Eulogy

As the self appointed family historian, I asked Mum and Dad several years ago to tell me about their lives so that I could keep it for posterity.
To begin at the beginning: -

My mother was born Mabel Constance BOSANKO on 3 October 1914 at Rose Park to Elizabeth Ann (nee NANKIVELL) and Thomas George BOSANKO.  She was the youngest of 8 children;  Bill, Dorothy, Doreen, Ted, Lance, Lillis and Horace.  She attended school at Rose Park and MLC.  After leaving school she became an elocution teacher.  Perhaps it is best to continue in Mum’s own words:..

"Elocution was my highlight and I entered all competitions and won championships in under 16, 18 and open competitions.  I also entered into amateur theatricals.
After leaving school in 1930 I started up my own Elocution School.  My teacher Thelma Baulderstone whom I had been assisting for a time handed over some of her students to me.  I also had pupils and classes in Moonta and Port Wakefied and would travel there every 2 weeks.  On some occasions I borrowed my brother Horace's Excelsior 2 stroke motor bike and rode up on Thursday mornings and back again on Friday nights.  Lessons started at 12.30pm and continued until 7.30pm.
"My mother was very nervous about me riding alone to Moonta and she insisted that Horace's friend who was a mechanic and out of work at the time accompany me.  The only twice that the bike did break down he did not know what was wrong with it!

" I loved dancing and enjoyed a wonderful social life. When I was about 19 or 20 years old my brother Horace and I won a ballroom dancing competition - Waltz and Fox trot.  I was also very interested in sport, particularly basketball.  I was an A grade player.

"In 1936 I started work at 'Foy and Gibsons' a large department store in Adelaide.  While there I hurt my back while decorating the stairs - I fell down them!  I was taken home by ambulance and was off work for a month. I was later promoted to secretary in the Cutlery, Crockery, Crystal and Clocks department where I did the buying for the crockery section.  I only worked there for 8 months before I was married.

"I loved my married life.  As a banker's wife I enjoyed moving to different places where I took office with various charity organisations."

One evening she attended a State Bank Dance and a chap told her that a friend of his would like to dance with her but was too shy to ask.  She married that shy lad, Edgar, with the brown eyes on 4 September 1937 after breaking off the engagement once as no decision could be made on a wedding date.  She even managed to score a second engagement ring as well!  They were married for 62 years and shared a wonderful life together with all it’s ups and downs, including losing a daughter, Raelene, at almost 13 years old and Mum’s fight against cancer in 1961 that she won though it left her with ongoing complications.  In later years her heart caused further problems.

There were certainly other highlights to Mum’s life.  Not only did she fall down stairs, she was also adept at falling UP them!  She also had several eventful happenings concerning her teeth.  When the septic man knocked on the door in Barmera bearing a set of false teeth recovered from our septic system she calmly reassured him that she had another set so would not be needing those anymore!  Some years later a similar situation occurred but this time the teeth were found by boys diving by a houseboat.  The kindly houseboat owner passed on the name of the possible owner and they arrived at our front door - but Mum had made a habit of always keeping a spare set on hand for just such an emergency!

In early years when delivery of one of my sisters was imminent, Dad was unable to get a taxi so he hailed the milk cart and Mum rode to hospital on the back.

Mum loved to entertain and learnt to take it in her stride but not without the odd mishap - her first effort at an afternoon tea for the "Bank wives"  was heading for disaster when she accidentally used washing soda instead of baking powder in her foolproof ginger cake recipe.

Mum enjoyed her family and valued her many friends.  She was always ready and willing to help others and was a very active community worker in CWA, Hospital Auxiliary, RSL, Church and Bowling Clubs in the various towns over the years - Leigh Creek, Meningie, Barmera, Cleve, Berri and Adelaide.

Following Dad’s retirement in 1975 they did a lot of travelling.