In Memory of My Mother

My mother, Beatrice Dawn Wright was born on the 10th July 1933 on the family farm “Kumathud” in Manangatang Victoria, youngest of of 12 children 3 boys and 8 girls, born to Isabella and Clarence Wright. Ruby, Nita, Les, Violet, Stan, Alice, Jean, Reg, Elsie, Glad, June and Beatrice. Mum was only 4 when her mother died, a huge loss for a little girl but she remained very close to her siblings all her life.

Some of the girls.
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Mum grew into a woman in the Mallee and while working in the local hotel and fell in love with a local lad, Keith, who was the son of Jack and Maude Ryan. Dad was one of 8 chilkdren 6 boys and 2 girls, Jack, Dick, Nig, Ginger, Squizzy, Snow, Maureen and Cheyrl.  They married on the 10th September 1952 in the Manangatang Catholic church. Mum was just 20 years old and Keith (better known as Dick) was 22.

Mum and Dads wedding day

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Mum and Dad had 9 children, Leigh, Marilyn, Wayne, Carol, Kim, Garry, Gayle, Vaughan and Brett. They initially lived in Chinkapook, Dad working for the Victorian Railways. From there we moved to Tragowel, Werrimal, Ouyen, and Fernbank.

A week after Mum had given birth to my brother Garry, tragically our sister Carol Lena contracted Golden Staph Pneumonia and died. Mum being Mum she just closed that chapter and moved on accepting her lot in life, keeping her grief close to her heart, never complaining about the injustice of it all.

We then moved to Morwell for the sake of Dads chronic bronchitis and lived there from 1960-1963, then moved to Wantirna South Melbourne in 1964 where the 8th child, Vaughan was born.

In 1969 we moved to Ashburton in Melbourne and the 9th and final child Brett was born. With 9 hungry mouths to feed, money was tight and Mum and Dad struggled to make ends meet but what we lacked in material assets, they certainly made up for in a home that was rich in love.

Mum was devoted and loving, she always put her family first. The family can all recall large gatherings, parties, singing, and family holidays at Manangatang where they would join the many Aunts, Uncles and cousins from both sides.

Mum and Dad divorced in the early 70’s. Dad remarried but died on 31 March 1988 in Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria. Dad today is survived by
Ginger and Cheyrl.
 
Mum travelled to Perth WA with my brother Kim and his then wife Bonnie, followed by my sister Marilyn and her tribe before returning to Melbourne where she lived in Carrum on the Mornington Peninsula for the next 5 years working at the local RSL.

When Marilyn and her family moved to Bendigo Mum did too, purchasing a caravan which she lived in at a caravan park in Junortoun. This proved a very happy time for Mum where she made lots of new friends.

As Mum got older she found the winters harder to bear in a caravan. It was at this time in 2010 while we were living and working in Sydney we decided to buy a house in Quarry Hill Bendigo, and Mum moved in, establishing a magnificent garden.

Some gardening notes from her favourite book The Weely Times Garden Almanac.
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In March 2010 my brother Brett at age 39 tragically took his own life in Perth Western Australia and was cremated at Karrakatta Cemetery in WA.

(See post here)

The next year in 2011 Andrea and I moved from Sydney to share the home with Mum for the next 7 years. She was surrounded by the beautiful garden she had created, sharing the home with us and enjoyed many family gatherings in the years to come.

Mums favourite Gnome 'Robert'. Still living in her garden.

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In 2012 Mum purchased her own plot in the Bendigo cemetary, in a spot she chose. Below is a picture of Mum dancing on her own garve.

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 In 2017 I left full time work, Mum was becoming quite frail and needing more assistance with her every day activities, so with my two sisters Marilyn and Gayle we supported and cared for Mum until she moved to the Royal Freemasons Home in Flora hill, Bendigo just around the corner from home in September 2017.

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 Mum quietly slipped away on the 8th September 2019 in much the way she lived, without fuss or fanfare, just a gentle winding down of that strong and resilient body, her work here on earth done. She is buried in Bendigo cemetary with my brother Brett’s ashes in the arms of his mother in her grave. Mum was the last of her siblings to pass away.

Plaque and location (Click Here)

A letter from the nursing home after Mums passing letting us know she won the footy tipping competition.

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