Abstract of Nancy SOPER, 2020
Item — Box: 12
Identifier: H01590002
Abstract
Nancy Soper
Interviewer: Jenny Campbell
Abstracter: Gil Berg
Track 1
00.24 Born in REEFTON 1914. Father was on the railway.
01.30 At BLACKBALL RIDGE father worked on railway as a bridge keeper.
01.49 Walked to school about 3 miles and back home.
01.59 Road/Rail Bridge from BLACKBALL to NGAHERE (?sp)
02.12 BLACKBALL was a coal mining town. Friends and Nancy used to walk to BLACKBALL for music lessons.
02.41 Attended NGAHERE )(?sp) school. School garden got the best garden in district.
03.12 Miss Dixon was the teacher very strict but a good teacher. Punishment was the strap. Left school at 12. Explains
04.17 Father put in for 6 shifts and got ATHOL and that’s how they came to live in ATHOL.
04.38 EARTHQUAKE on the WEST COAST before shifting to ATHOL. Recalls and Describes.
06.11 Asked what was different about ATHOL replied they were countered as they got off of the train. Grandfather lived with them. Explains.
06.55 Family name was SIMONSON (?sp). Grandfather came from DENMARK. Mother was from READING in the UK.
07.24 Grandfather and a friend came out by boat and jumped boat at night and lived in the cemetery. Explains.
08.14 Grandfather was 70 when they came to ATHOL.
08.33 Lived in a railway house in ATHOL. Didn’t attend school. Siblings went. Siblings were: Bill, George, Jack, Joan, Betty, Shirley, Hillborough (?sp).
09.06 Nancy did housework around ATHOL and lived at home. Explains.
09.49 Entertainment was dances, surprise parties, tennis and walking over the hill. Explains.
11.04 Did cooking, cleaning, and was treated well.
12.25 Asked how mother coped living in ATHOL. Describes.
13.01 Fathers work was line maintenance up and down the line on the jigger. Explains.
13.45 Not much at ATHOL did have a FISH’N’CHIP shop plus a shop and a garage. POST OFFICE was in the RAILWAY STATION. Explains.
End of track 1
Track 2
00.08 Nancy’s daughter Audrey drank formalin (?). Nancy ran to RIVERVIEW a couple of miles away with son Gibson following to get up for Audrey. Explains.
01.36 Married at 18 to Harold Soper. Their children are: Gibson, Audrey, Dallas, Desiama (?sp), Pamela, Adrian, Wendy and Peter.
02.17 Audrey was 3 or 4 when she drank the formalin.
02.36 Quite isolated and didn’t have a phone. For the first 2 Years the lived at RIVERVIEW. Harold was a farmer.
03.03 Worked morning to night as a farmer’s wife. Describes.
04.26 Worked very hard and got ulcers when she was in her 30’s. Explains.
05.16 Over 2 hours from ATHOL to INVERCARGILL to hospital and nearest Doctor was in LUMSDEN. DOCTOR BELL was his name.
05.48 Audrey was in hospital for a couple of months after drinking formalin.
05.59 Not long for self in hospital with ulcers.
06.18 Not a lot of support for a woman in ATHOL although did have a PLUNKET NURSE.
06.52 1984 flood was on Nancy’s birthday. Talks about the flood ait’s affects on them. Describes.
10.48 Lost children’s Plunket Books and records in the flood. Talks about the aftermath of the flood, what was thrown out or repaired and how they were helped. Describes.
13.14 Was in her late 70’s when the flood hit.
13.37 Had floods when they were on the farm too. Describes.
14.30 Had the big snow too.
End of track 2
Track 3
00.04 Continues talking about the feeding out during times of flood and snow.
00.18 Enjoyed farming life in ATHOL and then at ROSE BANK where they farmed for 30 years. Describes.
01.15 Their vehicle was a Chev but the first thing Nancy drove was an old truck and got her license. Explains.
02.15 The STEWART’S lived at ROSE BANK before them and it was the STEWARTS who built the house.
02.42 Interviewer asked about cooking. Nancy replied she hand milked, the meat vegetable they had was all produced on the farm. Did preserves and made butter. Describes.
04.08 Brought boxes of apricots.
04.29 Didn’t really do holidays but in 1970 Nancy and Harold went on a conducted tour for 3 – 4 weeks to SYDNEY, PERTH, HONG KONG, OSAKA, FRANCE, RUSSIA and ENGLAND. Also went to the COMMONWEALTH GAMES in EDINBURGH. Explains.
