Pastoral] Show he was nominated for the committee of that entity.

He had quite a distinct voice on the microphone.

• To quote his introduction as Rotary President:  ‘Other interests: fishing – too seldom; badminton – creak, groan, puff; and the sort of golf that covers a wide field. Current ambitions: to play clarinet like Pete Fountain, and to be Past President.’ [Chuckle]
• In the next decade he went off to guitar lessons. Having always played by ear he determined to learn to read music and play more adventurous chords.
• The annual fishing trip with a group of like-minded mates to Waikaremoana, a week of great organisation and great fun.
• During the 1980s there were many changes in the number and organisation of the local stock and station companies. de Pelichet McLeod became Crown Farmers, then Dalgety Crown Corporation Limited;  at which time the district manager, Mr Lloyd Fitness, took Dick off the road as an agent, and from 1st January 1984 he became Administration Manager for this new entity; thus his ability with figures and planning developed. Later, Wrightson’s took over the Dalgety Crown firm and for the last eight months Dick was involved in a team dealing with Wrightson clients who had bad debt problems – a very challenging job; sometimes successful, and sometimes resulting in bankruptcy.
• A medical check up found the necessity for heart surgery, and after six weeks of knowing this we went to Hamilton where a quadruple bypass procedure was carried out, thankfully very successfully. A year later he required a hip replacement – the only hip which functioned – and as we still had medical insurance this was carried out at the then Princess Alexandra Hospital. It was interesting to note that the anaesthetist for that operation said had he not known there had been heart surgery, his checking would not have picked it up.

• After quite a few years of chopping and changing in the stock firm world, at fifty-nine he was considered surplus to requirements by Wrightson’s and had the golden handshake.
• He was involved on the boards of a couple of farming properties and before long had a short-term job doing an inventory for Presbyterian Support.
• From there to a couple of seasons with the Apple & Pear Board checking orchard standards [and] packing standards.
• Then he became involved in a fertiliser company called South Star, who worked on improving the standard of chemicals being used to feed both soil and grass growth.
• Other activities that Dick was involved in: in 2000, Dick was one of the founding members of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and worked hard for this committee supporting the ideals of this body.
• In October 2006 with Jeff Whittaker, Colin Shanley and a few others he instigated a public meeting in the Havelock North Community Centre on Sunday 29th October, to express the village’s angst at the proposal to put in parking meters. The second matter was the passing by the Council of a plan to put in a three-storeyed block of apartments on the corner of Te Mata Road and Lindsay Street. Dick headed off early to the meeting, unsure whether the hurried pamphlet drop would bring results; and when Judith arrived there were about two hundred and forty people there. The motion was passed unanimously, that ‘This meeting totally rejects the introduction of parking meters in any form whatsoever in Havelock North.’ The Havelock North Concerned Citizens Action Group, appointed from that meeting, worked tirelessly over a number of years, eventually going to Court over the planned three-storeyed apartments, and winning against the Council. The parking meter difference was settled by a specific increase of $25 per year on the Havelock North rate demand.

As Dick’s heart condition deteriorated and arthritis made movement more difficult, the decision was made to sell 3 George Place and purchase a still to be built villa at Mary Doyle. The house was sold in November 2009, but was not possessed by the new owners until 26th January 2010. We moved into our new home on 3rd March 2010 after spending six weeks living with a friend, for which we were most grateful.

On 29th November 2010, Tigger died whilst out on his new wheels, his motor scooter. To die whilst doing the things he loved had always been his hope; as a family we had to feel happy for him.

While we were at George Place we had three weddings. The first wedding was our middle daughter Merryn who married her husband, Billy Statham. And two years later we had a second wedding – Gendy married her Australian Army love, and they went back to Australia where life in the Army took them all over the country. Both those weddings were at home in a marquee on our lawn; they weren’t huge weddings but they were very special.

Then quite a few years later our son married his fiancee, Jane Mackie, who was originally from Scotland. And they lived in Auckland for a while, and then moved to Melbourne where – Jane was actually head-hunted to go to Melbourne – and she and Ged worked in a hospital there. And then they moved from there to Perth, and eventually bought their own home; and then, as promised, had the first grandchild, Leo Weston Klingender, who is now nearly sixteen now; so sixteen years ago Leo came. And then about three years later Gus Klingender came along, so we are blessed by [with] two grandsons, both bearing the Klingender name.

So at this stage, Leo is in Year 11 at Havelock North High School, and Gus is in Year 8 at Intermediate. So it’s wonderful to have them around; and now their other grandmother lives here in Havelock, too. She came here from Perth in Australia, and so, we see quite a lot of each other.

Oh, that’s wonderful.