Margaret Roser, late of Alkira Lodge Taree, passed away peacefully on 11th August, aged 100 years. She was farewelled by family and friends on Wednesday 20 August at Manning Uniting Church where she was a longstanding member, when her daughter Julia Perryman and son Gary shared memories of their Mum.
Hereunder is Margaret Roser’s eulogy by her son Gary:
My Mum, Margaret was born on 9th of October 1924 in Richmond NSW. Her parents Margaret Alison (known as Peggy) and her father David Whyte Spence Reid (known as Spence). Both parents had Scottish parents and worked at the Hawkesbury Agricultural College, Richmond.
Mum always said she wanted to live a long life. But who would have thought that I am now a 78 year old orphan. Mum lived a long life and saw many changes in her lifetime.
Mum grew up with her sister Dorothy on the Hawkesbury Agricultural Lowlands farm at Richmond. They rode their bikes to school each day, rain or shine. Mum told me two things that shook her up riding to school. One is when a snake went through the spokes of Dot’s bike one day and another when lightening danced all around her sister Dot another day.
Growing up in the Reid household was pretty strict. Having Agricultural College boys kept Mum’s father on his toes when she was a teenager. Then the Second World War came in 1939.
By this time Mum was at high school. Labour was pretty hard to get those days and her Mother’s housemaid had left leaving my Nana unused to being able to do everything herself. Mum was taken out of High School to fill the void.
The only job Mum had when young was working as a dental assistant for a while. On turning 18 she joined the Australian Womens’ Land Army. Her sister Dot took her place at the dentist.
As my Aunty Dot once said to me “It was the best time of Mum’s life. Free from parental (let’s say control)”. Mum worked on farms locally at Richmond, Leeton and near Maitland. She loved the life. Yes, the work was back breaking but she had fun times going out with the girls who she kept in contact with annual Christmas cards and the AWALA Association.
I have read Mum’s medical report whilst in the AWALA. She suffered from leg aches which arose again later in life. For her service to Australia during World War Two she was presented with the “Civilian Service Medal 1939 – 1945”.
Mum met this handsome man in army uniform who was 6 years older than herself. I believe some of her girlfriends were jealous. But Mum was smitten. When he pulled out his wallet to pay for something he had the initials R R R engraved on it. Mum asked him what did it stand for, and he replied “Railway Refreshment Rooms”. But she found out his name was Reginald Roy Roser. “But they call me Roy”, he said.
Margaret and Roy were married on the 2nd of March. I was born on the 9th of March. But the following year 1947. They were married in Richmond with Dad in his army uniform and Dad’s best man his officer.
The newly married couple lived with my grandparents on the Richmond Lowlands for a short time. They then moved to Granville until buying a new two bedroom at Guildford West. In those days a dirt road had half a dozen houses in the street. Mum made many friends around there. Played hit and giggle tennis with other housewives and sharing gossip between sets. My sister Cheryl was born just after we moved to Guildford.
She enjoyed living there and going up to Lake Munmorah where they built a weekender.
And what did they do when they went there? Mum cleaned and Dad worked extending the place and doing the lawns and gardens. Gardens were Mum’s favourite hobby. Other than cleaning. She did a stint as a cleaner at Guildford West Public School when the cleaner went on holidays. And cleaned Mrs. Alexander’s house across the road on Fridays. The money came in handy for her as things were not easy in the 50’s and 60’s.
Mum looked after a little boy who she adored. Johnny Devcic, the son of people who lived down the road and became very close friends. Tessie Devcic worked at the Egg Factory at Lidcombe and told Mum about a job that was in the offering. So, until Mum fell pregnant with my sister Julia, she cracked eggs.
My Sister Julia was born when I was 21. When she was two years old Julia was our flower girl at our wedding in 1970.
Mum, Dad and Julia moved to Campbelltown, selling the houses at Guildford and Munmorah. Dad added an extension underneath the house so Cheryl and her family could have somewhere to stay when they came down.
The Rosers got along very well with their new neighbours and the Yarad and Vitigilano families always kept in touch when Mum and Dad moved again up to Nabiac on 18 hectares to be close to Cheryl, Chris and the kids. But there was no doubt in my mind that Julia and Cheryl were the apples of his eye.
