Pipiwharauroa
Page 13
He Raumahara
Shiralees
and Richard Foon were great landlords to them. Three of their workers have stayed on at the shop. One of them being Tracy McDonald who is the longest staff member to date, starting when she was only 14.
Ko Thomas Barnett tōku pāpā Nō Ngāti Raukawa Ko Mariana Rota tōku māmā Nō Ngāti Whakāue Ko Mary Edwardson tōku kuia Nō Whakatōhea Ko Connie Beets ahau Ki te taha ki tōku hoa rangatira Ko Bill Bougen tōna koroua Nō Manutuke Ko Rene Bougen tōna māmā Ko Albert Beets tōna pāpā Nō Motū Ko Ken Beets tōku hoa rangatira Connie was born in Rotorua Hospital October 1948, her parents were Thomas and Mariana Barnett nee Rota. She travelled every day by bus to attend Waiohau School before she and her family moved to Kiorenui Village, just out of Murupara town. There she attended Murupara School, then Rangitahi College until leaving school. At 17 she moved to Rotorua where she started work at the telephone exchange before moving to Auckland in 1968 where she worked at a shoe company for about seven years and had her first child. In 1976 she met Ken Beets who was working for the Rescue Fire Service at Hamilton Airport. He was good mates with her Uncle Ken. They married on the 15 July 1977 and later that year had their daughter Irene. Soon after they moved to Gisborne and in less than a year their son Daniel arrived. Moses Tahere aged 10
The Kaiti Mall has changed a lot over the years, there was a huge field on the other side of the Fish n chip shop, and then slowly buildings started popping up all around. An alleyway between the TAB and the Fish n chip shop was for the people living behind the mall, but as time went by the it was considered unsafe and removed. However, Ken and Connie allowed people to come in by the back door so they didn’t have to walk all the way around, especially the older folk. Ken used to deliver goods to their customers who were unable to get to the shop. They say they have been lucky in their time as shopkeepers with only a few serious incidents in the shop. What they will miss the most is the people and the friends they made, including those who came through the back door, such as sales reps and delivery people. They have enjoyed their time as shopkeepers but now it is time for someone else to take over. They plan on spending their retirement with their children and especially their grandchildren and having a well-earned rest. In closing they wish Maninder, Paul and Sati all the best and thank all their loyal customers and everyone who helped make their business such a success.
Ken found work at the Gisborne Rescue Fire Service at the Airport working there until redundancy. On May 13, 1988 he and Connie bought the Shiralee dairy in the Kaiti Mall and have owned and operated it for the past twenty-six and a half years. The selling of their dairy in November of this year marked the end of an era for them and a lot of their regular customers. The new owners have now taken over. Ken and Connie have met some lovely people through the shop and sadly have seen a lot depart this world as well. Over the years they have formed some long lasting friendships and before retiring were serving the grandchildren of their first generation of customers.
Ka Ripo Ngā Rangi Whaitiri
Ko Ava Ripongārangi WHAITIRI tōku ingoa. Ko Swanie rāua ko Kaci James ōku mātua Ko Bernice rāua ko John Whaitiri ōku mātua tīpuna I whānau ahau i Te Arawa i te tuatoru o Hakihea. Tēna koutou aku uri puta noa i te ao.
He Paiaka te Rākau i Tū ai E hia tau kōrua e kō ana ki te mahi i tā kōrua toa? E rua tekau ma ono tau, whitu rā i te wiki. He roa tēnei, inā he tika tonu kia whakatā kōrua, nō reira Connie, nō reira Ken kua tō te rā ki runga. Me kii, e ai ki te whakatauki, ko kōrua te rākau, engari ko te hapori ngā paiaka. Nā reira tū mārō ana kōrua i te wharau a te tini, te wharau a te mano. I mōhio nuitia kōrua mō tō kōrua hūmārie, ngākau māhaki me te pono ki te tangata ahakoa ko wai ka whakauru atu ki tā kōrua toa. He maha ngā tamariki e maumahara ana ki tō kōrua pai ki a rātou. Kua pakekehia ināianei engari ko ā rātou tamariki te mitimiti aihikirīmi mai i te Shiralees. Ko wai ō Kaiti te kore mōhio ki a kōrua me ā kōrua tamariki? Connie, Ken me a kōrua tamariki, mokopuna tēnei rā te mihi atu nei ki a kōrua kua rītāea nei. Kia pai ō kōrua rā whakanui i te whānautanga o tō tātou Ariki me te tau hōu.
Ken and Connie on their wedding day
Kees Kenneth Beets
For almost three years they ran the "Good Manners" award for children from Kaiti and swear they had the most well-mannered children in Gisborne coming to their shop. The winning child would receive a free chocolate dip ice-cream at the end of the week. If Ken and Connie knew a child’s birth date they were sure to receive a free ice-cream.
Daniel and Irene
This great couple have many stories to tell about people they have met, including the unofficial mayor of Kaiti, Hemara Donnelly who, they say, spends more time mowing the concrete than the lawn. They tell of how Meng
The mokopuna L-R Enoka Wynyard, Joseph Tahere, Paraika Wynyard, Kees Kenneth Beets, Shahanna Tahere, Evah-Mae Beets, Shadei Wynyard