Emma came into this world on the 2 Apr 1873 at Gebbies Valley, Canterbury, New Zealand. We can safely assume that she attended school locally, but at the age of 20, on the 09 May 1893, she married Henry John Ryde.
One of the interesting aspects of their marriage, was that Henry was a teacher. He was from Oxford, which is rural north Canterbury, so the placements that he took, were never in the city, but always in very, very rural settings.
From early in their marriage, the couples first home was at Takamatua Bay, which was called German Bay, over the hill from Akaroa. Their first child was born there in 1895.
They stayed their until at least 1900 before moving to Stafford on the West Coast. Stafford is a ghost town today.
They remained in Stafford until at least 1908, but their next stop would be their final one, namely Poroporo, which is inland from Whakatane. The couple lived out the remainder of their lives in Poroporo.
The marriage had four children as follows.
| Child | Born | Married | Children | Died | Comments |
| Grace Ellen | 3 Aug 1895 | 1920/ 20 Dec 1934 | 2/ 2 | 6 Oct 1996 | Smith/ Peebles |
| Irene | 22 Sep 1897 | 1920 | 2 | 30 May 1998 | Sutcliffe |
| Henry Frederick Edward | 7 May 1902 | 19 Jun 1923 | 3 | 24 Sep 1987 | Holmes |
| Edna Ruth | 12 JUL 1907 | 19 Sep 1934 | 4 | 15 Mar 1995 | Appleby |
Emma died first, on the 21 Nov 1961 at Poro Poro, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand
She was followed by her husband, Henry, on the 5 Jul 1963. Emma and Henry came to rest in the Hillcrest Cemetery of Whakatane, Bay Of Plenty.
