AUG2013_OBITUARY Marjorie Evelyn Pedwell

13 July 1925 – 23 July 2013

Marjorie Evelyn Pedwell, (Marj), one of the last living links with the first settlers of Mt Mee, passed away on 23rd July.  She was born on Mt Mee on 13th July 1925 to Catherine (known as Kate) and Arthur Thomas.

She had two older sisters, Elsie and Joan, and a younger sister Gwen.

When Marj was just three years old her father died, leaving her mother expecting another child – Arthur Jnr.  Kate’s mother Elizabeth then came to live with the family.  In 1944 Kate married, Bert Loweke and they had a daughter – Catherine (Kay), who in turn married Kevin Hennessey.

Marj knew Len Pedwell during their school years, but their relationship started when Len returned home from WW2.  They were married on 3rd April in 1948 in the Mt Mee Church and the wedding reception was held in the Mt Mee Hall.

Marj and Len had six daughters and one son – Anne in 1949, Marion in 1950, Betty in 1952, Jill in 1953, Ray in 1955, Ruth in 1957 and Lenore in 1959.

Marj loved sport and she played and watched many types all her life.  Tennis was her greatest sporting love – both playing and watching from the comfort of her lounge chair.  She learned to play golf in her fifties and even achieved a ‘hole in one’ – twice!  She also enjoyed indoor and outdoor bowls and she still enjoyed a spot of bocce during her days at St Pauls Aged Care in Caboolture.

Marj was a person who contributed actively to her community and the Mt Mee branch of the Country Womens’ Association played an important part in Marj’s life.  She was an office bearer for many years, which helped her self-confidence, and she formed many lifelong friendships.  Marj was also a strong supporter of the Mt Mee Hall.

Her garden gave her much pleasure, especially when they moved into the new house in 1974 and finally had a fence to keep the cows out.  She grew flowers and shrubs along with her vegies.

Reading and reciting poetry remained another passion throughout her life, along with country music.

Losing loved ones is one of the hardest trials we can face, and losing her sister who was just 35 was very very hard for Marj.  Then in 2005, when Marj was eighty years old and just out of hospital after open – heart surgery, she lost her daughter Marion to cancer.

Marj’s own health began to fail rapidly in 2009 and she entered care, where she remained until her passing on 23rd July.

Marj was very fond of her family and they all loved her dearly.  She had a great inner strength, she enjoyed the simple things in life herself, and she taught her family by example to love, to be generous and to be kind.  She often quoted her mother by saying “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all!”

Marj is survived by husband Len and seven children, fifteen grandchildren and nine great grandchildren, (with more ‘littlies’ on the way!)

She was a loyal, supporting and loving wife, mother and grandmother and a much loved and greatly respected member of the Mt Mee Community. 

She will be dearly missed.