When my wife Zlata, myself, with Nici and Jacqui visited the farm at Nabiac we also had a place to stay as part of the house was made for visitors who wished to stay.
My Jacqui is here today and will remember Mum putting a plastic tablecloth under her chair so nothing could be spilt on the floor. I know it really upset Jacqui who was old enough not to make a mess, but Mum could not be told. By Dad or me.
Mum had bought a new Ford Falcon with the money her mother left her. So it was always Mum’s car, but Dad could drive it. And she went for her licence and passed. My girls have never been so scared of being in a car as when Nana drove.
Cheryl, Chris, Craig and Cassie moved to Nana Glenn near Coffs Harbour. Cheryl fell pregnant and had a little girl, Cindy Lou. But my Sister Cheryl fell a victim of cancer. Mum was absolutely heart broken. Cheryl passed away leaving three beautiful kids and a hard working husband Chris to help raise Cindy Lou. Cassie, (although of tender age) filled in for her Mum helping raise Cindy Lou. And I’m not taking away from all of the others who also helped.
When Dad got crook the both of them moved to Cundletown into a house. Of course, Mum took all of her furniture with her to the three bedroom home. You couldn’t just walk through a room as it was so full of furniture and things; you had to be careful to walk around everything the long way.
Another thing that Mum didn’t want to get rid of was her twin tub washing machine. My Zlata was a machine knitter and had made me a beautiful jumper of merino wool. I spilt something on it and Mum washed it. I don’t know if you remember, but the hoover twin tub did the best clean wash of any washing machine. But too hard on my new jumper. She turned it into felt.
Mum’s other passion was painting and drawing. She joined the craft and art people in Taree. Some of her works were excellent. She was an expert in painting gum tree landscapes. She sold some, gave many to friends and on two occasions gave me some paintings to raise money for the charities that I am involved in.
The house at Cundletown became too much to manage when Dad passed so she sold and moved into a beautiful home in Victoria Street, Taree. Taking most of her furniture with her again. Only a few things did she get rid of. But age was catching up to Mum and she was given a mobility scooter by my brother in law Chris to get around. Her road rule knowledge never got any better as she got older and she nearly wiped herself out going onto the roadway narrowly missing a car.
The steps at the Victoria Street house were terribly steep at the front and there were steps out the back to the laundry, the washing line and car garage. So, I built a wooden deck to bridge the number of steps.
One night Mum had a person break into her house through the bathroom window. Threatening her for money, Mum told him that she didn’t have any. When he moved to the kitchen Mum ran out the front door and screamed for help. Neighbours assisted her and even drawing a picture of the offender for the police. To this date he has not been found. This did it!
Julia took Mum to Armidale to look for a new home, but she told me it was too cold if she moved there. She eventually found a nice two bedroom unit at the CC Drury Units in Jacaranda Ave, Taree where she lived for years before her doctor told her that she needed to go into Bushland Aged Care. This was the result of falling twice and laying for some time until help arrived. The worst occurrence was when she was parking her mobility scooter backwards (she thought), turned the handlebars, and hit the forward button by mistake. She ended up into a rose bush cutting her face and landing on her hands. In Manning Hospital she had both hands operated upon for carpal tunnel and with her face scratched all over by rose thorns, Mum looked dreadful. No more mobility scooter for Mum.
Mum took a while to settle into the Aged Care unit. Of course she took some furniture with her again. The cleaning staff hated it. The room was cluttered compared to others. But that’s the way she liked it. Lots of nick naks and dust catching stuff.
Over time, and getting older, her health deteriorated; and she couldn’t walk. And after the carpal tunnel operation she found it hard to even hold a pen let alone a paint brush. She moved again into another room in the new wing named ALKIRA Lodge. There is no doubt she had the best room in the facility. She was offered a room closer to the dining room but refused because all of the other rooms had their toilet door facing the corridor. She didn’t want anyone looking into her bathroom when they walked past.
Over the years I tried to buy her things that would make her comfortable like a suitable chair, walking aids, duvets and seating pads. So many of these she did not want, and I had to take them home. I still have a 3 wheel walker in my shed that I know loan to friends.
