Courtesy of The Chronicle Toowoomba
NORA FLYNN
NORA FLYNN 1924 - 2001
Residents of the Clifton district came out in force last month to bid farewell to a very popular local woman, Mrs Nora Veronica Flynn, aged 77. Born in 1924, Nora was one of seven children in the Logan family of Clifton, a family which still maintains strong ties in the area today. Nora received her primary education at the Clifton Convent School, and began to gain recognition as a talented pianist. After completing school at the Lourdes Hill Convent in Brisbane, Nora returned to Clifton to take up book keeping work. This job eventually took her to Sydney with the National Bank, where she lived for two years. It was in Sydney that she received a proposal of marriage from Jim Flynn, who had travelled from Clifton for the 1952 Royal Easter Show.
Jim was regarded as a progressive dairy farmer and pig breeder in the Clifton region, and he and Nora had been friends since childhood. Having grown up on a dairy farm, Nora adapted well back to the often hard life on the land after her marriage to Jim in 1953. Together they had eight children, and were well known for their work and dedication to community causes. The family was committed to church activities, and Nora also enjoyed playing tennis, dancing, dealing a hand of cards and tickling the ivories. In addition to these pursuits, Nora and her family were also involved in the Clifton Jockey Club, the pre-school, junior and senior rugby league football teams and the local Bowls Club. Music was Nora's passion however, and in recent years she had enjoyed the opportunity to share her talents with the Senior Citizens Club. Her enthusiasm was contagious, her laugh infectious, and the nickname "Boxer", which she had earned at birth, meaning harmonious and virtuous, was most fitting.
Nora Flynn worked hard during her life, both for her family and her community. She was a friend to many, and her involvement in the Clifton region will be missed. She remained certain however that she would be waiting in the hereafter with a welcoming cup of tea and a fresh deck of cards.
- reprinted courtesy "The Chronicle", Toowoomba
Life spent loving family and the land
Leslie Herbert Fuller
1918-1999
Leslie Herbert Fuller was born on July 2, 1918, at Crows Nest, the fifth son but one of nine children of Steven Arthur and Eva Jane Fuller (nee Richardson). Herb, as he was known, was the last surviving member of that generation of his family. He married Lillian Ball on January 6, 1937, in the Goombungee Congregational Church. She died on September 29, 1985. From his marriage Herb had two daughters, Ann and Irene, and seven grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. Herb's schooling was completed at the Virginia (Pierce's Creek) school. Outside of his family, the greatest love of Herb's life was to be found in horses. He was first of all a proficient master of the art of breaking in horses. He trained "Poundman" to drink at the bar of the Pioneer Arms Hotel at Goombungee. He was involved with the Oakey Pony Club for more than 21 years and was a life member and the patron of the club. He kept 14 horses and saddles at home so he could give the children of the district rides and tuition -- a thing of joy to Herb. He was a man who never missed a rodeo; a man who competed in the adult events of the pony clubs -- his last competition was in 1995. He excelled at pegging and he loved horse racing and often went with friends to watch. In more recent times Herb took his equine skills and applied them to the feline world. "Sambow" the Burmese cat, was broken in and trained with the same patience and determination that Herb applied to any of his mounts. "Sambow" was trained to be tied-up like a dog and responded to whistled commands. He was a dairy man and a general farmer and a contractor who cleared land, did fencing and cut baker's wood for Jack Darcy and Bill Sheriff. The T model Ford brought in 1937 for 22 pounds was the forerunner of a long period associated with motor transportation. He was a general carrier, carting bags of grain and cattle, and was the first person to truck cattle to the Oakey Saleyards. When he retired from trucking he ended a 50-year association with the saleyards. There was also the cream run which Herb operated from 1946 to be sold to John Robbers in 1965. He enlisted in the army during World War II. Herb loved sports and in his younger days played rugby league. In later life he was a member of the indoor bowls club and liked to watch sport on television. Herb was also a cattleman. He was a deft hand with the whip having learnt the art on the family dairy at Crows Nest. He made whips and he judged whip-cracking contests. He looked for loudness, and also straightness of stand and the neatness of swing. Herb was a life member of the Goombungee Show Society and he had been a member of the Goombungee Masonic Lodge. Herb Fuller was an old bushie -- a man of many talents who had come through a hard life to share his skills with others. He knew difficulties and in 1938 he could not afford 3/6 (about 35 cents) for a pair of sandshoes yet he remained a generous man who shared his time and skills with others. He had that geniality of the bushman to mix with others and to make friends in five minutes flat. Leslie Herbert Fuller left an inheritance in the lives of many children and enriched the world as he passed through it.
Printed in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 22 June 1999.
