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Joseph Herbert Rush, 1878-1941

This page lists the sixth child of John Henry Rush and Sarah Ruth Grennan.

Born in Palmerston North on the 28th June 1878, Joseph Herbert Rush was the sixth child of John Henry and Sarah Rush. Joe lived in Palmerston North for the majority of his life.

In 1902 he married Elizabeth Carmody, a union that produced three daughters (Margaret Irene "Greta" 1904, Cecilia Ann 1906, and Elizabeth Audrey Olwen 1918) and a son (Joseph Herbert 1910). Neither Cecilia nor Olwen had any children. At the time of the 1998 Rush Family Reunion, Olwen was living in a rest home in Palmerston North, but she subsequently passed away on 27 January 2001. Joe and Elizabeth lived at 14 North Street, Palmerston North, and at the time of his death was living at 93 North Street.

Joe was a public works contractor, and built many bridges and roads in the Palmerston North area in the early 1900s. Emily Kennedy remembers that her husband Ken worked for Joe in the Wairarapa in the early 1940s.

Joe's wife Elizabeth, known as "Aunty Minnie" to her nieces and nephews, died suddenly in May 1922 when she was only 43 years old, followed by her daughter Cecilia in 1928 at age 21. Elizabeth's youngest daughter Olwen was just four years old when her mother died, and it is believed Joe struggled to bring up his four young children on his own in the early years.

Little else is known of Joe's life, and he died at the relatively young age of 63 on 25th November 1941. He is buried in Plot 15, Block 76 in the Roman Catholic section of Terrace End Cemetery, Palmerston North, together with his wife Elizabeth and daughter Cecilia. In 1998 there were 25 known descendants several of whom still live in Palmerston North

Daughter Margaret Irene and son-in-law, Norman Charles Dixon, plumber (1904-1968) are buried in Plot B, Block 62 of the Roman Catholic Section of Terrace End Cemetery, Palmerston North, while Joe's son Joseph Herbert, carpenter (1910-1967), and is his wife Dorothy, are buried in Plot C62.

Contact details

If you have any information or photos to add to this page, or any corrections, please contact Dale Hartle in Levin, New Zealand, by phone +64 021 45 34 24.