Mums eulogy

My Mum Mum was a quiet achiever, going through life with all its ups and downs with little complaining and always enjoyed the escape of a good book. My Mum was lovely – she cared so much about her family and so loved to hear about all our goings on Although in later life she had health issues – she faced them all bravely and worked to find out the best way to live her best life and bore them with dignity. Her life was one of change and she changed and adapted with the changes. Pamela Blanche Geoghegan was born in Bendigo on the 30th December 1938 (yes she just missed her birthday this year) to loving parents Stanley Norman Geoghegan and Emily Ada Blanche Pattinson. The year previously her brother Brian Stanley was born but he died shortly after birth. When she was only 6 years old her father Stan passed away at the age of 30 and for the next 13 years it was just Pam and her mother Blanche living together and they got on famously as Mum would say. The first change in her life. Nan was a dressmaker and designer and Mum often reminisced about her Mum doing fittings for wedding dresses and ball gowns. Mums mum was the oldest of 4. f the dress fitting was an important one, Mum was told to hop on her pushbike and go for a ride to get out of the way. My Nan also taught my mum how to sew – on a treadle sewing machine. She was given lined paper and had to be able to sew straight on all the lines and Nan made me do the same thing! She was allowed to make things from scraps but often Nan wouldn’t approve of Mums colour choices or designs. Mum went to school at Camp Hill, Quarry Hill and Bendigo High School. They were close by so she walked to school, walked home for lunch and walked back again. She loved walking and also loved riding her bike and riding into the bush and collecting wildflowers and delivering cooked meals to Grandma Wearne. Mum and Nan lived together above her dressmaking shop in Mitchell street, with the shop, dining/lounge room and kitchen downstairs and out the back door the laundry and toilet but no night cart as it was sewered which they felt was very fancy. Upstairs there were 2 bedrooms with Nan and Mum in the front room and Grandad in the back and the other room was a junk room with no windows but it had a sky light. When nan taught dressmaking there were 6 in the class sharing 3 machines and a cutting table. The lounge/dining room doubled as a fitting room when needed. Growing up Mum had dreams to be an air hostess as her mum had a friend whose daughter, Dexie Mauder was one. She told Mum to do a red cross certificate and deportment classes to help ensure she could pursue that career. She proudly did these things but a different career happened for her. She loved being in the girl guides – enjoying camping and other outdoor pursuits and went on several Jamborees and earning merit badges as well. She recalled the time when the bells of St Pauls pealed when King George 6 died in 1952 and she thought they would never stop and the excitement of Queen Elizabeth becoming Queen and also her visit to Australia. Mum loved the royal family and enjoyed telling us stories from info we had gleaned from the series The Crown – mind you she had very definite opinions on some members of the Royal Family who she didn’t believe behaved appropriately. She was excited to see Prince William when he came to Kerang after the 2011 floods. The next change for Mum was leaving school at aged 15 mum, she went to business college at Jimmy Cox’s business school. She learnt shorthand, typing and other skills so that she could pursue office work. Her first job was at Wellmar as an office junior. She enjoyed the salary but not the work. She also worked at Foggatt Jones. A friend of Mums told her that there was a job going at the Ordnance Factory so she went straight to the CES and applied. She was interviewed by Mr Wilkinson and got the job in the planning department. After 3 or 4 years she asked for a transfer to purchasing and was interviewed by her future father in law but she was quick to say there was no nepotism. He asked her why she wanted the transfer and she said “I don’t like working with Banda (some paper product) as it get on my hands all the time and Im always filthy” and he said “fair enough” and gave her the job. She said she was shaking like a leaf at the interview as he was quite formidable – after marrying Dad she learnt he was the most lovely man, just very task focused. She enjoyed being in the purchasing department as it was a big group of girls and they enjoyed much fun together and going out and about. Mums next change was about to happen. The girls from work often liked to go the dance at the YMCA and one night a “dashing” as mum described it, man asked mum for a dance. That was the start of the romance of my dad Geoffrey Frederick Wootton and mum. They loved going to dances together, particularly in Castlemaine as it was a bit of a drive there and back and they would have a great talk on the way. They would also go to the pictures on