Howard
Maple was the 2nd son of William Henry Maple. He was born at Aldinga in 1900.
He and his brother lost their mother, Ethel, before they knew her.
Both
Howard and his older brother Garnet had an unhappy relationship with their
stepmother. As a result Howard was brought up largely by his mother’s
family, the Pridhams, at Aldinga.
This was a period of great happiness for Howard.
Howard’s
grandmother, Rebecca Pridham, and his uncle, Hedley Pridham and Aunt Fanny
nurtured him on Hedley’s farm. He loved the farm life but when Hedley
sold his farm in 1920 he had to find work as an itinerant farm labourer.
For
a time he worked on farms in the mid-north, but eventually joined the South
Australian Mounted Police. In 1929 he married Elsie Beda White, a tailoress
and the daughter of William and Mathilde White of Quorn, SA. Elsie had a farming heritage.
Howard
served as a policeman all his subsequent working life in the mid-north and
south-east of SA. He and Elsie
were very active in the social, church and sporting communities of the many
towns they lived. Elsie and Howard
were able to have only one child, their son, Raymond.
Howard
land Elsie lived at Glengowrie from 1964 to 1990. They then moved into a
nursing home at Victor Harbor.
Elsie died in 1994 and Howard died in 1996. Both are buried in the same grave at the Aldinga Uniting Church with James and Rebecca
Pridham and reunited with
Howard’s mother.