funeral eulogy 27 April 2006
Theses are observations of a life and the time and places in which it occurred.
Geoffrey Ray DREADON
father of Neil & Stuart DREADON; step-father of Jeremy & Michael BLANDFORD
Born 12 SEPT 1918 … died 19 April 2006 aged 87 Born in Homai in the Dreadon homestead … he was the second youngest … of six children … Remembers the power coming on when he was 7. went to school at Manurewa Central and College at Otahuhu High School where he did the agriculture course .. he was a member of the apery club … that's bee stuff not a king Kong derivative. This club was taught by Sir Edmund Hillary's father. Geoff remembered their first car … a 1927 VeeLee …when Geoff was 9 He helped to break the land ( where the Warehouse Red shed is) beside Grandfather Dreadon's block (known as Jack Dreadon although his name was Jon)…Geoff talked of standing on the seat of the Farmall H tractor to see over the gorse. The Farmall H Tractor was bought in 1944 at a cost of 400 pound. This land was planted in peas for a number of years.
During the war he trained at Waiouru … twice and finally served in the Home Forces and worked on the farm … as it was deemed an essential service.. The International Harvester hay bailer was bought soon for making hay on the farm and for contracting. Geoff was helped out by many of the local boys … barry and Russell Stuck, Tom Collard and others. The Dreadon family were keen members of the local Badminton Club and this is where Geoff and Elsie first met Barbara and her husband John. We have photos of Auntie Elsie at my brother Michael's christening … Auntie Elsie was Michael's godmother. John (my birth father) died on Christmas Eve in 1954.
I recall this man who could wiggle his ears and make shillings appear from behind our ears, make string dogs from twisted stock whip crackers and poke his tongue out between his gums and his teeth. Geoff married our mother Barbara in November 1957 at St Lukes Church, Manurewa …when I was 7 and Michael was 4. The best man was Wayne Faulkner and the bridesmaid was Auntie Elsie. Geoff was a 39 year old "bachelor" from down the road, and mum was a 34 year old "widow" . Marrying a widow with two sons probably raised some eyebrows. There were no photos of the wedding due to a malfunction with Wayne faulkner's camera … so the story goes.
The few photos taken after the wedding at 141 Browns Road show the men in 0ne button double breasted suits … probably the first and last time Geoff was "well suited" … I remember him going to someone else's funeral many years later and he put on a suit …which promptly fell apart because the moths had got to it. We moved from 96 Browns Road down to the homestead at 141 Browns Road. Remember growing up on the farm .. outside toilet, wash house, the dairy, the farm workers room, the meat safe under the macracarpa tree, the old corrugated water tanks used as fire wood bins; boxes of tools in the tractor shed, the long front paddock with two strips of concrete paving stones and the two cream coloured gate posts … you can still see the gap in the trees beside the Foundation for the Blind where the gate was. Neil born 1959
I would NOT regard Geoff as a sports fan but he did take us to the NZ Grand Prix at Ardmore when they raced the V16 BRM and the Cooper Climax cars. Learning to ride horses .. taught by the Picken girls … Anne and Jan Picken … their house is still their on Browns Road. We got holiday jobs at the Wool Store thru their Dad …Sam Picken. Geoff reminded me of us sneaking across the road to watch TV at the Picken's house. We also had Sunday pilgrimages up to Grandpa Dreadon's house at 37 GrandVue Road to watch "Bonanza" on the latest black and white curved screen TV. Events that stick in the mind are the grass fires in the paddocks alongside the railway line … cause by sparks from the steam trains during a very hot summer
The only time I can recall getting off school was to go away deerstalking to Poronui in the middle of the North Island with Geoff and Wayne Faulkner … it was memorable for the fact that the basics like taking cutlery and plates was forgotten … we ate "hunter's stew" off paper plates which after three days were somewhat soggy and falling apart. Geoff would probably have been irritated because Mum forgot to pack them. Duck shooting on the ponds down the back of the farm … also a duck shooting trip in the old LandRover with Mark and edgar Gibbons up to Kaipara ..it was the time of the pig foot and mouth scare at Warkworth Learning to ride a bike up and down the front drive … getting a new bike … a three speed strummer archer gear model …when I went to Intermediate.
