Beryl Beatrice Prior

Introduction

Beryl Beatrice Prior (nee Hill) is my great nana. She was born on 23rd September 1919 in Waverly, Taranaki, New Zealand. She had a sister named Joyce hill and a mother and father (names unknown). She married Fred (Fredrick) during the war and they had three children. Beryl was a very funny, mischievous, and sassy person who was an amazing nana to my mum. Every morning she would go out for a long swim before starting her day. Beryl continued to do this through her young adult years to her elderly years. She loved to play golf and she was very good at it. Beryl also enjoyed sewing and had other little hobbies.

Early Life

As a teenager, she worked a lot to help her mother. Because she lived in the country she didn’t have a lot of things other than work and help her family to do. Since people didn't have the things that they have nowadays she couldn’t access as much. She didn’t have a car that she could just hop in and go out and about which made it harder for her to get to places. When she moved to Waikato to do her nursing she made lots of new friends and she liked to go to dances with her friends. She also had an amazing sense of fashion. She would go to the movies and dance with her friends often and enjoyed doing so. She grew up quite poor which was hard at times but she still continued to have a great childhood.

Nursing

Eventually, after a few years, Beryl graduated from nurses college/school at the age of 18 in Waikato, New Zealand. She helped war veterans during world war two but didn’t go to the war overseas. She volunteered to be a nurse and would be called out often during the day. Once she was wearing a very pretty white dress with flowers on it when she got called so she travelled for a bit and helped someone and ended up getting blood on her delicate, beautifully made dress. She helped lots of patients over her many years of nursing. In her older age, she helped fundraise a saint johns ambulance to service Whangamata and the greater area. The area is mostly populated by retired people and the nearest hospital (Thames) is an hour's drive away. She was just always there and was extremely helpful. Beryl had a couple of other small jobs such as milking cows in her life but being a nurse was her life job. She finished nursing in the early 1970s but continued to help by volunteering at John’s ambulance service.

Fredrick Prior

One day while Beryl was working she met a man named Fredrick Prior. They talked together, hung out, and eventually became closer. After a bit they soon became lovers. They actually got married during world war two and they were a very happy couple. Beryl changed her last name to Prior from Hill because that was his last name. Whilst the time over the years came through they had three children - Mary Ann (My nana), Graham, and Rodger. Frederick was her one and only marriage and he was one of the most amazing people she had ever met. She and Fred stayed together until both of them died. Fred was her special lover.

Conclusion

Throughout her entire life, she always put others before her. Beryl was a brave, kind, strong, funny, empowering woman. Beryl Beatrice Prior will always be an amazing person and also very special to many others. Beryl was just an awesome, funny, loving, selfless person. Beryl died in July 2008 and she shall be remembered.