Obituary - Mrs H.F. Wegner Mrs Whilimena Fredericka Carolina Wegner, relict of the late Mr. Hans Wegner, and associated with the early pioneering days of the North Arm district, passed away at the residence of her son and daughter-in-law (Mr. and Mrs F. Wegner) in that locality, on March 2 at the great age of 89 years and four months. Deceased, who had been in poor health for the last 12 months or so, was born at Mahlendorf, Germany, and came to Australia with her parents (the late Mr. and Mrs. Christian Frederick Taege) in the sailing ship "Zanigrotfrau" 64 years ago. Her parents resided on the Logan River for a number of years, where she married. In 1882 Mrs. Wegner and her parents made another move, this time towards the North Coast. The party travelled overland, bringing their possessions in a cart. The Wegner family settled at North Arm and a path had to be chopped through the dense scrub. Some idea of the work the making of the roadway entailed may be realised from the fact tht it took three days to cover an equal number of miles. On reaching North Arm the only settlers in the locality were Messrs. A.H. and H. Meissner, now of Brisbane, the late Mr. H. Andreaasen, and the Geoths' family, the latter then possessing Mr. G.F. Davison's dairy and stud pig farm. As soon as the Wegner family selected land a start was made to carve out a home in the wilderness, and by dint of hard work an acre was cleared and sown with maize, which thrived, but when the grain was gathered no sale could be found for it, with the exception of a few teamseters at Belli, who purchased bags from time to time at 5/- each. Other crops were tried, and they grew to perfection, but merely with the same result as the maize, However, with that spirit characteristic of the pioneers that never knew defeat, the family made ends meet in felling scrub for other settlers who had come along after them. Besides many other hardships and the perils of the aboriginals, which then roamed th North Coast in great numbers, these pioners had also to contend with fevers, and terrific wet seasons, whlle very often the necessities of life got scarce through the steamers which brought the goods to Mooloolaba and up the Maroochy River via Maroochydore being weather-bound. Eventually, of course, the coming of the North Coast railway and the development of dairying and sugar cane growing made the family's lot, and that of many more settlers, a much easier one. On the passing of her husband in 1893 Mrs Wegner found a home with her son (Mr. F Wegner) and she remained there until the end, which came very peacefully. Mrs. Wegner was a hard worker and wonderful needle-woman. Mrs. Wegner reared a family of seven, of whom three sons and a like number of daughters survive. They are Messrs. Fred Wegner (North Arm), C and A Wegner (Byron Bay N.S.W.) and Mesdames F Hopkins (Byron Bay), W. Link (Nambour) and J. Hadwell (Glen Innes, N.S.W.) There are also 27 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren. The funeral, which was largely attended, moved to the Yandina Cemetery on March 3. Mr. W Davison performed the last sad rites at the graveside. Only one brother (Mr. C. Taege of Newmarket Brisbane) out of a family of five which landed in the State in 1864 still survives, and he is 86 years of age.