Douglas ( Doug ) was the 9th child of 11 children of Alexander and Henrietta Strachan. Although he was dux of Taradale Primary at 11 years he had to leave school to work as a farm labourer to help support his mother and the large family. He saw little of his father who spent many years in prison for manslaughter. Doug was a very hard worker and good at what he did. He worked on farms in the Taradale, Puketapu area and for many years on a large farm at Pukeamoamoa, near Fernhill until he got a farm manager's position in Takapau. He was a heavy drinker, (like many in his family), which caused much heartache for his wife and five  daughters. In his retirement he took up golf and loved it. He also loved pool, snooker and cards, especially cribbage. He became senile in his 70 s and lived the last four years of his life in Waipukarau Hospital where he died of a heart attack at age 79 years. [Philip SCOTT]