Karl and Elise Meng's Children

Only three of Karl and Elise Meng’s seven daughters survived to maturity.

Hellene Barbara Meng  (23-06-1867  -  03-08-1869) 

Hellene drowned in a waterhole aged two years and one month on the Maori Reserve, Tuahiwi in 1869.

Elise Mary Meng (02-11-1868   -  05-07-1881)

Elise Mary Meng died at age 12 of pneumonia at Ohoka in 1881.

Mary Meng (21-05-1870  -  27-02-1937)

Mary Meng  was born in Woodend, North Canterbury on 21-05-1870.  She was only nine when her mother passed away and 15 when her father died.  Her step mother went overseas for almost ten months and Mary either went to stay with Peter Schneider by herself, or went to Heinrich Kissel with one of her sisters.  After her step mother came back she continued to live at 30 Antigua Street, Christchurch with her stepmother Sarah Meng and was confirmed at St Michael’s, Christchurch on 21-08-1887.  She was being given music lessons by Miss Bush and there was a piano in the house when her father died, so it is presumed the sisters had a grounding in music. She married Edwin Lord in 05-05-1893 at St Michael's Church in Christchurch by the Rev W. Harper. They settled in Ohoka on the farm once owned by her father Karl Meng.  Mary had inherited the farm along with her two sisters.  Katherina and Emma were eventually paid out by Edwin and Mary.  It looks as if the farm was leased from around 1882 to 1893 by other people before Edwin and Mary leased it.   Mary Lord was the favourite aunt of many of her nieces and nephews.  She was also quite a strict lady.  She enjoyed doing embroidery and passed this on to her two daughters.  She was called “Blue Grandma” by her granddaughter as she wore a lot of blue. See the blog “Ohoka Lords” for more information.

Katherina Meng (23-10-1872  -  1969)

Katherina Meng known as Kate, married William Alexander Fraser on 03-01-1899 in Christchurch and they moved to the Wellington area of the North Island.  They had nine children.

One of Katherina’s daughters said that her mother had mentioned she had an uncle who was an artist and another who was a Lutheran priest, but it was all rather vague. Kate's daughter thought Katherina had Mennonite characteristics.  “She was a very good Christian and rather strict in many things, but she was a wonderful mother, I owe her much.”  William Fraser died in 1945 and Kate in 1969 and are buried in Karori Cemetery, Wellington.

Emma Magdalena Meng (14-09-1875  -  23-09-1931)

Emma Meng married Thomas Henry Dalton on 01-01-1902 in Christchurch and they lived in a house on a hill at Dunedin.  They never had children.  Emma was a gentle lady.  Her niece Dorothy used to visit her in the holidays when she was young.  Emma and Thomas were both of German origin and had a swastika (originally a religious symbol) imprinted and painted on their garage.  This got painted over during the first world war but the swastika outline could still be seen. 

Emma died in 1931 and Thomas in 1943 and they are buried in Bromley cemetery.

Lina Amelia Meng (08-10-1877  -  19-03-1878)

Amelia Wihelmina Meng (08-10-1877  -  23-02-1878)

The twins Lina and Amelia didn’t live for very long as Elise had no milk and they were not growing well.  Lina died of inanition, which is a lack of food and water.  There was a “Verdict of Jury” written on Amelia Wihelmina Meng’s death certificate which meant an inquest was done.  An excerpt of the inquest follows: 

Elizabeth Catherine Meng being sworn, saith that I am the mother of the deceased child Amelia Wilhelmina Meng.  She was four months old on the eighth of the present month.  She has been troubled with a cough this a few days before she died.  She took her feed of milk pretty well but frequently vomited her food still a day or two before she died.  On Saturday the twenty third of February she was weak from throwing up so much in the morning but I did not think it was serious as she was suffering from teething.  My husband went to Christchurch and I had nobody to send for a Doctor when she was taken worse in the afternoon.  She got weaker and died in my arms about half past three o’clock.  The vomiting had ceased.  She had had nothing but milk and water which I gave in a teaspoon as she would not take the bottle.  She has never had the breast as I had no milk.  She never grew so well as my other Children living ? very weakly.  My husband brought a double Perambulator for the children from ChCh. on Saturday.  Deceased was one of twin children.

William Henry Ovenden being sworth saith I am a duly qualified medical practitioner at Kaiapoi.  I attended at the birth of the deceased who was a strong healthy child. . .  The body was very thin, showing a want of nutrition.  . . .   The appearance of the deceased viewed thus every proper attention had been paid to it.  I attribute the cause of Death to hence been from “Want of Vitality”  I have no doubt that the child died from natural causes - viz General Atrophy.