Family Tree - Ivy Heather MacEwan nee Kerr

I recently had the honor of looking at my grandmother's (Nana) photo album and scrapbook. Growing up I thought she was a fierce woman. She was eccentric with her colourful clothing, pressed flowers and strange behaviours. Nana was of Scottish descent and I thought that explained her strength and toughness. I assumed she had come to New Zealand married and started her family just like most hard working Scottish families would have done. I was too young to understand what Popa and Nana had done or why, they were old and had retired their family was growing so their job was done.

Ivy Heather Kerr

Ivy Heather MacEwan wedding c 1930

  In her scrapbook she had kept momento's of her life, school reports, sports teams, drivers licenses, photos of her family all these things suddenly made me realize I never really gave Nana the respect she deserved and the time to understand her life. She hadn't just come to New Zealand and started a family, Nana had traveled the world going back and forth between Scotland and New Zealand. Spending enough time in Melbourne Australia to get her drivers license. The photos showed her traveling around New Zealand with her mother (Granny Kerr) Auckland, Timaru, Rotorua, Mt Cook and Wellington. Nana was obviously well traveled and she traveled in style. She had her pressed flowers and home made cards something I thought she had done in her later years to pass the time. Nana and Popa traveled the world on their honeymoon.

 I have spent a lot of hours around the elderly at the moment and there is so much useful insight that can be gathered from them if you just give them time and listen. They are not here forever and when they are gone they won't be able to answer the questions. Why did you do .... why did you move ...
Families are interesting and make great stories