My Nan passed away late last week, Dorothy knocked up 91 years, 5 kids, 6 grand kids, a few step grandkids and one great grand daughter.
If I had to sum up some a few things about my Nan it would be faith, cooking, walking and reading. She was really dedicated to her faith, and while I’m not, I admire her commitment and dedication over her life. I did the portrait below of Nan a few Christmas’ ago. We were all down at Scamander for a few days and I did have in my head the idea that I wanted to get a portrait that was more than a smile at the camera shot. She had some quite time with her bible and that is when I realised that was the one item that she should be photographed with. Apparently there were at least 20 bibles in her house, but this one was the one that she really used the most. It was a nice touch that this very bible is with her now and will always be with her.
Fun facts about my Nan. (from my memory as she told me, so there may be some discrepancies but still good stories)
She grew up in Gawla in North West Tas.
She trained to be a nurse.
She was sent to work in the Zeehan Hospital.
Some men from the hospital committee (I think) took it upon themselves to the new nurses to the dance.
One of these men was Bill Moyle who, with his mum ran the Central Hotel and soon became my Nan’s husband.
Due to my Nan’s dad being quite religious there was no alcohol at the wedding. (but many people wondered why there were so many men hanging around my grandfathers car in the parking lot… he was a publican after all!)
Nan spent 35 years with Pop and my great grand mother running the Hotel then moved to Somerset.
My Nan could cook really well, glorified pub meals. One that sticks in my mind is a casserole that had sausages in it.
My Nan loved a walk (When I visited her last in the nursing home I asked a nurse where she was and they told me she would be off walking. The home had a looping corridor and she would be doing laps)
There was always a Readers Digest in close reach.
She put up with my brothers and my Chipmunks Casette stuck in her car radio for weeks after our visit had finished.
At my wedding she told me she would “thump me” if I didn’t look after Vikashni.
There are many more things, but I think that’s enough for now. I’m looking forward to getting some notes that she wrote about her life when she turned 80.
