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The stress developed into what I can only see as the Great Tragedy of Ida’s life. No, there was
no real tragedy, no death of a child, no wife-beating or abandonment. The tragedy I am seeing
is one that her family would never have realised. More of that as the story unfolds.
The first child was my mother, RUBY born on 22nd September 1908. And the last was Stella
Marie, who arrived in 1929 when Ruby was already 21.
Here is a list of brothers and sisters and their dates of birth:
RUBY VIOLET: 22-09-1908
GORDON AUGUSTINE: 08-01-1911
THALMA KATHERINE: 15-04-1913
LORENTZ WILLIAM: 04-08-1915
DOUGLAS GEORGE: 08-02-1918
VERA PEARL: 10-12-1920
VINCENT EMMANUEL: 27-06-1923
MILTON EDGAR: 01-07-1926
STELLA MARIE: 19-11-1929
The offspring of my generation will remember all the brothers and sisters who were our uncles
and aunts. And some of the next generation will also remember them as their great-aunts and
uncles. There are photos to follow of our wonderful Aunts Ruby, Tilly, Vera and Stella who
were individually and collectively loved by us all. Unfortunately, although I knew and was fond
of the Uncles they were a separate entity.
My mother, Ruby, was a great reader and story-teller (much to her mother’s chagrin!) so let her
tell her story herself.

CHAPTER 2: AS RUBY SAW THE STORY OF HER PARENTS: JACK AND IDA
(Dictated to me when Ruby was very old and almost blind. Parts have been paraphrased)

‘M

y Father never called my Mother anything but Doll or Dolly, never Ida. I asked him
why and he replied that she was just like a beautiful doll, with her lovely red
cheeks, blue eyes and black, black hair when she was young. For all his
wanderlust he was always in love with her.

‘There was an occasion when I was about two years old and was standing in my cot where my
mother and father were dressing to go out to a Ball. My Mother was so very beautiful in a grey
dress with lace at the neck and her long hair done upwards. She wore a pearl necklace at her
throat. Aunty Linda, who was only about 14 at the time (remember the flower girl with the Big
Hat in the wedding pic?) took care of me. After Mom and Dad left Aunty Linda explained that a
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