Miss Mary FREE
By MERRYL MILLER
Miss Mary Free, who died in Toowoomba aged 84, was a mainstay of the local musical scene, having delighted audiences for many years with her cello playing. The daughter of Charles and Dorothea Free, Mary Alice was born in Clifton on April 27, 1917, the fourth of seven children. The Free family farmed and Mary's early years revolved around school, milking the cows, and whatever other chores needed to be done. She learned to play the cello at a young age, and music quickly became the endearing love of Mary's life. She played with other family members at public gatherings, and during the war years, the music of the Frees could be heard over the radio. Mary trained for her certificates in midwifery and general nursing at the Toowoomba General Hospital, and spent several years pursuing this career in Victoria, Taroom, Dalby and Clifton. She decided to specialise in private nursing following her arrival back in Toowoomba, and achieved some prominence in nursing Sister Elizabeth Kenny during her later years.
Following the death of her father in 1955, Mary took on greater responsibility for her mother, devoting much time to her health and recreational needs. Dorothea Free lived to the grand age of 103, due in no small part to the nursing ministrations of her daughter, and Mary's firm belief in the benefits of a daily dose of cod liver oil. Mary always remained active in musical circles in Toowoomba, and was involved with the Toowoomba Philharmonic Society, the Toowoomba Concert Orchestra, and musical groups at the University of Southern Queensland. The sight of Mary playing her cello in the front sunroom of her home was a familiar one to people travelling along West Street -- a passion she continued until it was no longer possible.
In 2000, the Toowoomba Philharmonic Society awarded Mary life membership status, a fitting honour for her long association with the group. Apart from music, Mary enjoyed a few of life's other pleasures, including gardening, following the achievements of the Australian cricket team and involvement with the church. She never missed an opportunity to add fresh cream to anything, and she loved the two cars she drove during her lifetime -- a tiny blue Fiat, and a powerful Studebaker. Mary Free died on July 21 this year, and is survived by two of her sisters, Doris and Olga.
Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba 18 August 2001.
Sophia (Margaret) FISHER
Margaret Fisher died at Rangehaven Nursing Home earlier this month at the age of 100 years and six months. She would have been a great-great-grandmother in just two months time but is survived by three daughters, 23 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren. Margaret's father was a teamster who carted goods from Warwick to Leyburn where she was born Margaret Haley, the fifth of 10 children.
On leaving Leyburn State School she worked on properties looking after children before taking up dressmaking and later working on the family farm, "Baden Valley", leased at Southbrook. Her eldest daughter, Mrs Gloria Falknau, said her mother often spoke of milking cows by hand using a kerosene lantern for light and watching the possums in the moonlight.
In 1925 Margaret married Stan Fisher at St Stephen's Catholic Church, Pittsworth, where her funeral service was held 67 years later. Stan had a Harley Davidson motor cycle with a sidecar and Margaret recorded a poem of a day spent with him and other friends on the Condamine River near Pittsworth when they were courting. The young couple initially farmed at Felton and Mt Tyson, but settled at Southbrook in 1936, remaining until their retirement in 1955, when they bought the National Bank building and manager's residence. The bank leased the bank building back and Margaret and Stan lived in the residence. When they were living at Felton, Margaret joined the CWA in 1926 and became an active member. Her work was eventually recognised with a life membership.
At Southbrook she was also on the Hall Committee and the Social Club, playing indoor bowls. She also played lawn bowls until she had a stroke at the age of 87. She recovered but did not play again. Pittsworth Ladies' Bowls Club recognised her contribution to the club with a life membership. Although always busy, Margaret still had time for craft work which included crochet, making barley straw, bark and eggshell pictures. She was involved in the Pittsworth Catholic Church Ladies' Guild, often helping to raise funds for missions. She never smoked nor drank, and had a good constitution. Margaret is survived by daughters Mrs Falknau, Mrs Lorraine Johnston and Mrs Doreen Pitt. She was buried at the Pittsworth Lawn Cemetery on Tuesday, July 7.
Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 17 July 1992.
JIM FLYNN
Jim known for hard work, humour
by MERRYL MILLER
Farmer, community worker
Born: March 7, 1923
Died: January 31,2002
Jim Flynn spent the last 78 years living and working in and around Clifton, which must surely make him a true local. A real larrikin, Jim was a farmer and active community worker, renowned for his determination and "give it all you've got" attitude. Born in Toowoomba, James Edmund was second of four children to Patrick (Bob) and Marcella (Cella) Flynn, and grew up at "Redlands", a Clifton property purchased by his father in 1916. Jim, or "Noble" as he was commonly known, attended the Clifton Convent, and spent one year at Downlands College in Toowoomba. The time Jim spent at Downlands would be the only period in his life when he not reside in Clifton. At 15, Jim began his first job with O.B. Bell, a position he held for two years. Upon his mother's death, Jim moved back home to "Redlands" to work the farm with his father and brother. Six years later, in 1946, Jim's father also died, leaving the two young men to "batch", with their aunt Winnie dropping in to provide the necessary sustenance and cleaning. Jim and Vince filled their days and nights with hard work, campdrafts, football, races and dances. Jim's determination became evident when he discovered that some outstanding fees remained from his year at Downlands, and he took on contract farming in the little spare time he had in order to whittle away the debt. This determination was also present however in Jim's desire to meet as many young women as possible before settling down to married life. He once declared an ambition to discover just how much lipstick it took for a young man to become bilious, and from all reports, he was on the right track in this important research. His aunt Winnie was dismayed when Jim became one of the first men in the region to purchase a Ford motor car, believing that it would attract an unwarranted amount of female attention.
