Esther Bramble Luke

British BMD Registration December 1853 Volume 5c Page 305

OBITUARY
MRS. E. B. LUKE,
Mrs. Esther Bramble Luke, widow of the late Mr. Samuel Pearce Luke, died at her home in Levy Street on Saturday evening. She had been a resident of Wellington for the past 62 years. Mrs. Luke was born in Penzance, Cornwall, and came to New Zealand iii January, 1876, to be married, and the wedding took -place shortly after her arrival. The officiating minister was the late Rev. Robert Ward, the first Primitive Methodist minister to come to New Zealand from England.
Her husband was the second son of the late Mr. Samuel Luke, who with his sons established the engineering business which ultimately became the firm of S. Luke and Co., Ltd.
Mrs. Luke was noted for the good work which she carried out for many years in a characteristically unostentatious manner. She was specially noted for her fancy and fine needlework and in this and many other ways Mrs. Luke helped the church and other organisations of a kindred nature.
Three sons and two daughters survive her —Messrs. Samuel Hosking Luke, Wellington, Chas. M. Luke, jun., and Jas. H. Luke, both of the Auckland Province, and Mrs. J. Carline Little, and Miss May Luke, both of Wellington. Mrs. Luke is also survived by an elder sister, Mrs. M. A. T. Roberts, of Wellington, and by brothers and sisters in England and Canada. There are seven grandchildren. Within a few days of her death Mrs. Luke would have celebrated her eighty-fifth birthday. Her cheerful and happy nature will be greatly missed by a wide circle of relatives and friends, including members of the Early Settlers' Association, with which she was connected.
The funeral was private, only members of the family and a few close friends being present.

(Evening Post, 26 November 1936)