Family of Joseph & Henrietta Best

Eirene Alice


Thanks to the late Richard Best Blomfield of Jacksonville, Florida for his assistance researching this family


Eireen, 1903 Eirene Alice was born Dec 23 1881, baptised Jan 1882 at St Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney while her father was Curate there. From her own record: "I went to St Catherine's Waverley, a boarding school endowed for the daughters of the clergy (Church of England). I left there when I was 18 and had by that time the equivalent of two years of College in America. I studied for one more year (private tutor) and then taught at Normanhurst, Ashfield, a private girls' school, for three years, supervised by the Headmistress. I next went to a branch of C of E Girls' Boarding School in Bowral (a mountain holiday resort) and was there for six years ending up as Principal while the Principal was in England for six months. I met my future husband there."

Parents



Eirene married John Harold Stewart Blomfield in Honolulu in 1914 and became a US citizen in 1918. JHS Blomfield was the son of an engineer and grandson of Rev John Roe Blomfield of the Church of England Church in NSW. She lived and taught school at St Andrew's Priory attached to Cathedral St Andrew in Honolulu.

They lived on Honokaa Plantation till 1918, then went to the Kamuela Parker Ranch, on the island of Hawaii, where Harold was in charge of the office. "I had a lovely flower and vegetable garden there - a lifesaver for me as there was no diversion and we had no car. We had the Bishop (La Mothe) to stay with us every time he made Diocesan visits to that island." From 1924, Harold worked in the office at Hawaii Meat Co. "We lived for 13 years in cottages in Queen Emma Square (Honolulu) and I taught half a day at church school in Cathedral grounds. My pupils were mostly young men from the Orient who knew no English. Did this for 11 years under Bishop Littell. Children went to Lincoln School".

The children were two sons, Valentine and Richard, and two daughters, Patricia and Mildred (all American citizens with the middle name Best).

  1. Valentine Best BLOMFIELD
  2. Patricia Best BLOMFIELD
  3. Richard Best BLOMFIELD
  4. Mildred Best BLOMFIELD

"We had very little money till the Depression came, when food was so cheap we fared well. Boys went to Iolani (Mr Albert H Stone, Principal) and girls to Roosevelt High. Mildred's health was very poor due to an infection from whooping cough".

"Bought house in Manoa. I taught at priory 1941-46, drove car (many driving lessons) for several years. Harold died of heart attack in 1944 and Mildred and I went with baby to Whittier, CA, to stay with Pat and Bill and their two daughters. In 1948 I returned to Priory (lived at Faculty House) where I taught till June 58. Had trips to Australia 1924, 1936, 1951, 1954, 1960, and 1963. Had a mild heart attack Dec 64 - no more travel.

Harild died in 1944, Eirene in 1969. Their ashes are in a crypt at St Clement's Church. Harold's obituary appeared in the Honolulu Advertiser, May 22 1944

HAROLD BLOMFIELD, RETIRED BUSINESS EXECUTIVE, CLAIMED

Harold Blomfield, retired Assistant Secretary of the Consolidated Amusement Co, Ltd, died at his home 2828 Koaniana Way, at 9.30 Saturday Morning from a heart attack.

Born March 18 1864, in Windsor, New South Wales, Australia, Mr Blomfield was 60 years old. He was the son of the Rev. Valentine J S Blomfield and Mrs Mary (Stewart) Blomfield, and a member of Australia's pioneer English families. He was educated in private schools in Australia and engaged in the sugar industry in Queensland and Fiji for six years before coming to Hawaii in 1913.

Mr Blomfield worked on the Honokaa Plantation, Hamakua, Island of Hawaii, for five years and was subsequently employed by Alfred W Carter for 13 years as accountant on the Parker Ranch and Hawaii Meat Co. He joined the Consolidated Amusement Co. in January 1932 and was retired on pension for health reasons on Dec 7th 1943.

Prominent in Credit Union circles, Mr Blomfield was also active as a lay member in the Protestant Episcopal Church, being particularly interested in St Mary's Children's Home, of which he was treasurer for five years. He was a member and past president of the Hawaii Chapter, National Association of Cost Accountants.

Surviving are the widow, Mrs Eirene (Best) Blomfield; two sons, Valentine and Richard Blomfield, both in the armed forces of the United States; two daughters, Mrs William Voss and Mrs Thomas J Kappock Jr. and four grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held at St Clement's church, with the rector, the Rev E Tanner Brown, officiating, at 4 this afternoon. It has been requested by the family that no flowers be sent.