Alice May Fitness nee Scrivener
Alice May Fitness was born at Midhurst in Taranaki on the 7th July 1891. Alice, who was known as May to family, was the second daughter of Alfred Thomas and Antonnette Eliza Scrivener nee Christiansen.
May initially attended Midhurst and Kakaramea Schools, moving as her family bought and sold farms. The Scriveners next moved to Mountain Road in Eltham, before heading on to Hamilton. On 12th October 1912 May married Ralph Edwin Fitness at the Salvation Army Citadel in Hamilton. According to the Waikato Times, the bride and groom were attired in full Army costume, with the bride also wearing a dainty white silk sash entwined with orange blossoms. Alice and Ralph also chose a life on the land, and moved between farms at Te Rapa, Rotorangi, Overdale and finally Wangaruru. Along the way, they had four daughters; Shelagh, Ina, Joyce and Dorothea. May and Ralph maintained strong connections to the Church all their lives. In Lichfield they assisted with breaking in the Hodderville Farm for the Salvation Army. They were dedicated members of St John's Methodist church in Putaruru, after it was built in 1919. When the couple finally retired, they moved to Kamo in Whangarei, and enjoyed time dedicated to family, gardening and bowls. May died in 1982. |