a Saturday night and then go for a drive on a Sunday. This filled up the weekend nicely for them both. Dad was an accountant at Sandhurst Dairies. One time they went to Turpins Falls near Castlemaine and it was a long hike up and through a paddock. Mum said Dad was proud of her when they got there, mum said it wasn’t really that much to see and was then dismayed that they had to then walk all the way back again! Mums 21st birthday was held at the Robin Café in View Street. She had only been going out with Dad for a short while then, so he acted as the MC. She was proud to receive the “key of the door” and a wonderful cake from her Mum. It was also a birthday dance for New Years Eve and Pa knew a band so they came and played and there was even a photographer. Fun fact the piano they played at the café is now mine. Nan made mums dress that she wore and mum often proudly said that it was apricot chiffon with shoe string straps and very glamourous. Another change was about to happen. Mum and Dad were to be married Mum like to tell the story about how two weeks before the wedding, the office took up a collection and Mum was taken in the staff car to buy an iron with the funds from Turners Electrical. Grandpa used to play bowls with the owner so they got a discount. It was then presented to Mum and she had to make a speech which made her nervous. Dad wanted mum to finish work prior to them getting married, and Mum was happy with that. Many said she should have stayed on until after Christmas to get extra holiday pay, but she felt very well off having not to. She got a bonus for being there 6 years which she spent on a few kitchen items and a vase. Mum and Dad married on the 9th of December 1961 at St Pauls in Bendigo. – Dad was 23 and Mum was 22. Nan made Mums wedding dress and going away outfit. They honeymooned in Adelaide and had a wonderful time. They built a house together in St Aidens Road Bendigo which was at that time a new and modern area. Mum said their house was seen as very modern as the kitchen cupboards were two colours – yellow and blue and the floor had large black and white squared lino. She was also proud that the toilet had two entrances – from the bathroom and the laundry. although at times you had to be careful someone wasn’t already in there when you were in a hurry. And the bathroom was mauve (mums favorite colour) They had a dog called Blackie, a Labrador, but it jumped the fence and got run over. They then got a dog called Peppy. I appeared on the scene on the 17th October 1962 to the proud parents. Mum said I was a good baby and always enjoyed looking at things. She would often put me in my bassinette or pram to look out the front window and the new parents also learnt the skill that many of us as parents have found – if the baby doesn’t sleep put her in the car and drive around until she does but then don’t stop as she will wake up. Mum said they enjoyed that time together in the car. Cheryl arrived two years later on the 29th December 1964 and they were both so very proud of their two girls. Sadly due to health issues and complications after a heart operation, my Dad died on the 30th June 1966 aged 27. Another change for mum. It was then just the three of us and we had a lot of help from both Mum and dads parents. Every Sunday we would go to Dads parents home for Sunday roast with all the trimming and Grandma was the very best cook. She had tins above her wood burning stove and each was filled with something different – rock cakes, fairy cakes etc. Mum said Grandma never gave her a proper recipe and thought she must have left out some ingredient as they never tasted the same as hers. Mum worked as a merchandiser for Nestle and also Masterfoods – putting products on shelves for these brands in the supermarkets and keeping those sections tidy. We all spent a lot of time at our Nan and Pa’s home as well – in fact it was like our second home and they loved and supported us greatly. A cousin took mum on a holiday to Japan and she often talked about it and said it was the most exciting trip she ever went on. She loved the different sites and sounds. Crossing the equator was also very exciting with all the ceremony involved and she proudly got a certificate saying that she had achieved this. She bought that many gifts and souvenirs that she had to buy a second suitcase to get them all home. I remember Christmas that year we had so many presents we lined them up and it went right across the room. Many “modern” toys that had a remote that made a dog bark and dolls that cried. Another change was about to happen. In 1974 a handsome man Mum knew through church knocked on our door and asked mum to go with him to his work Christmas party. His name was Austen Brown and Mum so enjoyed his company and to have someone to once again love. They married the following year at St Andrews in Bendigo. It was Austens first and only marriage and he treated Cheryl and I as his own children and loved us very much. They were married for 37 years and sadly