Needless to say, Jim hung on to that car despite his aunt's dire warnings! In April 1953, Jim married Nora Logan, whom he had known from his school days at the Clifton Convent, and the couple shared 48 years together. With seven young mouths to feed from 400 acres, Jim worked hard as a dairy farmer. He still found time, however, for an active involvement in community pursuits, and kept himself busy with the St Vincent de Paul Society, the P and C of the St Francis de Sales school, the Knights of the Southern Cross, the Parish Council, and Graingrowers. Jim had a lifelong interest in horses, following his early campdrafting days, and he maintained his passion through involvement with the Clifton Jockey Club, the two Clifton race clubs, and an occasional small flutter. Everything Jim did in his life was approached with commitment and humour, although if you ever wanted to stir him up, all that was needed was a derogatory comment about the Brisbane Broncos.
Football was not just sport to Jim, it was akin to religion, and the Broncos were beyond criticism in his mind. Bowling provided another interest, although this was a hobby not taken up until he found some time on his hands. Following Nora's death last year, Jim moved into the Nirvana Hostel in Clifton, where he was finally able to heed his late wife's advice, and take time to smell the roses. The months he spent at Nirvana were only the second occasion Jim had lived anywhere other than at "Redlands". Jim Flynn died in Clifton aged 78. He is survived by seven of his eight children, and 17 grandchildren.
Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba February 21, 2002.
Carolina a real character
Born: October 1,1919
Died: March 24, 2002
Fossa's Store is a landmark of Toowoomba, and for most of the store's history, Carolina Fossa was both the driving force and familiar face behind the counter. An immigrant who worked tremendously hard throughout her life, Carolina is remembered by many in Toowoomba for her involvement in both Fossa's Store and other milk bars over the past 50 years. Born in Lu Monferrato, a village in north-west Italy, Carolina was one of three children to Giovanni and Guiseppina Cerresa (nee Lupano). The Cerresa family had been wine growers for more than 300 years, and while they lived in the village at night, they worked the vineyards during the day using bullocks and ploughs. Carolina's father decided to try for a new life in Australia, and arrived in Mackay in 1925. The next nine years were spent clearing land, planting sugar cane and establishing plantations with other Italian immigrants. Conditions were tough, and the work back-breaking for these men, who had to rely on hand tools and horses to help get the job done.
They lived in tents, or huts using flattened kerosene tins as wall lining, and supplemented their meagre food rations with wild turkey and kangaroo meat. Australia was a culture shock for Carolina when she arrived with the rest of her family in 1934, and she was astounded by the amount of uncultivated land, the size of the country, and the abundance of firewood. Spending time with her two brothers was an enjoyable pursuit, and Carolina was devastated when one of the boys died after being bitten by a snake. In 1937, Carolina married Luigi Fossa, an older man who had migrated from Italy and worked in Australia with her father. Luigi was also a sugar cane farmer, and the pair owned a property at Mackay during the war years, and raised their two young sons. The move to small business came in 1951, when Luigi and Carolina decided to sell their farm and try their hand at running a grocery shop in Mackay. It was a successful venture, and Carolina was able to keep a jersey cow at the back of the store for milking, chickens for eggs, and a vegetable garden. They kept the store for three years, when they moved back to Italy to wrap up some vineyard interests which Luigi still held there. Returning to Australia in 1956, the couple eventually settled in Toowoomba after brief stints in both Mackay and Brisbane. Purchasing the business on the corner of Campbell and Hume streets, Fossa's Store was born, and is still owned and run by family members today. Carolina and Luigi expanded their business interests with the purchase of the Everest Milk Bar, complete with juke box, milkshakes and egg flips, in 1961, situated where the Burke and Wills car park is now. Eventually renamed the Do Drop Inn, the cafe became a popular meeting place for bodgies, widgies, and bikies, who would leave their wallets with Carolina to look after while they went out partying.
The pair returned to Fossa's Store in 1967, running it until 1972, when they decided to lease it out. Luigi died in 1975, and Carolina, never one to waste time, spent her days gardening and raising hens. Those who knew her remember her as a real character -- while an astute and determined businesswoman, she would still dress like the Queen Mother for a trip into town. Carolina returned to Fossa's Store in 1983, and she continued to work there with her son until the end of last year, despite failing health. She was aged 82 when she died in March, and is survived by her two sons, John and Louis, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
Published in "The Chronicle", Toowoomba, 23rd May 2002.
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