In Memory of Aunty Wai: Wairemana Vilma COOKSON. 1929

1929

I was borne in Nuhaka (Hawkes Bay), to loving parents - Te Aroha Lovie Hapi from the East Coast, and Tamati Dennis from Rotorua. I am fourth in line of 16 children.

1935

I learned to be responsible at a very young age. When I was just 6 years old, my brother before me, Claud (who was nicknamed “Boy”), was involved in a car accident. When Mum and Dad rushed off to the hospital to be with him, I was left in charge of the rest of the children. Sadly, Boy died.

We lived in a three-bedroom home in Roberts Rd, now called Te Ari Road. I remember the back door didn’t close very well. The draft always came in, and in the porch there was a sugar bag for a window. Things were very hard in those days and we had very little money. Never the less, my father did try to make improvements to the house by extending the kitchen, but he just ended up making a mess, instead. Never mind, the focal point in our family was my mother. We loved her very much and she loved the piano. I remember the times when we used to stand around the piano singing our hearts out while she played all the songs we loved. And we could all sing, too. We all had beautiful voices. Because of this I can say that we came from a beautiful home and that we were a very happy family.

Growing up was a lovely experience because I felt cherished and nurtured by my mother. We had a beautiful understanding with each other and did everything together. I loved my Mother very much. She died at the age of 56. I think giving birth to her children so close to each other was just too much for her. We were 11 to 12 months apart. Real close.

We were all baptised into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

My dad was a convert to the Church. He used to drink a lot, and gamble, too. He was a very proud man but through his baptism he humbled himself and put aside his vices.

1943

I enjoyed my teenage years. I started work at the age of 14 just to help my mother out with a bit of money. I worked at the Albion Hotel and the Turanganui Hotel, and then as a seamstress in a sewing factory until I was 18 years old when I joined the Army with my sister, Jackie. We enlisted for four years. It was there that I met the ‘mistake of my life’ – my first love! (Well, that’s one episode of my life that I don’t want to go into.)

I Came out of the Army as a corporal in the Dental Corp and straight into the Telegraph Bureau for four years.

1955

It was at this point in my life that I decided to serve a proselyting mission for my Church but before the call came I had a fortunate experience that would shape the rest of my life.

My sister, Didi, owned a snack bar in the billiard saloon in Gisborn. One day, she rang me up – all excited, and asked if I could call into the saloon on my way home. When I got there she pointed out a soldier in the billiard saloon. He was so handsome and stately in his army uniform. I realized that this lovely man was someone who I wanted to know and meet. My sister introduced us and that was the beginning of our relationship. As far as I was concerned at the time, I had just met my future husband – George Cookson.

George was on final leave, and a week later flew out to Malaya. Meanwhile, I received my call to proselyte in the Wellington Mission. During his absence we corresponded.

Towards the end of my mission I was assigned to Temple View to take tours around the project - which involved the building of the Hamilton Temple, and the Church College of New Zealand Campus. When George was released from the Army he wrote me saying he was coming to Temple View to see me, and while reading his letter I felt this wonderful emotion completely envelope me - an inexplicable sensation that he would be my husband.

1960

Yes, he came to Temple View and even though he wasn’t a member of my faith, he offered his services and pitched in to work on the project. He fitted in so well that his conversion to the Church seemed like a smooth and natural progression. Six months later, on October 1^st, 1960, we got married in Gisborne at the LDS Chapel on Cochran Street.

My husband was a man of charm. He was also blessed with an abundance of compassion and love for people. He always appeared happy and exuded a willingness to assist anyone that needed a helping hand. He came from caring parents and although I never met his mother, I believe she was the kind of person gifted with a charitable willingness like that of the Good Samaritan. I wish I could have had the chance to meet her. I did have the pleasure, however, to meet his father. He was an Englishman. He would visit and stay with us whenever he’d find the time. I could see where my husband got his charm. To my surprise, he could speak the reo beautifully and even had a story or two to tell of every notable Maori. George came from a very big family - a handsome, good-looking family. They lived in Rotorua at Rotokawa – right by the lake and many a time when we’d visit them, we’d take a refreshing swim in its cool waters.

