Remembering Doreen Dunning-14/9/13 to 19/10/10

Yesterday was the one year anniversary since my Wife's Aunty, Doreen Dunning died. I have posted this eulogy in remembrance of a fine Christian Lady.

            Eulogy for Doreen Dunning

Thank you on behalf of Doreen’s family for coming here today to remember and give thanks to God and pay tribute to and celebrate the life of Doreen. Aunty Doreen to most of her family today except her sister Audrey who is here from Renmark, and other Renmarkians as well.

Muriel Doreen Dunning ,Doreen to most people was born on 14/9/13  in Bartels Nursing Home,Pennington Terrace .Her father was Alfred Berthold Rosenberg and her mother was Winifred Hilda Lydia Rosenberg                                          .

She lived in Adelaide for a while where from what we know her Father was Hotelier but when quite young she moved to  Adelaide but spent much of her early years living on the family farm at  Kunlara with  an older brother Laurie who is deceased and  younger Sister Audrey, who is my wife Lesley’s mum.

She was married to Harry Dunning on the 15^th March 1946 by Reverend William Charles Brooker at his residence at “Lochiel” 20 Divett Place at Alberton. They were separated by Harry’s death at the age of 98 on new years day in the year 2000. They did not have any children.

Doreen was very fond of children and for many years was a tireless worker who became State director of Child Evangelism Fellowship International. More about that later.

Doreen was a remarkable lady who grew up up in an era where life was lot harder than it is now.She rode to school in a horse and cart and milked cows on the family farm and did other chores.

Here are some of her own words.

“I began school at Kybobolite in 1917.

We lived in a large house –railway ran past the side of the house,pine trees all down 2 sides of the block.

No recollection of how we moved and why.

Settled in Kunlara approx 1919.Only 2 of us Laurie and I .

Laurie was 2 years older than I and died of a tumor at the age of 62.

When I was 10 years old a baby sister happened along named Audrey who is now Audrey Foweraker.

My brother and I had to got to school at Copeville approx 5 miles from Kunlara.

We drove in a sulky with a horse named Barney.

At the Copeville school we would have been 15 scholars and in that 15 were 3 Doreens. Lee, Burdett and Rosenberg.

Later when Laurie left school I had to ride a horse, a white horse which had been a cast off race horse..I was a skinny timid little thing but somehow managed to get to and fro.

Finally my father must have bought a little black  Shetland pony, that was better.When the pony had a sore foot or for other reasons I would walk to school along the railway line. I think the train only ran twice a week. We would get our provisions by train, bread etc.

Don’t remember how we received the paper maybe weekly.

My mother was making baby clothes , the usual baby gowns which were worn at that time and of course I couldn’t believe this “baby “ talk and I was sure they were for me.

I would hold one up against myself  and being so tiny was sure it was for me.

When the baby was about to arrive my mother took my brother and I to stay with Grandmother Stoeckel who lived in Paringa.Eventually I had a baby sister.

Kunlara was a very dry area , virgin land and many acres of mallee were cleared with horses drawing heavy rollers.Then the wood was burnt. The stumps had to be gathered and thrown into heaps  and  we children had to help after school..They were hard days, we were brought up “ under the thumb”.

After the seed had been sown and harvested  we had to help stack the hay and later sow up the bags of wheat with a large needle and twine in the blazing heat.Then help feed the machine when the hay had to be put into the chaff cutter for feed for the horses. We had cows and pigs and they all had to have attention.

I left school at 14 and Audrey attended Kunlara school.

SOCIALISING

Well there was little visitation as it was all horse and cart conveyance and people didn’t visit very much.

There was football in season and following the football  would be the local dance ,people came from all over.

They were great days. The mums and dads would dance and we younger ones all learned to dance also and supper followed. That was at Galga.

Occasionally we went to the Lutheran Church which also was at Galga  near the local store. Dances were also held at Copeville and  were very well attended.”

Her sister Audrey can remember often the sing songs around the piano in the family home and how fond Doreen was of the dances.

In her working life she was in the early days a shop assistant and in the 2^nd world war 2 she went to Adelaide to work in a Munitions factory but the majority of her employment over the years was in her own business which was a Ladie’s Frock shop which in the latter years was in Hutt Street in Adelaide. (Co incidentally it was in that time that my Dad met her well before I ever did as she used to buy material from a wholesaler where he worked.)

Aunty Doreen always had an eye for nice clothes and was always concerned to be well presented in her  appearance.

Church was always a part of Doreen’s life as a young  person as it was for so many people of her era but in later years she came into her Christian  faith with a much stronger conviction.She supported many Christian workers and organisations financially and in prayer and by writing to them.

Over the years she was involved with and attended several Churches including Cheltenham, Queenstown ,Semaphore and Mile end and Grote Street churches of Christ. Grote street now is called the Market Place  Church and meets on South Terrace and Bronte is the current senior  Minister there.

Doreen loved children and in the last couple of years she became very fond of our grandson Lucas and also she loved it whenever children of friends visited her at Parkrose and Reynella and especially when some would sing for her.There are some here today who she loved much.

For many years Doreen was involved in Child Evangelism Fellowship International where the main activity was teaching children about Jesus in what were called 5 day clubs and using a little booklet called the wordless book to share the Gospel.

She became the South Australian Director of CEF and for many years operated a cef shop from the back of her garage at Seaton.This was stocked with many studies and teaching aids for the Children.

Pauline met Aunty Doreen in one of those clubs and a long friendship developed and Pauline took over as State Director when Doreen retired from that position.
See a later post on this blog on CEF.
http://geoffthompsonsblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/04/child-evangelism-fellowship.html 

Doreen also loved being involved with Manna International and used to love teaching that emphasised the promise of Jesus  in the Bible that he would one day return for His church.

