Val was born in the early 1930s near Noosa Heads. A few years later, along came a sister for Val. The sisters were very close and still are today. The family moved to the Sunshine Coast region and Val and her sister rode to school riding double on their horse.
The school had a horse paddock, as others rode to school the same way. Her parents went on to buy a dairy farm along the Brisbane River. They drove their dairy cattle from the Sunshine Coast over to the new farm,milking the cows at various dairy farms on the way. Travelling to school each day consisted of riding one horse to their school, until Val’s sister got a push bike and Val was then able to have the horse all to herself to ride from then on.
At 14, Val left school and worked on the farm. During that time Val was sent to learn sewing, which she loved and enjoyed doing all her life. There was a young man further up the valley, who she met and married in the late 1940s. Together, they went on to work on various farms before buying a dairy farm on the Brisbane River also.
There they raised their 3 sons. They also joined the Toogoolawah Christadelphian ecclesia. Every Thursday night the family travelled down to Bible Class at Redcliffe ecclesia after milking. Also going to the Brisbane ecclesia and to Ipswich.
The family had many people through their home; all were welcome. Val was an excellent cook. Cooking for tables full of people, young and old, making her own ice-cream and deliciously soft sponge cake filled with farm fresh cream.
Val and her sister often had to eat her homemade ice-cream for breakfast, so as mum could use the empty trays to make more for tea that night. My dad loved her apple pies and sponges. I (Stephanie – Val’s Daughter-in-law) went to stay at the farm when I was 10 and Val became my holiday mum; I went there every holiday.
I moved my horse up there and my husband and I eventually married, and she became my “mum”. The sewing lessons Val had taken when she went to school did wonders for us, our children and extended families, as mum sewed, knitted, smocked and crocheted for all of us. Val now has 8 grandchildren, and 27 great grandchildren, the eldest of those is to be married in May. Missionary work was also something Val considered invaluable, going overseas to India in the 1990’s which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Val had one of her loved friends from India visit her at Maranatha on a trip to Australia. Moving to Adelaide with her mother, they lived together for a while with family. Val eventually moved back to Brisbane into a two-bedroom cosy Independent Living Unit at Maranatha in 1995 before moving into a Hostel room.
Val has been at Maranatha for 24 years. Val counts her blessings of which there are many, at a grand age of 88, with grandchildren and great grandchildren and a knowledge of God’s saving Word, the Bible.
Our Lord Jesus Christ will soon be here to set up his Father’s Kingdom on the earth and then there will be joy everlasting. Mum would like to give many thanks to all who care for her at Maranatha and her fellow residents.
