Grace

Portrait

We went to Traralgon for a Memorial Service for Grace (mother of brother-in-law Rob).    The service was a fitting tribute to a lady whose mother died when she was 19 months old (in the 1919 global Spanish flu epidemic) and who herself, as a baby, spent time in the tent hospital at Broadmeadows.  We were reminded of the ups and downs of the years in Traralgon in the 50s and 60s.   We already knew of her great affection for her family but we learned that later in life she travelled to Europe 18 times to stay with one of her sons and his family in London.    She certainly packed a lot into her 94 years, and her autobiography (edited by Rob) has been published:  it's called A Charmed Life (see http://catalogue.nla.gov.au/Record/4237013), and really is very interesting reading.

Former Presbyterian Church

 The service included the hymn "Amazing Grace" - pun intended (although I'm not sure that the Canon who conducted the service totally approved).  It was at St James Anglican Church, Traralgon.   I was expecting to find a fine old building, but no, this was a modern (1970s?) complex - very pleasant and functional, of course, but it didn't have quite the atmosphere that I had been expecting.  The earlier Anglican parish church in the heart of town, built in 1922 and replacing the original 1870s wooden church, was demolished in 1970 to make way for a supermarket.    At least it didn't suffer the fate of its Presbyterian neighbour, also dating from 1922, which today is a restaurant and bar!         (edited 18 Sept)      

Church interior

...just one of half a dozen tables!

Refreshments were offered after the service, and country hospitality was certainly evident with ample food (I hope the left-overs were put to good use!)