Originally transrcibed as Johanna Mitchell
Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley
This entry is either for Joanna, wife of John Mitchell or their daughter, also named Joanna.
Joanna Donaldson was born about 1836 in Stow, Midlothian, Scotland – the daughter of Gavin Donaldson, a blacksmith, and Margaret Bell.
She married John Mitchell, a farmer, on 21 July 1859 in Stow – they lived in Kirkhope, Selkirkshire and had six children, which included their daughter Joanna who was born on 4 June 1866 in Yarrow, Selkirkshire.
The family emigrated to Otago in 1881 on the Jessie Readman and they settled at Purekireki in South Otago where they had a farm and where Joanna signed the suffrage petition.
In later life they moved to Hampden in North Otago where John died in 1910.
Joanna died at her daughter’s home in Dunedin on 19 April 1911, they are buried together in the Otepopo Cemetery.
Joanna jnr. married William Houston, a telegraphist, on 7 January 1896 in Dunedin.
They had tqo sons, one who died in infancy and the elder, Gordon, who died aged 21 in 1920.
Joanna died on 5 July 1924 in Dunedin, she is buried with her sons in the Northern Cemetery.
William died in Bondi, Sydney in 1938, his burial place is unknown.
Sources
BDM online NZ https://bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
Family Search https://www.familysearch.org
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz
Find a Grave https://www.findagrave.com/