Delight in fifth generation whanau

WHANAU JOY: Lassie Mihaere (front right) moved back to the East Coast after 65 years away. She is enjoying being home, but relishes the chance to visit family in Australia. Here she is getting know her great-great granddaughter Zariya who is being held by Ani Mihaere. Behind them are Phoenix Te Whaiti (left) and Isabella Vaiseuaraka. Picture supplied

Not many people can say they have lived long enough to see five generations of their family.

Lassie Mihaera (nee Rangihuna), 87, is one of the lucky ones.

Last December she went to Brisbane Australia, as she does every year, to visit her family.

This time she was able to meet her great-great-grandaughter, Zariya.

“It was so special,” Mrs Mihaere said.

She comes from a big whanau — sister Heni Houkamau is also in her fifth generation.

Mrs Mihaere and late husband Taylor Samuel Mihaere had seven children.

Before Mr Mihaere, who was known as Sam, passed away on August 9, 1979, their second daughter Ani had already provided them with three grandchildren.

Now there are 21 but one passed away in 1996.

“Being able to meet and be around all of my whanau is a joy,” Mrs Mihaere said.

Lassie was born and raised in Te Araroa.

In 1950, aged 17, she moved to Wellington to work in the then Maori Affairs Department.

While there, she met and fell in love with the man she was to marry, but she had to leave her job as partners were not allowed to work together.

After a few years of working in different jobs, Mr and Mrs Mihaere moved back to Dannevirke to look after his mother and the family farm.

“We would milk the cows — it was such a messy job,” Mrs Mihaere recalls.

After working on the farm they moved to Palmerston North.

Mr Mihaere was elected to the city council in 1960 and was serving his seventh term as a councillor when he died.

He was a member of many groups in Palmerston North, including the Lions club and Rotary. He was chairman of the Highbury Primary School board, a member of the Manawatu Maori rugby club and a member of the NZ Maori advisory board.

He was awarded a Queen's Service Medal for public service in 1977 by the then Governor General, Sir Keith Holyoake.

In March 1970, Sam met the Queen during her visit to New Zealand.

Lassie was performing with the Hato Paora kapa haka group as part of the city's welcome for the royal visitors.

She says Prince Philip turned around and winked at her while Sam was talking to the Queen.

“I always remember that,” she said.

About five years ago, Lassie decided she wanted to move to Gisborne.

However, while she has been loving her time here she is worried some of her old friends in Palmerston North do not know where she is.

“I think some of them must think I'm dead,” she said with a laugh.