By: Clare Pierson13th Oct 2020 4:25PMThis signature, dated Dec 19 1948, was written two months and nine days before Henry married his wife, Pat, a nurse at Westland Hospital, in St Peter's Anglican Church, Upper Riccarton, Christchurch,

By: Clare Pierson16th Aug 2020 12:54AM(PIERSON, not Pearson.) Henry Pierson's parents both died in the 1918 influenza epidemic. Henry was a very ill baby but survived and was raised by his father's sister, Aunt Olla Mary Frances (Totty Pierson) who was married to James Hornsby Stapleton. He served in World War 2 and was married to Pat who was a nurse at Westland Hospital. Henry worked as a builder and later was a woodwork teacher at Westland High School. Henry wrote a book "Life's What You Make it" which was published in 2001. He was Mayor of Hokitika from 1982 to 1989. There is a concrete armchair in mmemory of Henry near the beach and Pierson Esplanade near Gibson Quay is named after him. Henry was my Vic Pierson's (my father) cousin.