Evening Post, 22 June 1922

The death occurred last night, of one of the oldest residents of Masterton and the Wairarapa, Mr. Myer Caselberg.

Deceased was born in Poland in 1841. Educated in England; he emigrated to Invercargill in 1803, and after spending two years there, came up to the Wairarapa, where he laid the foundations of the great business now known as the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association. Its origin was a store which he established, in Featherston in 1868. The following year he removed to Greytown, where the business flourished under the style of M. Caselberg and Company. In 1874 it was extended to Masterton, which became the firm's headquarters.

In February, 1892, the large business, together with J. Nathan and Co's. Tinui store, became merged in the Wairarapa Farmers' Co-operative Association. There was also a butter factory at Kopuaranga and a cheese factory at Greytown. The butter factory was one of the first in the district, and Mr. Caselberg used to remark on the fact that dairy farmers, when they received 10d a pound for their butter-fat, considered themselves remarkably well off.

The late Mr. Caselberg took a keen interest in public affairs and worthily bore his part in local government. In Greytown he was chairman of the School Committee and the Waiohine River Board, and treasurer, of the old hospital committee. He was also a member of the first county council, representing Greytown riding, and he was on the commission of the peace for very many years. After going to Masterton, Mr. Caselberg was a member of the borough council for three years, and was then elected to the mayoral chair, which he occupied for three years up to 1887.

Mr. Caselberg was first married in 1868 to a daughter of Mr Mark Marks, of Melbourne, and so was a brother-in-law of the late Mr. Joseph Nathan, of Wellington.

There were seven children of this marriage, all of whom survive namely,

Lionel (Wellington),
Joseph,
David, and
Alfred (who are all associated with the business in Masterton),
Mr. Mark Castle (sheepfarmer, of Te Ore Ore),
Mrs. E. L. Harris (Melbourne), and
Miss Kitty Caselberg (Masterton).

In 1892, several years after the death of his first wife, Mr. Caselberg married a daughter of the late Mr. Ralph Keesing, of Auckland. She survives him and their children are

Mrs. Ralph Ziman (Auckland).
Mrs. J. V. Mendelssohn and
Mrs. B. van Stavern (Wellington).

Further reading:
Biography
Caselberg, A. E. The Caselbergs of Wairarapa. Wellington, 1975