he died in 2012 from Alzheimers disease. Mum often said how much she missed him. They bought a house together in Ewing Ave Bendigo where we became a family. One night the tv caught fire and the fire bridge came – neither Cheryl or I woke up! From then on, they were both obsessed with things being switched off properly. One time after leaving on a holiday to Cowes at Philip Island we were almost at Kyneton when they were not sure if the iron had been turned off so we had to turn around and go back again to check! Mum and Austen went on so many holidays – each year – to Philip Island, Adelaide, Perth, Tasmania and Queensland. Austen treated Mum with such love and respect and Mum enjoyed being looked after. She was always proud to say her occupation was “Home Duties” At the time of their marriage, Austen was the spare parts manager at Lapco in Bendigo. In 1977 that company was taken over by Repco and he was made redundant. He found and was offered a position with Findlay motors in Kerang as the spare parts manager and we moved there in 1977 to 35A North Street Kerang. Yet another change in Mums life. They both embraced living in Kerang – Austen very involved in the Uniting Church and Mum joining the Kerang Quilters and the Kerang Family History Group. She loved researching family history and was so excited when she found that one of our ancestors was born on the Cape of Good Hope and was relieved to not find any convicts! She also joined Kerang CWA and became Secretary several times taking minutes etc. and took many road trips with her friends Nancy and Gwen and others to conferences and had many fun times together. She was also a great reader and taught us a love of reading and we had many visits to the Kerang Library to borrow books. Sadly Mum had a few health issues as she grew older with the hardest being macular degeneration. Mum hated losing her eyesight as she could no longer sew or read. However thanks to technology she found a new friend “Daisy” which is a talking book machine from Vision Australia and she enjoyed countless hours listening to books on it. On her vision Australia history it says she has listened to 6215 books! Another change happened in 2012 Austen passed away and she was alone in the house in North Street. She really didn’t like being alone but got by. She had a stroke which resulted in her being hospitalised for a time in Bendigo and then lived with Dianne for about 3 months before returning back to North Street. In November 2019 she was trying to lift a bag of potting mix in the back garden and slipped over – resulting in a broken wrist. She spent a two weeks in Cohuna hospital and then after discussions with her doctor, Peter Barker, she went to live in the Cohuna Village. Again another change for Mum that she dealt with in her usual manner. The village staff and residents welcomed her into the family there and she lived there for 4 years. She didn’t want to be there – but did enjoy the company when she wanted it. She enjoyed things such as newspaper reading (particularly the hatched matched and dispatched section), travel stories and craft when her eyesight allowed. She loved the desserts! She continued to listen to books on Daisy and Cheryl gifted her a new friend “Google”. Each morning she would ask google the weather and also other “fun facts” during the day. The care she received there was exceptional. She also enjoyed the many phone calls she received from family and friends. She passed away peacefully on 21st December 2023 at the Village. She was greatly loved by all and we will miss her – especially at Christmas time which was her very favorite time of the year. It was very appropriate that at the 2023 Vision Australia Carols by Candlelight that she used to love to watch one of her very favorite singers – Marina Prior sang one of her very favorite Christmas Carols – Angels We Have Heard On High. What a testament to Mum that each and every staff member at the Village (who I cant thank enough for her care) told me what a pleasure it was to look after her. It was an absolute privilege to be able to spend so much time with her in her last years at the Cohuna Village and we had a lot of fun together Our “secret word” was hibiscus – if I wanted to take a photo of her and get that beautiful big grin I would just say hibiscus and out would come the smile. She taught me so much – a love of quilting and family history, of reading and the value of spending time with others. Thanks Mum for all you did for me and my family – for teaching us that - Actions have consequences - Self praise is no recommendation - That money talks and wealth whispers - When asked how she was feeling she would say “as well as can be expected or just – whatever just meant” - And that if your version of a story is not right you’ve been in the romance chocolates – I hope Ive got your story right! Love you so much Mum and Im glad you are now in heaven with Dad and Austen running jumping and doing all the things that you love A life very well lived and loved.