Biography contributed by Bernadette Siebert
Mary Anna Katarina Krippner was born in Frankfurt, Germany, in 1856 and came to New Zealand with her parents, Captain Martin and Emily Krippner, in the ship Lord Burleigh, in 1860. Her early days were spent in the Puhoi and Orewa districts.
In 1882 at Puhoi Church, Mary Anna married William Pulham. William was a 27-year-old clerk. He was born in Warkworth, the eldest son of Henry William and Nicholas. The couple started out in Mahurangi where their first child was born;
- Ruby Kathleen (1882–1948)
They then moved to Coromandel where William was engaged in the kauri timber industry, and they had six more children;
- Emily Beryl (1885–1952)
- Leonard Rhodes (1886–1970)
- Graham Roy (1886–1972)
- Kennedy Bertram (1887–1969)
- Rudolph Wilmot Ross (1889–1943)
- Hazel Lucy Opal (1892–1962)
William and Mary Anna left Tairua, Coromandel around 1915 and retired to Warkworth. Their son, Leonard Rhodes enlisted in the NZ Army in 1914 and served in Gallipoli and Egypt. He was awarded the Military Cross in 1918 for conspicuous gallantry. Another son Rudolph enlisted as a rifleman in 1917.
By 1935, the couple were living in Tamaki Drive, Kohimarama, Auckland, where Mary Anna died, aged 79. She was buried in Hillsborough Cemetery. William moved to Hamilton to be near family and died there in 1937 aged 82. His body was brought to Auckland and buried with his wife. In his will he left shares in the private company W Pulham & Son, and 1000 pounds to his daughter Emily, and 500 pounds each to Leonard and Hazel. The whole estate being worth 10 000 pounds.
Mary was the daughter-in-law of 378 N P PULHAM
Sources
Archway probate William
PAPERS PAST Waikato Times, Volume 121, Issue 20333, 25 October 1937, Page 6
PAPAERS PAST Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 260, 2 November 1935, Page 10
Historical BDMs
Electoral Rolls (ancestry.com)