Cousins News from New Zealand, By Eve Taylor and Pat Kinsella Herdeg

Motorcycling Mitch

As the pictures out of Christchurch, New Zealand continue to roll in and we begin to see the devastation caused by their latest earthquake, I worried about our cousin, Mitch.

When last we heard from Mitch Taylor, son of Bryant and Eve Taylor, it was February of 2009. He and his wife, Rhonda, live in Dunedin, New Zealand, and were coming over to visit family in New York. He wondered if he had any motor-cycling cousins.


Mitch and his sister, Pamela

Eve Taylor, his mother, emailed this to Aunt CB yesterday:

“Mitch called yesterday around noon. Dunedin felt the quake, which is unheard of. The destruction as you have seen on TV is terrible, much worse than September’s quake because it was closer to Christchurch and shallower. It also occurred during the day, so lives were lost and people buried.

I was a bit nervous yesterday as Mitch was flying into Christchurch and on to Auckland to see his new grandson. Late last night he texted Pam (Mitch’s sister) who called me that he had arrived safely, but the airport at Christchurch had been bedlam.

I have my second great-grandchild, Heath Eric Little, born to Bernadine ( Mitch’s second daughter). Their girl, Olive, is a 2-year-old. Just like it was when the grand- children were born, I have to ask the date, because of the 18 hour time difference. So Heath was not even born yet according to our time!!!!!!! She had a normal delivery this time, but a 24 hour one. That hospital has the mother immediately taking care of the baby who is in a crib in the room, and she was sent home the next day.

Whew! I am glad those days are over, aren’t you? Rhonda is there for a week to help them.

Mitch and Rhonda are visiting for 2 weeks in late May. That is my exciting part of this year so far!

Love, Eve”

Great to hear this news—Hello to All our New Zealand cousins!