Person:Harold Winters (2)

Harold Winters was born on the road that he was named after, in Aratapu on August 5, 1886, the second son of Joseph and Amelia Winters.

In 1908 he married his first wife, Ada Jones, whom some considered a spiritualist. She gave birth to one son, Leonard Winters.

Around 1920, Ada met a travelling salesman, and up and left Harold and Len by themselves,and it was not until sometime towards 1922 that he met his second wife.

Beryl Smith was the 5th child of Thomas and Margaret Smith who had come to Te Kopuru to work on the mills. Harold received his divorce in March 1922, and married Beryl on 1 July 1922 at the registry office in Auckland. The witnesses were Louis Venard and the brides sister, Winifred Mathieson.

They had 5 children from the period 1923-1933. During this time Harold often travelled as the second child was born in Rotorua. In fact Harold stayed in Rotorua until 1928 when he had to come back to Te Kopuru when Henry Benger died.

In the early 1900s Harold operated a cinema in the Coronation hall in Te Kopuru, showing silent movies.

In 1959 he slipped and broke his hip in an accident at home, severely restricting his movement. He stayed this way until his death at Dargaville Hospital in 1969.

1. ↑ NZ Births Deaths and Marriages
   Registered at Toka Toka. Ref no 1121193; 2224/1886.
2. ↑ NZ National Archives
   agency series accession box / item record part alternative no. BBNY 10440 Box83 264/1969.
3. ↑ 05 Aug 1886
4. ↑ Old age
5. ↑ Te Kopuru, Dargaville High
6. ↑ http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~mwi/joseph
7. ↑ Heawa Rd, Aratapu, New Zealand
8. ↑ Dargaville Hospital, New Zealand