Biography contributed by Katherine Blakeley.
Ruth Naomi Hill was born in 1855 in Bedfordshire, England – the daughter of George Hill, a grocer’s assistant, and Elizabeth Sheffield. (See 167 Elizabeth Hill)
She emigrated to Otago on the “Storm Cloud” with her family in 1860 and they settled in Dunedin.
When Ruth signed the suffrage petition she was living with her widowed mother in Cumberland St, Dunedin.
Her parents were foundation members of the Hanover Street Baptist Church and, in 1923, Naomi took part in the diamond jubilee celebrations.
On 18 July 1926 she collapsed while singing the opening hymn of the morning church service and she died soon after.
Naomi is buried with her parents in the Southern Cemetery.
Her obituary said “as a member of the choir, teacher in the Sunday school, deaconess, and collector for the Missionary Society she took a keen interest in all the affairs of the church, and was highly esteemed by a wide circle of friends”.
Sources:
DCC Cemetery Records http://www.dunedin.govt.nz/facilities/cemeteries/cemeteries-search
GRO England https://www.gro.gov.uk
Otago Nominal Index http://marvin.otago.ac.nz
Papers Past https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz