Alice Euphemia Stevenson

Alice had two years at Auckland College of the University of New Zealand, before she married. She passed teacher certification exams, and must have spent some time in classes at the Teachers’ College.

During the Great Depression years, she taught primary school children at Kaitawa School, after the sale of Alexander Forbes Stevenson’s farm & the scattering of the Stevenson sons & their families. Bob & June stayed there with her, small children still.

When the young men enlisted in 1939 for WW2, Murray Stevenson was able to get a farm manager position with McParland Brothers at Motea, near Dannevirke. He had been swagging since the Stevenson farm sold in around 1932/3, and was thus able to reunite the family. David & Beth were born after this, growing up in the stability of the farm manager’s house.

After Murray’s death in 1978, her old friend (& one-time fiancée) Arthur Humphrey got back in touch. He had been widowed some years previously. To the surprise of their respective offspring, they married in Hastings and had several happy years together before Arthur passed away.

Alice eventually moved to Foxton to be near her daughters June Mochan & Beth Cross, celebrating her 90th birthday at Beth’s home with four generations of family present.