John Alexander ADAMS ¹⁷

  General Notes:

After studying Cheese and Butter making at Massey College, Palmerston North, John Alexander went to the Waimea Dairy Co Ltd in Brightwater as manager and then to the Collingwood Co-Operative Dairy Co where he managed the Rockville and Ferntown factories in Golden Bay. He then moved to Mangawhata Co-Operative Dairy Co near Palmerston North and later to Taranaki managing the Lowgarth cheese factory. He was also a Lecturer in Cheesemaking at Massey College and developed single culture cheese manufacture which was adopted as a standard for New Zealand cheese manufacturing. His favoured students received practical training at the Lowgarth factory. His cheeses were exhibited with success at the Queensland Agricultural Show and he usually achieved a top grading for his cheeses at the Taranaki Inspection centre. To ensure his staff were happy and to keep a good relationship with his suppliers John would organise local dances and card playing evenings at the Lowgarth Hall. He also built a single mans quarters at the factory with a married couple to manage it and each resident had a private room with a large communal dining room which doubled as an entertainment centre. There was also a tennis court which was used by the general community. He was Invested as Master of Lodge Whangamomona( Masonic Order) in 1937and later held Grand Steward rank He retired to Eltham where he supervised the maintenance of the local bowling green and carried on his Lodge work. He died in the Hawera District Hospital after a short illness.

The Nelson Evening Mail has a report on him as follows; "Mr J.A. Adams, well known as manager for the Waimea Dairy Co.Ltd.,
Richmond, for many years and now manager of the Collingwood Co-operative
Dairy Co.'s factories at Rockville and Ferntown, has been appointed
manager for the Mangawhata Co-operative Dairy Co., a large cheese
factory just outside Palmerston North. Mr Adams leaves to take up his
new duties about the beginning of next month. Mr C.O'Callaghan,
assistant manager at Ferntown, has been appointed in Mr Adams's place.

  Noted events in his life were:

John married Sarah Jane HOOKER, daughter of Augustus Manuel HOOKER and Letty Matilda ZABELL, in 1906. (Sarah Jane HOOKER was born in 1887 and died on 22 May 1911 in Carterton,Wairarapa,New Zealand.)

John next married Edith Martha Anna HADFIELD, daughter of Harry Roodhouse HADFIELD and Mary Anna REYNOLDS, in 1916. (Edith Martha Anna HADFIELD was born in 1883 in Awaroa,Golden Bay,Nelson,New Zealand and died in 1918 in Richmond,Nelson,New Zealand..)

  Marriage Notes:

1 _UID D170CD8844E9D41186CEB53A743B734552B0

John next married Olive Francis HADFIELD, daughter of William Welby HADFIELD and Martha Adele Ann SNOW, on 21 Aug 1919 in Riwaka,Nelson,New Zealand.¹⁶ (Olive Francis HADFIELD was born on 2 Apr 1886 in Awaroa,Golden Bay,Nelson,New Zealand,¹⁶ died on 4 Oct 1967 in Stratford,Taranaki,New Zealand ¹⁶ and was buried in Stratford,Taranaki,New Zealand ¹⁹.)

  Marriage Notes:

1 _UID 8570CD8844E9D41186CEB53A743B734506F0 ¹⁹