Eileen was born on the 02 Mar 1898 at Riversdale, Southland, New Zealand. She was the middle child and only daughter to Robert and Kate.
It would be fair to say that Eileen did not have the easiest of lives. Her mother passed away when she was a small child, and a step-mother appeared on the scene when she was a girl. There were more children from the second union, so Eileen would have felt pressure on the domestic front.
And then aged 21, Eileen fell pregnant. There is no record of the father, but on the 5 Jun 1919 at Dunedin, Eileen gave birth to Robert “Bert” Cyril Stark. Eileen was registered for the 1919 election at 103 Heriot Row in December. Robert Cyril Stark was born to Eileen out of wedlock. Without concrete proof, there is a feeling that the unexpected motherhood caused quite a rift between her and her father.
I do not know if Robert Cyril was the son of David Cathro or not. There are very few records of Bert.
Eileen Stark married Dave Cathro in Dunedin. Dave was a very capable mechanical engineer who was allowed the luxury of having a workshop off the lounge in their residence. They resided in Glenpark Ave – almost opposite the Mornington Presbyterian Church. Her twilight years saw her in the St. Lukes PSSA Home, 85 Melbourne St., South Dunedin.
Eileen and David had a son together, Graham. David also had 3 children to his first wife. So there would have been many comings and goings in the Cathro household.
Eileen had 2 Children – Bert and Graham. Eileen was a very proper lady and very warm to her nieces and nephews. Her remains are interred at Andersons Bay Cemetery in Dunedin, alongside her husband, Dave.
David passed in 1978.
Robert “Bert” Cyril Stark
I have a feeling that Bert might have been a bit of a tear-away as he had several convictions for poor driving through his life.
Bob joined the military, much against his mother’s wishes and fought in WWII in Greece and North Africa in places such as Alamein. He became Sergeant in the 2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery, O Troop, 34th Battery.
At the cessation of hostilities in 1945, he returned to Dunedin and married Rae Betty Emslie – the couple on the left, not the bride and groom. All the knowledge I have of this man is that he consulted for the Ministry of Works. The couple divorced in 1954. He remained in Auckland until death in 1999. His brother Graham had his ashes brought to Dunedin and interred him at Andersons Bay Cemetery.
Diane Perkins, a Cathro descendant, was gracious enough to send me Robert’s military book from WW2 and it is one of my proudest possessions. That will get handed down to the next generation to remind them of the people that went before.
Robert Cyril Stark in WW2 – Egypt 1942
John Graham Cathro
Graham was born on the 31 Jan 1930 at Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. He was his father’s 4 child and Eileen’s second. Graham spent all his life in Dunedin
He married Euphemia Mavis Gray in 24 May 1951 at Dunedin. They had 3 children.
John passed on the 19 Mar 2002 at St Kilda, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. His wife predeceased him by 11 years, passing in 1991.
Random Stuff
The following were in my Nana’s possessions. I have no idea who Pat is, but Eileen is definitely Eileen Stark. Not the date, 1917
Eileen passed away on the 22 Sep 1991 at the Fulton Home, Dunedin, Otago, New Zealand. She is buried in Andersons Bay Cemetery, also in Dunedin.
