Betty’s Eulogy, by Betty Edwards

Delivered at her ‘Celebration of Life’ | Saturday 2nd July | The Sports Club, Old Toongabbie

I want to thank you all for coming and to tell you I have not had a vision. I do not know when I will be passing, but I am hoping for Heaven. I know a lot of wonderful people up there, like my dear friends Betty & Horrie.

Betty was my friend. We met in my first job when I was 15. She was not only my very best friend, but she was always there. She knew all about me – the good and the bad – and she was still my friend. She was part of the fabric of my life.

We joked if we got near one hundred years we’d have a party, never thinking it might happen. She got to 94 years, but she was very ill and couldn’t wait for the party.

I was born in New St, Burwood, to Thomas and Eva Spooner. My Dad was 30 years old when I was born, the youngest girl in a family of four girls and two brothers. Dad was a hard-working non-drinker and built a very good business – he would have been regarded as wealthy. Then he got a very bad flu and could not work so his business went downhill and a crooked solicitor embezzled the bad debts he was collecting.

My eldest sister, Nell. Dad said before he got the flu, Nell had to stay home and not get a job and so she stayed at home and became my minder. She was always in trouble if she was not taking care of me. I used to wander away if the gate was left open, it seems I got her in a lot of trouble, but we became good friends when I grew up. I was able to nurse her when she was very ill. When she died, I realised she was my life history. She told me all about my childhood. I missed her.

She said I was a brute of a kid, then I grew up and met my much-loved husband when I was 18. He was in the army, in the same battalion as my brother. The war was over, but they were on leave before being deployed back to PNG to clean up, destroy equipment, and watch out for snipers. This was Jack’s second trip to PNG. He was sent home the first time unfit for tropical duties owing to constant attacks of Malaria, which he suffered with for about 7.5 years after he was out of the army.

While still in the army, he was in the city and a police constable was going to arrest him for drunkenness. Then a police sergeant came along and said, “Call him a taxi and send him home, can’t you see he has Malaria?”.

I met Jack after the War in the lounge room of my family home because he had been sent home from PNG. He was then deployed to the Tech Battalion at Wallangarra and that’s where he met my brother.

Jack’s Dad had picked them both up at Strathfield Station; our family home was at Homebush West.

Jack was quite a handsome looking soldier, I think I was impressed, and he wasn’t shy. He asked my out that night, but I had to decline. I was already going to Homebush Highschool Monthly Dance and the girl who lived across the road was coming with me.

He wasn’t put off, he said he could accompany us, and my romance began.

Jack’s parents lived at Five Dock, and I worked at Five Dock at G.J. Coles, so saw Jack day & night for the next 11-12 days. He asked me to marry him, and I wanted to, but my parents weren’t happy. I presume Jack’s parents felt the same, but he was 21 so had his say.

My mum was concerned but gave in when I said it would not be until he came back from PNG and hopefully out of the army.

This is how it worked. Jack’s Dad was the best Father-In-Law I ever had. His business was a smallgoods agent, and he started canvassing more shops. When Jack got out of the army, he gave Jack five of his shops and bought him a second-hand truck. Jack didn’t care about what work he did at the time; he said he just wanted to get a real life and be happy.

It was slow to start so we decided to get married and board with my sister, Phil, and her husband, Jim. Dear Jim.

Fifteen months after we married, along came Michael, then 2.5 years later, Julie, then 20 months after, Christine. When Christine was a year old, we were able to move into our house at Merrylands. We were so happy, our business was going well, we were able to have a family holiday at the beach. Of course, our kids were strong swimmers, and they were able to go to private Catholic Colleges and then uni.

11 years after Christine came Peter, and then 18 months after that came Patrick, my only blonde boy. He played on that as he grew. Six years later, surprise, surprise, I gave birth to beautiful twin boys, Matthew and David.

My prayers were ‘please God, let me live long enough to raise them’. Julie stepped up and said, ‘I’ll do that if you don’t make it’, and here I am. And M&D turn 51 years old on the 17.07.22. What a wonderful family I have.

Before M&D, Jack had been thinking of retiring so had sold his business and gone to work at Mayfair Ham & Bacon. Then life changed a bit, and retirement was put on the shelf until after M&D’s HSC.

Our wonderful family of working kids got together and paid the boys’ school fees, and our insurances, gas bill, and electric light bill, so that Jack could retire as planned. 

I was so excited when Jack retired. We played golf with our dear friends Betty & Horrie, we went to the movies with my good friend Marie Bliss. She lived just down the road from us. When I got my license, she was brave enough to drive with me. Sometimes it was a bit hairy, and I’d say, ‘don’t tell Jack I did that stupid thing’. Her reply was, “I won’t tell, but you’ll blab when you get home.”

James Newell – I would be very proud to add him to my sons.

Jack, Lenny Makin and Jim went to all the games (Paramatta home games). I made lunch and a big pot of coffee, and Patty Makin picked me up for the big game. At half time, Jim and I would pass the bread rolls along then the coffee. Jack and Lenny would only speak to one another as they discussed the form of every Parramatta player, then they would start sending the cups back before I could have my lunch. I looked along the seats and said, “Hold your cups until I have my lunch!”. That startled them but they did as they were told.

*No, dear reader, this was not the end of the story, but from here, she ad-libbed as she was known to do.