06.05 Other holidays included going back to the WEST COAST and in 1940 went to the WELLINGTON EXHIBITION. Explains.
07.07 Family did day excursions on the train/express to KINGSTON and got the EARNSLAW.
08.00 Family holiday to RIVERTON. Explains.
End of track 3
Interviewer: Jenny Campbell
Abstracter: Gil Berg
Track 1
00.24 Born in REEFTON 1914. Father was on the railway.
01.30 At BLACKBALL RIDGE father worked on railway as a bridge keeper.
01.49 Walked to school about 3 miles and back home.
01.59 Road/Rail Bridge from BLACKBALL to NGAHERE (?sp)
02.12 BLACKBALL was a coal mining town. Friends and Nancy used to walk to BLACKBALL for music lessons.
02.41 Attended NGAHERE )(?sp) school. School garden got the best garden in district.
03.12 Miss Dixon was the teacher very strict but a good teacher. Punishment was the strap. Left school at 12. Explains
04.17 Father put in for 6 shifts and got ATHOL and that’s how they came to live in ATHOL.
04.38 EARTHQUAKE on the WEST COAST before shifting to ATHOL. Recalls and Describes.
06.11 Asked what was different about ATHOL replied they were countered as they got off of the train. Grandfather lived with them. Explains.
06.55 Family name was SIMONSON (?sp). Grandfather came from DENMARK. Mother was from READING in the UK.
07.24 Grandfather and a friend came out by boat and jumped boat at night and lived in the cemetery. Explains.
08.14 Grandfather was 70 when they came to ATHOL.
08.33 Lived in a railway house in ATHOL. Didn’t attend school. Siblings went. Siblings were: Bill, George, Jack, Joan, Betty, Shirley, Hillborough (?sp).
09.06 Nancy did housework around ATHOL and lived at home. Explains.
09.49 Entertainment was dances, surprise parties, tennis and walking over the hill. Explains.
11.04 Did cooking, cleaning, and was treated well.
12.25 Asked how mother coped living in ATHOL. Describes.
13.01 Fathers work was line maintenance up and down the line on the jigger. Explains.
13.45 Not much at ATHOL did have a FISH’N’CHIP shop plus a shop and a garage. POST OFFICE was in the RAILWAY STATION. Explains.
End of track 1
Track 2
00.08 Nancy’s daughter Audrey drank formalin (?). Nancy ran to RIVERVIEW a couple of miles away with son Gibson following to get up for Audrey. Explains.
01.36 Married at 18 to Harold Soper. Their children are: Gibson, Audrey, Dallas, Desiama (?sp), Pamela, Adrian, Wendy and Peter.
02.17 Audrey was 3 or 4 when she drank the formalin.
02.36 Quite isolated and didn’t have a phone. For the first 2 Years the lived at RIVERVIEW. Harold was a farmer.
03.03 Worked morning to night as a farmer’s wife. Describes.
04.26 Worked very hard and got ulcers when she was in her 30’s. Explains.
05.16 Over 2 hours from ATHOL to INVERCARGILL to hospital and nearest Doctor was in LUMSDEN. DOCTOR BELL was his name.
05.48 Audrey was in hospital for a couple of months after drinking formalin.
05.59 Not long for self in hospital with ulcers.
06.18 Not a lot of support for a woman in ATHOL although did have a PLUNKET NURSE.
06.52 1984 flood was on Nancy’s birthday. Talks about the flood ait’s affects on them. Describes.
10.48 Lost children’s Plunket Books and records in the flood. Talks about the aftermath of the flood, what was thrown out or repaired and how they were helped. Describes.
13.14 Was in her late 70’s when the flood hit.
13.37 Had floods when they were on the farm too. Describes.
14.30 Had the big snow too.
End of track 2
Track 3
00.04 Continues talking about the feeding out during times of flood and snow.
00.18 Enjoyed farming life in ATHOL and then at ROSE BANK where they farmed for 30 years. Describes.
01.15 Their vehicle was a Chev but the first thing Nancy drove was an old truck and got her license. Explains.
02.15 The STEWART’S lived at ROSE BANK before them and it was the STEWARTS who built the house.
02.42 Interviewer asked about cooking. Nancy replied she hand milked, the meat vegetable they had was all produced on the farm. Did preserves and made butter. Describes.
04.08 Brought boxes of apricots.
04.29 Didn’t really do holidays but in 1970 Nancy and Harold went on a conducted tour for 3 – 4 weeks to SYDNEY, PERTH, HONG KONG, OSAKA, FRANCE, RUSSIA and ENGLAND. Also went to the COMMONWEALTH GAMES in EDINBURGH. Explains.
06.05 Other holidays included going back to the WEST COAST and in 1940 went to the WELLINGTON EXHIBITION. Explains.
07.07 Family did day excursions on the train/express to KINGSTON and got the EARNSLAW.
08.00 Family holiday to RIVERTON. Explains.
End of track 3
Dates
- 2020
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Conditions Governing Use
The contents of Southland Oral History Project collections are subject to the conditions of the Copyright Act 1994. Please note that in accordance with agreements held with interviewees additional conditions regarding the reproduction [copying] and use of items in the Southland Oral History Project collections may apply. Please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator for further information at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Campbell, Jenny (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
