Large attendance at Jersey Stalwart’s funeral | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

ALL Jersey breeders around Taranaki were saddened by the recent death of the Kaponga/Stratford Jersey Patron, John Percy Wolland. 
A full attendance at the Mangatoki Hall was a great tribute to John, who was a great administrator of Jersey affairs.
The fraternity of the Jersey breed all have, in some way, been touched by John’s friendly nature, and all will miss him dearly.
John and his family moved to Taranaki from the Manawatu in the late 1970s to Hastings Road, Lowgarth.
There, John share-milked for Grant Pease some 20-odd years before dispersing his Rubador stud in 1999 to start a top fencing company, which kept him very busy.
In John’s breeding activities one of his first bulls used was from Don McIntosh of Woodville. This bull, Whariti Royal Conway (son of Whariti Designs Cinders VHC sold for $14000 at Whariti dispersal) did a grand job in John’s Rubador Jersey stud.
Since coming to Taranaki, John used a number of bulls from the Tippet Family’s Lamorna stud in Okaiawa with good results.
He was a member of the ‘’Dove’ syndicate bull, Lamorna Dukes Design that left many show Champions.
It was in 1979 that John first joined the Kaponga Jersey club, and at one stage did a term as president of the club, in recent years he has played the role as patron of the Kaponga/Stratford Jersey club.
John was also a member of the Stratford Jersey club and served a number of years as secretary, up to the amalgamation of Kaponga/Stratford Jersey clubs; a thankless task but John as always did this admirably and with ease.
John never missed a Jersey meeting and, in later years when he struggled with health problems, he always made time for his club. Thanks go to his son Barry for bringing him along; he appreciated this very much.
He was a truly dedicated member of the club.
Sadly, this year will be a first for John not attending stud Jersey sales this autumn, as John always showed a keen interest around the sales arena; his presence will be sorely missed.
Another of John’s involvements for many years was being a steward in the Jersey Ring at the Stratford A&P shows, where he carried out his duties well and enjoyed every minute of it.
One other passion of John’s was his rugby, and his dreams would have been fulfilled if he could have been at one match of the World Cup next year; sadly this won’t be so.
Finally, I’m sure all Jersey breeders are going to miss John’s humour and cheerful nature. Our sympathy to John’s widow Helen, as well as his family Barry and Raewyn, Des and Chris, Rebecca and all of John’s loving grandchildren.