Ohinemuri Regional History Journal 40, September 1996
OBITUARY : FRED POOL
Fred Pool, a long time resident of Waihi and Waihi Beach died on 7 November 1995. Fred was born at Karangahake on 12 October 1908, and after a short time in the King Country, spent the early part of his life at Karangahake, helping to provide for his widowed mother and his sisters. He became a butcher's boy at the age of 14 and delivered meat on horseback to Karangahake homes. Fred's story of these years is told in the article, "Early Memories of My Life in Karangahake", published in this Journal.
In 1935 Fred met and married his wife, Glenice and they moved to Paeroa, where he worked in a local butcher's shop. They then moved to Waihi where Fred worked at Premier Meats. During the summer months each year Fred used to run a branch of Premier Meats at Waihi Beach, so the whole family would move there for the school holidays. Eventually Fred and Glenice decided to move permanently to Waihi Beach. They built their home on what was then the outskirts of the township and had no electricity or water supply. Fred was active on the Waihi Beach Beautification Committee and was responsible for the planting of a number of trees.
After the loss of his wife and being in poor health he moved to Hetherington House where he lived for seven years.