Jack cuts the cake with the help of daughter Barbara.
It was a long way from Lisburn near Belfast to New Zealand.
But almost the entire Wadsworth clan made the journey in the early 1950s to answer a call for skilled labour in short supply.
Jack and his newlywed wife Margaret with brothers Frank, Eddie, and Theo and sister June all settled in New Zealand.
Jack, an electrician, gained a job with the Dannevirke Power Board, joined by brothers Frank and Theo.
Jack says the power board was a wonderful employer and work was a “great big happy family”.
Margaret and Jack raised five children living in Empire St and with the other families they had an enjoyable time, particularly as the whole family frequented the joys of Akitio where they camped and eventually built a house, still used in the Wadsworth family today.
After 36 years in the power board, Jack and Margaret lived out retirement. Margaret died in 2002.
Jack continues to live on his own but is helped by his four daughters who take it in turn to provide a meal a day and the companionship that comes with it. Jack says he cannot imagine life without the help of his daughters.
Jack was thrilled to have such a huge crowd for his 95th birthday lunch on June 1 at his place.
Family came from as far as Australia and Rarotonga, Wellington and the Bay of Plenty.
“It’s wonderful to have a family gathering like this – it was just how I wanted it,” he says.
The celebration was tinged with an element of sadness however because brother Eddie had died the week before. Many of his family decided to make the journey down to Dannevirke to celebrate Jack’s birthday and attend a wake for Eddie which was held on Sunday, hosted by good friends Moira and Stephen Paewai.
Dave Murdoch is a part-time photo-journalist based in Dannevirke. For the last 11 years he has covered any community story telling good news about the district.
