Ethel Gwendolene (Gwen) HANSELL [1500]

  General Notes:

A eulogy compiled and delivered by Bob Stewart [1704]

Ethel Gwendolen Cousins
10.7.10 - 15.10.95
Gwen was born in 1910 - a child of the Vicarage, and a younger sister to Alice. Her father was Vicar of St. James Church, Lower Hutt. She was educated at Chilton St. James School in Lower Hutt, and following her interest in art, went to Art School in Wellington, and taught at Marsden School in Karori, and Nga 'Tawa School in Marton. Some of her paintings have been collected for display in the Church Hall after the service for us to enjoy again over a cup of tea after the service.
In 1937 at the Student Christian Movement, she met a young man
Arnold who was a teacher at the Corrrespondence School in Wellington They became engaged and married.
They built a house at 23 Simla Crescent in Khandallah, and it wasn't
long before three children arrived; Robert, Michael and Mary. With an increasing family,a new dining room and extra bedroom were added to the house. Arnold used to travel in on the Railway Unit each day from the bottom of the road. Tragically Arnold was to have another battle with Hodgkins Disease, having had similar difficulties in early life. In those davs there was unfortunately no cure for the disease. Arnold eventually became bedridden,
An example shows Gwen's determination to find a silver lining when things were at their worst, and her encouraging nature. One of the children can remember being asked to take up their Dad's breakfast on a tray, An accident occurred on the staircase, the breakfast was dropped and the crockery broken. However Gwen managed to find one saucer still unbroken which she showed to comfort the sad child.
One day, Arnold was taken away in the ambulance for the last time and died on the way to the Hospital. Gwen was left a widow, still a young woman, with three small children, aged 7, 5 and 4 years.
The years to follow were to be a test of Gwen's courage and fierce determination to do the best by her children. With her warmth and strong sense of humour, she passed the test with flying colours! She knew loneliness at times, and was not well off financiallv, but she had enough for the essentials. As a single parent (before the term was invented!), she was always prudent, knowing how much her young children depended upon her.
When Grandfather Hansell died, she moved her faily to No 9 Homewood Crescent in Karori and her children went to Karori Main School. Bob can remember sitting as a family together in the sun in the North facing rear veranda with their small dog Jimmy. He can remember the warmth of the family, the humour that came from ordinary things. Gwen was willing to spend unlimited line time to listen to any of her children if they had something to talk about, a sorrow or a joy to share. A family saying was that she was not just a mother of pearl, but a mother of pearls.
Bob can remember family expeditions in the Austin Seven once a year to the beach. When the speedometer went over 30 mph, her children always remained as quiet as mice for fear that she would suddenly realise her excessive speed and slow down!
Gwen purchased the bright red Austin Seven, predominantly displayed in the window of Magnus Motors in Wellington, with some money that was left to her. The purchase of the beautiful red car somewhat shocked her father, who was perhaps concerned about the apparent extravagance of the younger generation. However he later somewhat reluctantly agreed to be driven around while sitting in the back seat. He appeared to evidence all the signs of enjoyment of this pursuit!
Gwen's life was to change when Ted came down from Feilding to take her to a dance at Levin and Co in Wellington. She explained afterwards that they danced mainly at the Foxtrots! Ted and Gwen were to married at this very church in early 1953. Mum tackled the responsibilities of being a farmer's wife and looking after the farmhouse and garden with great energy. The children can remember being conscripted as workers in building a large concrete block wall which is still at "Hiamoe" today. Gwen had a lifetime passion and love for gardening, and had an enormous memory for the complicated Latin names of plants and shrubs.
Soon Robert Michael and Mary were joined by John, who was a lively addition to the household.
At Gwen's initiation, each of her children was a member of an organisation known as the Missionary Birthday Band. On their birthdays each of the children received a letter from a Miss Goodchild. The invitation was to respond to this with a letter of one's own and a small donation for Missionary work overseas.

One by one each of the four children went off to boarding school, and Gwen started her career as a devoted and supportive letter writer and sender of delicious cakes with thick icing and multi-coloured jubes covering the top, Gifts that were enormousIy welcomed, and were a young person's delight! Gwen used to get up specially early, in order to have the opportunity to concentrate on writing her letters. She also served as Secretary of the local Women's Institute, and worked on the minutes for the meetings with a great deal of care and attention.
Upon leaving school her children began to go their separate ways always delighted in letters and hearing all about what each was doing. When finally each was married, and grand children started to arrive, she was a loving and warmly loved Granny to Mary Ann, Hugh, Michael, Robert, Peter, David, Edmund, Julius and Guido. Christmas gatherings were particularly special. Gwen's delicious cooking, hosting the new families of her children, was legendary! Gwen kept up a wide correspondence with all her friends, particularly at Christmas.
Gwen was a particularly fond Aunt for Margaret, Mary Joy, John Barry
and Matthew, the children of Alice and Walter. She followed with great interest Walter and Alice's church career with their moves to various parishes.
Gwen all through her life was a keen collector of New Zealand postage stamps. She could point out particular stamps and the occasions on which she had been able to obtain them.
Particularly remembered by Gwen were her visits overseas. First as a very young women with her sister Alice and Mother and Father to Britain, and years later to attend Michael's wedding to Dee in the United States. Then later to Bob and Mary, at that time working in Fiji. She had a treasure trove of special things that she had collected over the years, which fascinated her children and her grandchildren. Very breakable., they were wisely kept in a glass cabinet!
Gwen had a very enquiring mind, and a particular interest in a wide range of Christian, philosophical and current interest matters. She was a committed Christian and keen church member. She was also very tolerant and broad minded, and in many ways time has vindicated the issues that she considered important. For example she was ahead of her time on issues concerning the environment. On the local scene she made a visit to the then Mayor of Feilding to determine what the Council was planning to do about recycling of refuse. She had a passionate concern for injustice, for example her support for anti-apartheid groups and organisations like the SPCA.
Gwen was a very, special person and will be greatly missed by her children, Bob, Michael, Mary and John, her grandchildren, Mary Ann, Hugh, Michael, Robert, Peter, David, Edmund, Julius and Guido; her daughters and sons in law, Mary, Dee, John and Toos; her nieces and nephews, Margaret, Mary Joy and Matthew; as well as all her many friends and other relatives, some of whom are not able to he here with us today.

Images Courtesy of the Hansell Family 2006.

Ethel married Robert Arnold STEWART [1501] [MRIN: 479] on 22 Oct 1938 in St Mary Karori Wellimgton NZ. (Robert Arnold STEWART [1501] was born on 7 Sep 1904 in Invercargill N.Z. and died on 16 Aug 1946 in Wellington N.Z..)

Ethel next married Edmund (Ted) Frank COUSINS [4247] [MRIN: 1462] on 19 Jan 1953 in St John Fielding NZ. (Edmund (Ted) Frank COUSINS [4247] was born on 6 Dec 1903 in NZ and died on 29 Aug 1993 in Fielding N.Z..)