Saturday’s service has been organised by Toi Tois Lions Club member Bruce Lamb.
The McLean family lost three sons due to the Boer War and World War 1, either directly in battle or due to their wounds.
Later Tom, Lieutenant Thomas McLean, died in 1943 of tuberculosis as a result of lung damage caused by mustard gas in the trenches.
Mary (nee Buckingham of Waikawa Valley) McLean, now of Invercargill, married Tom’s son Owen and lived in the Progress Valley homestead where Tom farmed after returning to New Zealand in about 1922.
Life was not easy for her father-in-law after the war and he married three times, Mrs McLean said.
The men, especially those who served in the trenches, were greatly impacted by the experience.
“They had difficulty fitting into society as they did so easily before the war.”
Tom was born in Invercargill and bought the land in Progress Valley before the war.
He met his third wife Englishwoman Peggy Bedford who came to see what New Zealand was like after meeting many Kiwi soldiers.
They married about 1930.
Miss Bedford was in charge of the courier pigeons that sent messages across the English Channel to France.
This marriage lasted and produced four children, Keith, Owen, Margaret, and Helen.
When Tom died, Peggy managed the farm until Owen was old enough to run it.
In 1971 Owen died in a tractor accident and a manager was employed until Owen’s youngest son Basil was old enough to take over.
Much of what the family knows about Tom’s time in England has come through Ken, his son from his first marriage.
After the marriage ended Tom was not allowed to see Ken and the family did not know he was still alive.
About 10 years ago Ken, who has since died, made contact with the family.
The family also recently reopened a trunk, stored in the homestead, which contained many of Tom’s personal effects from his time in the war including a notebook where he kept sermon notes to share with his men in the trenches on Sundays, his uniform and binoculars.
These items will be on display at the service.
Tom’s daughter Margaret Bashford, of Motueka, will read a summary of Tom’s life at the service and Mrs McLean’s daughter Nicola Chapman will read extracts from his notebook.