I remember on our honeymoon, he was so loving and gentle. It was such a beautiful time that I just didn’t want it to end.

I know he loved me very much because he was always there for me, and he allowed me to express myself without too much opposition. He even allowed me to take charge of our money matters - something I was so acutely aware of as being utterly absent in my parents’ relationship.

When it came to tenderness and matters of the heart, George was ever the man. I say this because there weren’t too many men around (in my opinion), who were very considerate where their wives were concerned - so sad, really.

After our honeymoon we came back to Temple View to serve a Labour Mission together as husband and wife. It was a great beginning for us, but life is not without its upsets.

Six months later, I became pregnant with our first baby - Mihi Georgina, born January 1^st, 1961. The elation of our firstborn was marred horribly by the discovery that she was born with a hole in her heart. She only lived for six days. As you can imagine, her loss had a huge impact on me. Never the less, I found consolation in the knowledge that she was born unto the Lord – a pure and innocent child taken straight back to his presence.

We had a beautiful service here for Mihi, but Gisborne is where I wanted to bury her, even though we couldn’t afford the trip. However, as our family, friends, and mourners gathered around us after the service to console us and wish us well, everyone that shook our hands left a koha which quickly added up to enough money to take our baby home to Gisborne.

What also helped us to overcome the grief of losing our baby girl was the adoption of our son Keith from my Niece Lybian. He was about 18 months old at the time.

George was a good worker and worked himself to a frizzle. Too much work never seemed like too much for my husband. I remember him doing three jobs at one time, but we never got any richer.

So many people loved George, but it was his handshake that commanded a definite respect. It never failed to amuse us. Whenever people greeted him, and reached out to shake his hand their bright beaming eyes and smiling faces would suddenly cringe with alarm as his thick meaty vice like grip mashed into them as if their hands were like over-ripe bananas. Especially funny were the men - trying oh, so hard to not to show any sign of pain, yet… feeling every little bit of it! George just never knew his own strength and this became his hallmark of fame.

Our married life has been like one heck of a roller coaster ride – especially for my husband. Sure, we had our ups and downs and arguments like any other couple, but we grew from these experiences - although I’m pretty sure my darling could have done without them sometimes. I remember one incident I had while on a mission…

He came home one day to tell me that he had to take one of the construction trucks into town and that he needed someone to drive the other truck, so I quickly volunteered to drive the other one for him. He declined my offer suggesting his brother in law; Taylor Tarawhiti would be a more appropriate choice. My immediate reaction to that was, “What! Don’t you trust me?” Well, he relented to me, so off we went to Hamilton. Before we left, he advised me that he had to make a stop off at a garage and for me to meet him there. When I got into the city, I made a stop at a set of traffic lights but kinda over rode it a bit so that the nose of the truck would be in the way of the oncoming traffic when the lights changed. I quickly decided to back up - not knowing that there was a car right in behind me. Right up until I heard that metallic crunch of truck meeting car behind me, my drive from Temple View was just peachy! Actually, I could see the astonished looks from the pedestrians all around me but the significance of their frantic anticipation never once occurred to me. Well, I smashed into that car, all right, which cost a pretty penny. My poor darling, he never should have given in to me. I was crying and all apologetic promising that I will listen to him and all the while, he never said a word. “Promises, promises,” I later thought to myself, “Well, they were never meant to be kept.” Ha! Ha! Ha!

During our mission at Temple View, it became known to us that another Church building project was taking place in Oahu, Hawaii, called the Polynesian Cultural Centre. To launch the PCC, an idea was conceived to have a large Cultural dance company perform a spectacular show. It was decided that while there was still a pretty large contingency of Labour Missionaries left in Temple View (nearing the completion of the project) a Maori dance group could be selected from them – hence the birth of Te Arohanui Maori Company. It was an unprecedented attempt of Maori Culture never seen before – one hundred and sixty performers, travelling on tour throughout the United States. People scoffed at the idea, but it actually turned out to be a huge success and we were lucky enough to get into it.

