Karam was born on November 15, 1939 to parents Rumza and Michael at Ōtorohanga Maternity Home on Hinewai St.
The pair had met two years prior in Australia, wed and moved to Ōtorohanga together the same year.
Rumza (Ruth) Malouf was born in Kfarakab, Lebanon in 1907, one of five children.
Michael (Mick) Haddad was born in 1903 not far from Rumza’s hometown, in Baskinta. He was one of seven children.
He first arrived in Ōtorohanga on Guy Fawkes night in 1926.
At Karam’s funeral last year, his brother John said the town had a population of about 400 people, predominantly Māori, when their father settled there.
“They adopted our father and this was the beginning of a strong family relationship, which has endured throughout his journey through life and also Karam’s lifetime.”
After two years of labouring in the district and at the Feilding Freezing Works, Mick opened a fruit shop at the southern end of town.
There wasn’t enough business to make a living, so he would close the shop to shovel coal into sacks for Hilders Transport or dig sumps on farms with Sandy Milne.
He continued to do so until the fruit shop became established.
The Michael’s Milk Bar building was constructed by Mick in 1935, with accommodation upstairs.
Despite being born into neighbouring villages in Lebanon, it was not until 1937 that Karam’s parents met in Australia.
Rumza had moved to Sydney four years earlier after her brothers opened a clothing factory there.
She was proficient at sewing and was put in charge of 20 girls in the factory.
Mick had accompanied American wrestler Chief Little Wolf on a tour to Australia when he met Rumza.
The pair married in the same year. Rumza was named Sydney’s bride of the year for 1937 and their wedding was described as “one of the most picturesque” by local press.
They settled in Ōtorohanga – the community which had already accepted Mick with open arms.
Rumza settled well in the small town way of life, which was reminiscent of the village where she had been raised.
It was not until 1952 that Mick purchased a car.
“Rumza took driving lessons, got her licence and a short time later drove the new car into the house fence. There was such a fuss that she decided driving wasn’t worth it and never drove again,” her obituary read in June 2000.
As a family, the Haddads would attend the Easter Sports annually in Ōtorohanga, until the flood of 1958 ended the shows.
After that Mick would take his family to the Auckland Easter Show almost every year.
In 1963, their new family home was built and Rumza took responsibility of doing all the grounds and landscaping herself.
She kept a large vegetable garden, which sustained the family (and more) during summer.
“The poultry was also home-grown, but when it was time to kill a chook, Mick always managed not to be at home, so Rumza would have to do the honours.”
From the time they arrived in Ōtorohanga, Rumza and Mick spent all of their working lives in the milk bar business.
Mick was laid to rest in October 1990 and Rumza in December 1999.