Memories of Picking up sheep from Taihape at the Papakura railway station… sheep shearing , lionel pennington, the wool press, stenciling brands on wool bales. Haymaking, lambing; tailing Drenching and dipping sheep …then we got one of those run thru sheep sprays Hunting for mushrooms … used to get a good bucketful … mum would cook these up with a creamy sauce … one of Geoff's favourite meals Christmas time … spring lamb, new potatoes and fresh peas … taxi's pulling up with locals wanting "one of those big fat muttons" for the whanau …steaming hot, big mutton carcasses tossed into the boot of the taxi… the food safety authorities would really love that NOW Doing the lamb beat on the Vespa motor scooter … the original NZ farm bike …geoff would hold the ewe its feet restrained with the dog collar, between his legs on the tray of the scooter, the lamb was in a sack over the handle bars and we would sit on the back with our feet on the hump mudguards … and then slip and slide along the paddock to the hay shed Riding horses for Lambing beats and rounding up cattle from McLaughlins.
Stuart born 29 jan 1966 and they opened the Auckland Airport to commemorate that day and the rest of the family climbed to McLaughlins Mountain to watch the planes landing … Being taught to drive in the landrover … the Humber Hawke .. column change … later doing the heavy traffic in the Bedford truck … I remember the way Geoff would hold his tongue when changing gear as he thumped the gear\lever down. The way he stood in that cockeyed way, flicking open the pouch on his belt to look at the time on his pocket watch, the green swandri jackets and cloth peaked caps. Summers down at Weymouth … climbing up the bank above the beach up to the bach with its classic built in sun porch … and the large pouhutukawa tree … still there. Water skiing with the jet boat … and with Henry Woulk who ran the local BP station
Mum had a red FIAT Bambina … 500cc of Italian machinations … but she liked it … although Michael learn't to drive in Peter Rapleys morris minor, he had a number of adventurous slow journeys in Mum's bambina. I left home in 73 and went south to work in the meat industry … Stuart was 6 … Geoff bought the Jag … which he reckons Mum never liked. Geoff had his own specific views on people, racial issues and work. When they were looking to build a house at Weymouth he firmly believed that Mum didn't deserve it cause she had never worked a day in her life …YEAH RIGHT … she had only brought up 4 sons, managed the house hold, cooked and fed haymakers, shearers and multitudes of farm workers … as well she learn't amongst other things …woodwork, millinery, pottery, tailoring, sewing … made many of her clothes and ours as kids, and the many farm caps that Geoff wore, jewellery making, book binding, tapestry, weaving spinning and I think even welding … at Easter this year Geoff begrudgingly noted that … YES … she was clever for her time.
Mum died in November 1989 … and for someone who did not express emotions openly .. this obviously affected Geoff greatly … most conversations included comments about the number of years since Mum died. He did very well thru these later years … taking a greater interest and involvement with the Antique Arms Society … coping with Stuart's trips back and forth to India and returning with a wife … Shalini Generous to many outside of the family yet at times was challenged to acknowledge the achievements of the family around him. Geoff was fortunate to have brothers and sisters … Fred, Grace, Eileen, Jean and Elsie, … who looked out for him sons and daughters … Fay, Michael & Julie, Neil & Louise, and especially Stuart & Shalini who cared for him and looked after him in his latter years. He was able to experience the next generation of Scott, Nicola, Anna, Rebecca, Joshua, Tessa, Timothy, Salina, Sarah and Samuel … so Mr Dreadon, Geoffrey, Geoff, brother, uncle, cousin, and father … this has been your life. Geoff will be buried next to Barbara at St David's Church in Wiri with a view over the farmland he knew so well.
GRD …Rest in Peace.
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