| Recently, Edna Lyon, a long standing member of Seaholme Probus Club, achieved a great milestone, her 100th birthday, an event that was celebrated at the club’s October meeting.
Edna was born into difficult times. At here birth the First World War was still raging and had more than a year still to run. She grew up in Elma St West Footscray and attended Tottenham State School and Footscray Domestic Girls College. |
Edna Lyon and club president Karen Dawson |
Times were difficult during the 1920s and were set to become even worse in 1929 when the Great Depression started. None the less, when she was 14 (in 1931) Edna left school and found work in a Knitting Mill in Richmond, which required travelling by train and bus. Edna often travelled on her bike. As was usual with many women of her generation, she did not get a license to drive a car. After she married her husband, Andy, drove her in the family car.
Edna married and had two daughters; her eldest Jan is also a member of our club. Five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren followed.
When the Second War broke out in 1939 her husband joined the army and Edna was forced to care for her young family on her own. She took in boarders to supplement her income.
It was a happy day when Andy returned from the war but times were still difficult with jobs in short supply.
During her life Edna developed her considerable artistic skills, particularly in painting and decorated copper. She won a first prize in decorated copper at the Royal Melbourne Show and numerous second prizes!
Throughout her life Edna faced the world with the same cheerfulness and determination that she showed us as a member of our club.
Edna received letters of congratulations from ...
... The Queen ...
... The Governor General ...
... and the Prime Minister ...
Thank you to Jan Moore, Edna's daughter, for providing the information for this post.
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