Tom Jordan

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Biography

Thomas was born in Invercargill in 1905. He grew up on his parents farm outside Taumarunui. He left school aged 14 to work in the bush and sawmills in the King Country. He also worked at droving, horse breaking, being a guide on Ruapehu, landscaping and as a butcher. He also drove a horse and cart from Wairoa to Taupo along the old Desert Road. He was engaged to Olive in 1925 and they married on a monday in 1927 by Reverend Weatherhogg at Matapuna, Taumarunui. . They lived a Taumarunui for a year. They were living in Hinuera prior to 1943 when he enlisted into the 2nd NZEF as a slaughterman, service number WWII 526900, and was listed mas a Gunner with the Artillery at embarkation. He had army training at Papakura and was posted to Norfolk Is during ww2. After he returned they set up Ruapehu Nursery in Miro St, Matamata. Tom propagated plants and Olive ran a florists at the Matamata Hotel. They had 3 daughters, Gwen, Ethel, and Norma. Later the family lived at Karapiro Hydroelectric Village where Tom was gardener. In the 1970's Tom and Olive lived in the farm cottage at the Mamaku farm of Gwen and Alan Watkins and their children. In the late 70's they lived in a cottage on the dairy farm of Ethel and Jim Gray outside Tirau, and moved with them to a 5 acre smallholding on Momona Road, Tirau when the farm was sold. They planted a large garden here and extended the early sawnboard cottage to accommodate visitors. Tom drove a white Morris Minor, and enjoyed driving over the Kaimai Hills to seacast fish at Waihi. Tom had a large workshop here where he carved pictures of flowers and native birds and turned composite wooden bowls, twisted stem standard lamps on a lathe he'd made. He also etched glass, and carved bone.

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