Initially, my husband hadn’t planned to go on the tour because finding the money for both of us was a problem but his supervisor, Brother Atkins, took him aside and urged him to go. “I can’t,” says George, “I’m still on a mission!” Atkins replied, “George! I want you to go, so get down to that office and put your name on the list because I’ve already paid for your fare.”

When George came home that night he told me he had put his name down for the tour, too. I was like, “What do you mean? How can that be? I’m still struggling trying to find money for MY fare. You can’t go! We just can’t afford it!”

Well, surprise, surprise. When he told me that his fare was already paid, I was so thrilled! The thought of both of us travelling together made the whole idea of the tour a lot more exciting for me. It was quite funny, really. My husband was the first to pay, but his name came last on the list. We had quite a laugh about that.

1962

Our tour was quite an amazing experience. We stopped off in Hawaii for one week in preparation for the opening ceremony at the PCC. Of course, our performance was the main attraction. And then, we were off to the mainland - to Los Angeles, Los Vegas, and to Salt Lake City. Oh, we went to so many places that it’s hard to remember - it’s been such a long time ago. I remember we performed in the Hollywood Bowl. It was a record audience for that time of the year, but the highlight of our tour was when visited the Tabernacle in Salt Lake City. We went to watch the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice. To actually sit there in person and hear and feel their voices resonate around us while visually appreciating the splendour of the architecture of that amazing building was truly a magnificent experience for each and every one of us. You can imagine then, how honoured and exhilarated we felt when they asked our group to switch places and perform for them while they sat and listened. It was a very spiritual, emotional, and moving experience – our best performance ever. Was that a highlight, or, what? It sure was, and a privilege, too.

During the tour, I became pregnant to my second child and named her after the tour group, Joella Te Arohanui Cookson.

In 1968, we built our family home in Temple View on 2 McKay Drive. I must mention how we got the plan for our new home. I had a recurring dream in which I was walking through this beautiful home. It seemed like I knew everything about it - even its colouring. After I dreamt this dream three times, George encouraged me to put it on paper, so I did! I then took the plan to an architect and he drew it up exactly as I saw it in my dream. We then took it to Maori Affairs for approval but because it wasn’t one of their standard plans, our submission was rejected, so I requested that our plans be sent on to headquarters Guess what? They approved it, and that’s how I got my ‘dream’ home. (Ha! Ha! Ha!)

In 1970, George and I were called in the service of our Church again. We were asked to go back to Hawaii and work at the Polynesian Culture Centre in Laie, on the island of Oahu. George was assigned as the new Chief for the Maori Village, and I was the instructor for the Kapa Haka night show on the amphitheatre stage. For four years we worked with the students who were literally dancing their way through school at Church College of Hawaii – now known as BYU Hawaii Campus. When the College was built, there was great concern with how the students would afford their fees. Especially since Laie stuck on the other side of the Island and set so far away from any kind of industrial or employment opportunity. The idea to build a Cultural Centre right next door to the school where all the Islands of the Pacific could be represented was not only inspirational, but also unprecedented as it provided employment for many of the students from all parts of Polynesia. Consequently, the Centre is made up of Hawaiian, Samoan, Maori, Fijian, Tahitian, Maquis an, and Tongan Villages with man made water ways meandering between them that tourists can enjoy by canoe. In the evening, a night show extravaganza comes to life on a huge amphitheatre with a fake mountain as a backdrop to the stage, and a waterway separating the stage from the audience. At the press of a button, a shower of flame can spew out at the top of the mountain emulating an active volcano, or a waterfall can cascade down the entire width of the mountain backdrop to the rear of the open-air stage. It’s truly magical and is the most popular tourist attraction in all of the Hawaiian Islands.

We had four children from the ages of 7 down to 2 years old and they really loved it there. They may not remember a whole lot, but what they do, we often talk about.

