Rasmussen Family
a family of many tragedies
Niels and Clara Rasmussen are buried in this plot with five of their children. Niels Rasmussen was a Danish immigrant and a baker by trade. He married Clara Emma Dudley in 1882 and together they had ten children. Clara was the illegitimate daughter of Emma Dudley and was raised by her grandmother who trained her as a lacemaker.
A Fatal Game of See-Saw
On the evening of 5th November 1898, Maude Rasmussen, aged 14 was playing with her sister Edie, aged 10, on a vacant lot at the corner of Riddiford and Rintoul Streets. The site was being used by Hawthorne and Crump builders and among other things, there was a carpenter’s bench on the ground.
Maude placed a heavy plank across the bench and the two played see-saw with Maude standing up and Edie sitting down. Maude fell off and was struck by the plank when she fell. Edie also fell off her end of the plank. Mrs Hardie was passing and heard the children scream. She was able to help Maude across the road to her parent’s house on Rintoul Street. When they got to the yard, Maude said ‘Let me lie down and die here’. She called for her mother and wanted cold water to ease the pain. She was taken inside but died before the arrival of Dr Perkins.
At the inquest, several of the jurors said that they had personally warned Maude against see-sawing, especially when she stood on the plank. A verdict of Accidental Death was returned.
Clara died in 1901, aged 45 ‘after a long and lingering illness’.
Died From Burns
In 1903, Lilly, aged 9, was left alone in the family home in Mein Street for a few minutes by Edie who had been instructed during the course of the morning to take a message a short distance away. While gone, Lilly thought that she would surprise Edie by washing up the breakfast things. She attempted to lift a kettle from the fire and accidentally ignited her clothing. A neighbour rushed to help and Lilly was taken to the hospital where she died an hour and a half later. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
Also interred in this plot are their children Charles Alphonsus Rasmussen, died 1896 aged 4; Charles James Francis, died 1896 under 1 year old; Violet Maud Mary, died 1900 aged 1, Clara Maria died 1909 aged 23 (after a long and painful illness).
Karori Cemetery Plot: *Ch Eng/F/32
Looking east over Newtown, Wellington, circa 1900. Shows Constable (middle ground, left) and Rintoul (middle ground, left to right) Streets, with Adelaide Road in the foreground. Photograph taken by Francis E Tomlinson.
Tomlinson, Francis Ernest, 1864-1944. Tomlinson, Francis Ernest, 1864-1944 :Newtown. Ref: 1/2-003750-G. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22868393
Rasmussen plot, November 2022. Courtesy of FindaGrave.
Rasmussen plot, December 2024.