Annie B. Brightwell

Information contributed by Joan McIntyre, Friends of the Gorge Cemetery.

Obituary, Woodville Examiner, 10 Aug 1910

MRS BRIGHTWELL; AGED, 50 YEARS. It is with more than ordinary regret that we chronicle the passing away of Mrs Thos. Brightwell, which happened at the Pahiatua Hospital yesterday afternoon at four o’clock. Mrs Brightwell, who was just completing her forty-ninth year, was born near Devonport, England, and came to the colony while a young woman, taking employment at Napier. There she met and married Mr Thomas Brightwell, and about twenty-seven years ago came to Woodville with him. She very soon began to gather a circle of friends around her, and made her influence felt among them in very kindly fashion. All the time of her residence in Woodville she enlarged her circle of friends, and kept them to the end. About twenty-four or five years ago Mr Brightwell took a section in the village settlement when it was opened, and Mrs Brightwell has resided there ever since. To those around her she was a constant nurse and helper in times of illness and trouble. Few women in Woodville were engaged in more activities, were more generous in their sympathies, had more confidences given them, or had their counsel more sought. Nor was the time she gave to others a gift of idle time for she had a large family and looked after it well. Few women in Woodville will be more missed. For some time past Mrs Brightwell had not been in good health, and about nine weeks ago her illness took a very serious turn, and since that she has been steadily going downhill. On Sunday week she was taken to the Pahiatua Hospital, but the efforts made to aid her to recover were fruitless, and yesterday she passed away. The funeral will take place at the Woodville cemetery to-morrow afternoon at two o’clock. The deceased leaves a family of six boys and five girls to mourn their loss. Some are grown up and married, but there are several young children.