Isobel Florence Murray-Macgregor

Isobel loved all members of her immediate and wider family and always loved to be doing something to help someone as in the great commission. She was my rock & prayer partner through the ups and downs of life, who I love & miss dearly, She found the time for us all!
Starting out in Wairoa, married to Tom O'Brien and having Edward Nigel known as Nigel, War broke out and Tom joined the war effort, however he was one of the last to return and their marriage failed. She moved to Gisborne & Married my father Peter Lindsey and had myself Mary and Murray. With the three children they lived in Herbert Road, then on farms at Te Karaka, Whatatutu, and settled on our 1/4 acre home in Ormond Road Gisborne. She enjoyed the old time dances across the road and indoor bowls both activities that as children we joined in. Then her flower garden and loved floral art so when the A&P Show came around we were all encouraged to enter. We had a great setup in Ormond Road with a great variety of fruit and vegetables along with the Chickens, I recall the times when the Harvest festival would be on at the Methodist church and we would be gathering up some of our spoils from the garden to gift. We lacked for nothing, both of my parents had a good work ethic, which rubbed off on all three of us.
Isobel worked hard to support Peters income with cleaning Muirheads Drs Surgery, Rolling papers at the Press both places where I would join her to help. Through the night she would often be sewing on the Singer treadle Machine making anything from wedding gowns to our latest clothes as she was a tailor by profession. Coats suits, you name it , that was no bother.
Her AuntyTana (Chase) Baker who was more like a sister as they were close in age managed Frockcraft a clothing factory in Gisborne so she worked there for many years. Unfortunately the effect of the war on Peter, meant that although they were married for about 17 years, the relationship started to crumble. Murray went to Napier, I married Barry Gibson,& Isobel left Gisborne to be near Nigel who had gone to Christchurch 5 years prior on the Maori Trade training scheme, for a break. Here she met Nigel's wifes Brother Allen, and married him living on a farm in Oxford North Canterbury. for about 20 years then into the township where they relocated a Lockwood home where she resided until becoming ill with Polymiocytus which hospitalized her.
In Oxford she joined the Womens Federated Farmers, the Oxford Baptist Church and any community initiatives that were going. I moved to Kaiapoi and what do you know,I think she found it a bit far to visit, & she finds a job for my 2nd husband in Oxford, so we packed up & lived next door then built around the corner spending 15 years in daily contact. She just loved having her Grandchildren around her, & loved playing various cards with them. Isobel kept herself busy, whether it be taking someone some flowers on hearing they were sick, and was very involved with the church and helping the older folk get to where they needed to go. She developed very close friendships in the little country town.Even though she was well away from the little town of Wairoa where her family started out she kept in contact with her brothers and sisters whom she loved dearly. We returned her to the grave of her Mother & Father in the old Wairoa Cemetery on the hill. RIL Mum until we meet again.