Riria Puaia Sciascia

Riria McGregor was the eldest daughter of Teone and Pirihira McGregor of Foxton. Little is known of her early life but in 1882 she married Nicola Sciascia at Foxton. They had 11 children - the first Margaret Carlotta was born in 1883. Then followed John de Tomba, 1884, Mary Christina, 1885, Nicola James, 1887, Lydia Louisa, 1888, Elsie Maud 1890, Charles Rangiwawahia 1891, Ellen Ruth 1892, Emma Hannah 1895, Frank Tariuha 1896 and Pirihira 'Waikawa in 1898. Nicola Sciascia worked always near the sea variously employed as coxswain, signalman, assistant lighthouse keeper and harbour boatman. In 1896 the Sciascia family moved to Portland Island (Waikawa) at Mahia and that is where they stayed until Nicola met his untimely end when Nicola was gored by a bull and died of his wounds on March 29, 1898. Riria was faced with the prospect of bringing up her children alone. She liked to wear a long skirt of the McGregor tartan, smoked a pipe and always kept the Sabbath Day especially for the Lord (rest and no work). After the death of Nicola she returned to Koputaroa. Through the years to follow she lived with her daughter Pirihira (Tutu} at Porangahau with returning visits to Koputaroa to stay with her daughter Lydia (Lucy). With her death in 1938 at Porangahau, her body was returned to Koputaroa by her son Frank and buried beneath Charles Rangiwawahia Memorial Stone at Puaotau cemetery, Koputaroa. Source: Source: Alan Sciascia http://www.sciascianz.com/riria.htm