OBITUARY: Cornelius Dames

A well-known Hawke's Bay fruitgrower has died at 79.
Cornelius (Cor) Antonius Dames, a notable figure in local and national fruitgrower politics, died on May 20.
Mr Dames was born in 1926 in the village of Beverwijk, north-west of Amsterdam, where his family had a tulip-growing business.
He was one of seven children whose mother died when they were young.
He came to New Zealand in 1950 after serving five years in the Dutch Army in Indonesia, which was then a Dutch colony.
He went first to Australia but chose New Zealand because he believed it was here he had the best chance of buying land.
He began his working life here as a postie and it was a man on his run who gave him his first opportunity.
When the younger man said how much he wanted to buy some land Harry Petch offered to sell him his 3 and 1/2 acres (1.4ha) and to finance him into it.
Mr Dames planned to clear the apple trees on the land and plant bulbs. However, a good return for that year's apple crop put the bulbs plan on hold.
He married Ine Vossen in 1953 after meeting her at a party for the Hawke's Bay Dutch community.
Soon after that the couple and eldest son Jos moved to a dairy farm on Havelock Road. The farm had a few apple trees on it and soon Mr Dames had it all planted.
In 1985 he came involved in fruitgrower politics, first as the Hawke's Bay director of the Fruitgrowers' Federation and then as the chairman of the federation's pipfruit sector.
Oldest son Jos said his father "got a real buzz" out of his seven-year involvement.
"He always had plenty to say."
He was also a staunch advocate of single-desk apple selling system.
Jos Dames said his father travelled back to Holland at least three times but had no desire to live there again.
"He was a Kiwi, and what made him one was being able to own land."
Work and his family were his life and passion. He was also a keen bridge player.
Jos Dames said his terminally ill father was a model patient and took his illness with grace and dignity.
Mrs Dames died in September last year.
Mr Dames' funeral was at Sacred Heart Church last week.
He is survived by his three sons and seven grandchildren.