Comments:
Saturday, February 12, 1994
LDS Church News
William Roberts, the first New Zealander to serve as a stake president in his home land, died Jan. 12 in Hamilton. He was 86. Brother Roberts and his wife, Norma, were ``last house' converts who joined the Church in 1952. Missionaries tracting in the North Shore district of Auckland had been to all the houses on the street, except the Roberts' house. After some debate, they decided to go to one more house before returning to their quarters. Brother and Sister Roberts, the only residents on the street who invited the missionaries in, were baptized in 1952.
When the first stake was created in New Zealand in 1958, Brother Roberts was called as a counselor to Pres. George R. Biesinger, an American who had supervised construction of buildings in New Zealand, including the temple. When the stake was divided in 1960, Brother Roberts was sustained as its president. He later served as president of the England Leeds Mission and the New Zealand Temple, and was a regional representative. |
