Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
Kate was born in New Zealand in 1868 – the daughter of John Bell, a clerk, and Thirza Beck. (See 160 Mrs J Bell)
She grew up in Dunedin and was living with her family lived in the subdivision of Hawthorndale in Roslyn when she signed the suffrage petition.
Kate married Robert Russell, a farmer, in 1895.
They lived, at first, at Seacliff north of Dunedin and they had four daughters.
When they retired they moved to Timaru where Robert died in 1937.
Kate died in Christchurch on 21 January 1960. She is buried with Robert in the Timaru Cemetery.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Timaru District Council https://www.timaru.govt.nz/services
Click on sheet number to see the 1893 petition sheet this signature appeared on. Digital copies of the sheets supplied by Archives New Zealand.
Community contributions