Biography contributed by Clare Cramond
Amy Louisa Stevens was born on 27 September 1872 at Clive, Hawkes Bay. Her parents were Harriet Emma and George Stevens. She was one of a family of eight or nine children. From 1885 to 1901 George Stevens was farming in the Marumaru area, submitting Sheep Returns. As this is about 10km from Frasertown, it is plausible for Amy to have signed the petition there in 1893.
Later in 1893, Amy Louisa was listed on the Electoral Roll in Dannevirke where she was working as a waitress. In 1898 she married Olaf Rasvall who had emigrated from Scandinavia with his parents in 1874 when he was a child. They had two children, Laura Ella (Stinson) and Olaf Theodore. Around the time the family shifted to Napier, they changed their surname to Russell and Olaf became William. Amy wrote her will in 1953 when they were living at McGrath Street in Napier and her husband died a few years later.
Amy died on 29 August 1959.
Sources
Births Deaths and Marriages Online https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz/
https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/parliamentary/AJHR1893-I.2.3.2.42/1 THE ANNUAL SHEEP RETURNS FOR THE YEAR ENDED 30th APRIL, 1893., Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives, 1893 Session I, H-32
New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Passenger Lists, 1839-1973," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:S3HT-6X2L-X?cc=1609792&wc=MP7K-CFD%3A119083001%2C119037202%2C119178001 : 8 July 2019), Hawkes Bay > 1874 > Queen of the North > image 31 of 37; Archives New Zealand, Wellington.
New Zealand, Archives New Zealand, Probate Records, 1843-1998," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:33S7-9BCF-2JR?cc=1865481&wc=4BZB-7W3%3A1045247901%2C1045645001 : 21 February 2019), Napier Court > Probate records 1918-1959 P424, P370-P449 > image 484 of 790; Archives New Zealand, Auckland Regional Office.