I don’t know if many of you rang Mum and tried to tell her about your illness, but it was always turned around to complain about what she was going through. That was Mum. We listened and tried to cheer her up because we love her.
Wherever Mum lived, it wasn’t a good as the place before it. She loved her friends and neighbours from the place before. That’s every place. So many of those people loved Mum.
I love you Mum. I thank you for my life and the lives of my children. Your kids love you, Your Grandkids love you and your Great Grandkids will love you when their parents tell them about you.
We are proud that you served your country in time of war.
You will live in my heart forever.
Lest We Forget.
Gary Roser J.P.
____________________________________________________________________________________________
TOUGH CHRISTMAS - 2023
With the ever increasing cost of living, many in our community are doing it tough. Christmas in particular can be a difficult time for many families.
A few years ago the Rev Claire Wright from Manning Uniting Church devised the idea of a Tough Christmas service, acknowledging the losses and deep seated problems of many in our community.
The special service is followed by a light lunch, then those attending can walk around the room selecting free gifts. There was a pet table, women's table, men's table, toys, Christmas items, teens, children's and babies’ clothes. food table and family bags. There was a huge number of items donated by church members, community members and help agencies. Wesley Mission and Manning Uniting Church gave out gift vouchers to the needy.
The overall attendance on Friday 15/12 was around 90 folk, clearly showing the need in our community.
A very big thank to all those who so kindly donated for the Tough Christmas.
The day before, some 30 Christmas hampers were handed out at the church, to make Christmas a little brighter.
The Manning Uniting Church would like to wish everybody a very happy and blessed Christmas.
___________________________________________________________________________
OUR OWN DAIRY COW
August 2023
For some years, dairy farmers in NSW have been running a project aimed at supporting their industry by selling fibre glass cows that can be painted and displayed outside premises around the town.
Manning district dairy farmers joined this project last year and we have started to see colourful cows around town, much like the painted koalas in Port Macquarie and the Hastings, and at Taree station.
Church Council decided to buy our own cow as a community service project and install it outside the Red Dove Café. It was picked it up from Nicholson’s dairy farm in December, and Kerry MacAulay agreed to design a paint scheme for it and do the painting.
Kerry has now completed this project and Connie the Cow is now on display outside the Red Dove, along with the street library and the Orange Sky Laundry pod – all means of connecting with our community.
These are Kerry’s comments on her design process:
“I have been inspired by the Manning Uniting Church vision of ‘connecting’ in the design of the cow. I chose to write the word ‘connecting’ as part of the design rather than including other symbols. The two front legs represent trees with branches spreading out over the hills and valleys of the Manning. I was reminded of Jesus declaring ‘I am the tree and you are the branches’.
“The colours I have chosen are representative of the grass and trees, the earth, the sky, the beach, the river, the mountains and the ocean: the natural world of the Manning Valley.
“I have deliberately left some flaws and imperfections on the surface of the cow. To me, this is a sign that the work is handmade. It also reminds me that none of us is perfect, but is none-the-less valuable, and our flaws are part of our uniqueness and beauty.
“When I first painted the cow’s hooves, I was thinking of the ubiquitous blackbutt tree, but the blackened hooves also remind me of the aftermath of bushfires.
“Apart from these ideas, I leave it up to every viewer to imagine whatever they choose about what the cow represents to them.”
_______________________________________________________________________________________
Conversation with Synod Mission Consultant Glen Spencer
Manning Uniting Church Auditorium
Saturday 11 March 2023
10am – 12 noon
Mission Audit: Rev Claire’s Manning Mission ‘Groundwork’ Report from last Saturday’s Mission Audit workshop is available for the MUC congregation in preparation for next Saturday’s conversation with Synod Mission Consultant Glen Spencer.
The Mission Audit workshop was very useful in giving those present a chance to express views and compare ideas on where we are and where we would like to go.
Our challenge is not so much in finding mission ideas as in how we can sustain them, how we might continue to operate our centre and the things that go with it. We have a great space right in the CBD, good use of our centre, and a number of good programs and connections. How to keep it going is key.
This will be the focus of our conversation with Synod Mission Consultant Glen Spencer on Saturday March 11.