Overview This interview is part of the West Otago Oral History Collection. In it, Avis reflects on her Scottish family heritage, rural childhood, schooling, church involvement, and experiences with dyslexia. Avis describes meeting and marrying Cyril Fenton, their farming life, raising a family, and extensive involvement in community organisations, Country Girls, and cake decorating, becoming a nationally recognised judge and leader in the field. She also discusses travel, faith, widowhood, breast cancer...

Overview In the first interview Sadie talks of her early life, education, health and family on a dairy farm on the Otago Peninsula. After leaving school Sadie attended Dunedin Tech and studied art, English, and maths for 2 years. Her family moved to Burke where Sadie found employment. During the war years Sadie joined the NZ Women’s Land Service where she worked in Omarama and Kelso. When in Kelso she met her husband. She goes onto to talk about her family and involvement in the women’s section of...