While we were in Hawaii, we had three incidences that required me to come home at the expense of the centre. The first two were due to accidental fires in our new and beautiful home. The third, in 1972, was to my dear mothers funeral.

Following our remarkable experience in Hawaii, we came home to a normal life in ‘the View’ – 2 McKay Drive. We had such beautiful experiences in this home. It was filled with such a sweet and pleasant spirit that embraced each and every one of us in it – my children, my husband, and me.

In 1986, we made a move to go to Australia. Although my husband wasn’t exactly agreeable to the idea at the time the move there rewarded us with some very choice and spiritual experiences. Anyway, I went over a little earlier than the rest of the family in order to get things organized. As it turned out - we ended up staying there for almost twenty enjoyable years. It was there that my husband was called as the Bishop in the Footscray Ward – a calling that he held for eight years. The people loved him. He was a real peoples man. The elderly people in particular were fond of George because he made them feel so special – a consideration that they never had before! Oh, yes! He was a real darling. He worked very hard to keep the Ward together. We had a baptism almost every week. He truly had a charismatic affect the people.

Following his release as Bishop, they called him to be the Branch President to the Asian Branch. His assignment was to teach them the protocols and responsibilities involved in the running of a branch. I love my husband. I was surely blessed to have such an honourable man that loved me and made me so happy.

I remember a talk that President Kimble gave about his wife:

“I love you because you made me happy! Because you let me fly! In other words, you make me feel free.” My sentiments were exactly the same – my darling man just let me fly.

1997

I remember asking my husband, “When are we going home?” In fact, I asked on more than one occasion. “Soon!” was his normal reply.

Well, the ‘soon’ came in July of 1997, but not in a way in which any of us had anticipated. Unknown to us at the time, he became a diabetic. He must have had diabetes for some time. Whether he knew about it himself, or not, he never told us. But prior to this, his eyes had begun to trouble him, as did his heart, and his kidneys showed signs of failing. The combination of these surmounting problems finally impacted on his health and the repercussions finally caught up with him - he got sick. Very, very sick, and then on July 8 in the Royal Melbourne Hospital of Victoria, Australia, my dear husband of 37 years – passed away. It was a Godsend, I suppose, because it put an end to all the aches and pains that ailed him for which he suffered, typically, in his noble silence.

We flew him back to New Zealand, to our home in Temple View where his whanau and loved ones were waiting to receive him. It was so lovely to see all the family waiting to receive us on our arrival. His own family, too, from Rotorua came in full force to pay their respects also. In fact, when I saw how many they numbered my heart was struck with fear that they had come to pick him up and take him back to Rotorua. It was a fear rightfully realized because the Pakeke stood up and declared their intentions, and my husband’s wishes, that George was to go back to Rotorua. But, I was determined that they were not going to take him. With the help and support of our local Kaumatua, the Lord favoured our decision to keep George here with us, so the next day we moved George to our local marae at the George R. Beisinger Hall in Temple View.

The Tangi was huge. There were so many people that we didn’t even know. The paddock opposite the Kai Hall was full of cars, and people were spread all around the GRB Hall and in the field opposite it because there was no room in the Hall. People came from near and far. From Australia, Hawaii, mainland USA, just to name a few. There were so many people that we had to divide them into three shifts at the Kai Hall in order to feed everybody. Eventually, we buried him at the New Stead Cemetery on the outskirts of Hamilton City.

I know he is with our Heavenly Father and my goal is to keep the commandments so that I can be with my husband for eternity.

I love you, and long to be with you.

All my love,

Your loving and devoted wife,

Wai Wai

From the journal of Wairemana Vilma COOKSON

George Tu Haka Te Purewa COOKSON.
b. 9/1/37 Rotokawa, Rotorua. d. 8/7/97.

Wairemana Vilma (nee Dennis) COOKSON.
b. 21/10/29, Nuhaka, Hawkes Bay. d. 28/08/09

Olivia Charmaine (“Jimma”)

Oliver Keith

Mihi Georgina

Joella Te Aroha Nui

Paora Te Aorangi Nightingale