The funeral for a toddler and her grandmother killed in a car crash while on holiday will be held in New Zealand next week, a friend said today.
Three-year-old Iva Harper and her grandmother Sera Eades, 60, both of Amwell House, The Woodlands, Isleworth, died when their car hit a power pole in the New Brighton area of Christchurch while on their way to hospital to visit Sera's mother-in-law.
Iva’s parents Jeff Harper and Lini Eades, also of Amwell House, flew to New Zealand last Wednesday where they have been spending time with Sera’s husband Geoff Eades - the driver and sole survivor of the crash, which also killed his cousin Valerie Bryan, 60, from Leicestershire.
Neighbour and friend Sue Crabtree, 40, spoke to Lini and her dad Geoff last night, and said the family planned to hold the funeral in Wellington next Tuesday. The service will be held at 11am, at the Wesley Methodist Church in Taranaki Street.
She said: “They will be coming back and we will be having a memorial for both Sera and Iva in the UK.”
She added: “At this stage Geoff won't be coming back because he can't fly because of his damaged lungs. But he sounded a lot better last night having Lini, Paul (his son in New Zealand) and Jeff close to him.”
Iva, Sera and Valerie all had dual British and New Zealand nationalities, the Foreign Office said.
Iva was due to start her first day of nursery at Isleworth Town Primary School this week.
Mr and Mrs Eades moved from New Zealand to Isleworth a year ago to look after their granddaughter when Lini got a new job as a GP.
They had taken her to New Zealand as a treat to meet members of her extended family.
Neighbours paid tributes after hearing news of the crash last Wednesday, describing Sera and Iva as “inseparable”.
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