Arthur James and Eliza Pearce nee Luff's children

The children of Eliza and Arthur were Ethel, Willy, Cyril, Lily, Alby and Wally!


Ethel Elisabeth Pearce (19-03-1894  -  27-09-1961)

Ethel Pearce was the oldest child of Arthur and Eliza Pearce.  She had quite bad epilepsy and lived with her parents until they died.  Because of her epilepsy she used to eat her meals in the pantry while the rest of family ate in the dining room.  Doreen Rodmell (née Pearce) remembers her dunking her toast in her boiled egg in the pantry.  She used to spy through keyholes and listen at doors.  Her father Arthur would say, "I know you're there".  Ethel was remembered as a lovely lady. She never married.  Her epilepsy was not understood in those days.

Ethel lived at Sunnyside when her mother died in 1949 .  She died herself at the age of 67 and is buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.

William Henry Pearce (25-10-1895  -  05-04-1973)
William served in the first world war and came back with shell shock.  He worked as a postal worker.  William Henry Pearce married Gladys Maud Coombs on 16-10-1926.  Willy and Gladys had two children.

William died in 1973 and Gladys in 1994.  They are buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.


Arthur Cyril Pearce (26-10-1899  -  16-05-1981)

Arthur Cyril Pearce was known as Cyril, as his father was also named Arthur.  He married Dorothy Wingfield Pearce and had two children.

Lily Pearce (15-09-1905  -  19-05-1983)

Lily Pearce married Archibald Allan Tweedie and they had nine children.

Lily and Archibald are buried in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.

Albert James Pearce (13-12-1908  -  25-06-1977)

Albert Pearce never married.  His occupation was railway checker.  He had mild epilepsy and lived with his mother Eliza and Ethel until Eliza died.  He is buried in Memorial Park Cemetery, Christchurch.

Walter Pearce (09-10-1911  -  29-04-1997)

Walter Pearce (Wally) married Effie Evelyn Coombes and they had three children.

Wally worked for the Post Office as did his older brothers Willy and Cyril.

Wally was the youngest and also the last surviving Pearce from Arthur and Eliza Pearce's family of six children.  Effie took up painting in her 70's and did some really beautiful paintings.  She gave up in her very old age though due to her poor eyesight.  Effie passed away in 2001 in Christchurch.

Most of the Pearce family died of heart related illnesses.