Doreen was always concerned that people understood the Gospel and was one of the first people to confront Lesley and myself about the claims of Jesus and had a lot to do with why we are Christians to this day.

 I met Lesley when she came to Adelaide from Renmark to start nursing at the age of 17 and she was boarding with Uncle Harry and Aunty Doreen at Seaton.

Aunty Doreen had a side to her that we were able to see often possibly more so than others. She had an infectious giggle that if she got started and found something funny she could not stop.

Some years back she and Uncle Harry were at Renmark with family celebrating their 50^th wedding anniversary. There are some photos here today from that occasion.

I was setting up a cake cutting photo and suggested it was traditionally that you should kiss after you cut the cake. Aunty Doreen started to giggle and could not stop.After a while I suggested that they practice a kiss first and, at that, Uncle Harry said “I don’t need any practice and sat down.” That started her off for another 5 minutes. We eventually got the cake photo minus the kiss. I do have that all on video but you will have to wait for the documentary to come out to see it.

Apart from being a very conscientious reader of  the Word Doreen  also collected lots of written down jokes and has often told us that she would sit down and read them and have a good laugh and handed the clippings on to Lesley suggesting that one day she might like to do the same particularly in her old age.

Aunty Doreen has a very rich and busy life and was in touch with many people both in Australia and overseas. She contributed financially to many Christian causes .

She touched many people’s lives and many touched hers and ministered to her in her later years in particular.

We have many fond memories as a family and Cathy and Richard particularly remember her baking prowess and in particular David was fond of her Peppermint slice.

I also remember her cooking particularly when Uncle Harry and I made a camping trip to the Flinders Ranges when he was 90. She cooked for us and every thing that was packed was dutifully labelled and people wandering past our campsite were envious of the food we were eating  and the aromas from the things I was heating up on the camp stove.

When in  later years she used to come and stay at Renmark she used to call Dud and Audrey’s property Pepper Tree Farm. When she broke her arm after she had just moved into Parkrose village and she spent a time of recovery there, she renamed it  Peppertree Nursing home..

One of her sayings we all remember when  in her 90’s was “I think I’m getting  like the old people.”  If you were a bit overweight she would quietly comment sometimes “he’s been sitting too close to the table.”

Aunty Doreen like Uncle Harry were not really into highlighting what they had done in their lives and both were not keen on having an ostentatious funeral.

Aunty Doreens’ main concern in life was that people would come to know Jesus as Lord and Saviour and I know that that would be the thought that she would want  people to  take away from this ceremony today that if in any way you or I had been touched by her life it wasn’t her doing but the work of God’s Holy Spirit and that we should all think afresh after today about the claims Jesus has made and our response to Him.

In recent weeks when she had a bad turn and started to deteriorate in he health she in  the course of each conversation would  say “I would like to be well again”  , and in almost the same breath “ I am  ready to die.” Indeed the day before she died she said to Lesley “I dreamed that today was my last day.”

It is wonderful to know that Doreen has now already met her saviour and has entered into eternity in an even more fuller way than she already had.

On behalf of her family who are here today and some who could not make it I would like to thank you all for coming and the friendship and love you have given to Doreen over in some cases many years, both practical and spiritual help.Close friends Pauline and Jan and Lyall have been faithfull friends for many years and there are so many others. Once I started naming them all we would be here for another hour so I will choose not to at this stage.

We can celebrate her life and Faith  and remember her and Uncle Harry as we have supper today and you are encouraged to share your Aunty Doreen stories with each other. There are also some photographs and some other things for you viewing out the front here.

Last birthday a few weeks before Doreen died

He Bible and note books in the Nursing Home.Her Bibles were very well worn and marked with notes.

Uncle Harry blowing out his 80th birthday candles. he lived to be 98.

Aunty Doreen and "Little Cat"

Eulogy-Dud Foweraker

Dud at his favourite River Red Gum in the Chambers Creek area.He estimated it was about 800 years old.

Dud giving out wisdom on banks of Hunchee Creek

Eulogy-Dud Foweraker

Dud Foweraker died on 5/3/10. He was my much loved father in law.I presented the following eulogy that was formed by family members at his Renmark funeral service on Wed 10/3/10.


EULOGY FOR DUD FOWERAKER

RENMARK 10/3/10


On behalf of Dud’s family and extended family, and in particular his wife Audrey, I would like to welcome you all here. (It is a wonderful thing to see so many here.)

(I am sure you are here because Dud has touched your lives at some time or other and it is greatly appreciated. He would however be embarrassed that so many are here.He was a humble man)

Thank you to all who have already visited and contacted the family and helped to prepare for the day.

It has come my way and to Rob as sons in law, to pay tribute to, and remember Dud. It is not an easy task as here is a life that has been lived to the full in his own unique way, shunning the limelight but never backward in commenting on life as he saw it. He has been a huge influence on his family and the Riverland community and even people further a field.

Dudley Graeme Foweraker was born in Renmark on the 8th Jan 1919 on the corner of Thurk and Fifteenth street.I believe the house is still there.His parent were Leslie Foweraker and Amy who was previously a Joslin. He had an older sister in Viv and a younger brother Noel. All are now deceased.

His first home where he lived his early years was at the end of Goolwa street in Boxtree scrub and from there he moved to Chaffey in the pine and cattlebush country near the boundary of Calperum station in a low hessian whitewashed house.His love of nature was born while playing with caterpillars, frogs, sleepy lizards and rabbits. They then moved to Renmark Ave when he was to begin his education leaving school at 17.

He married Audrey Rosenberg on 2nd October 1942 and they had 3 children Lesley, Helen and Richard.

He first worked in a Grocer Shop(Servwell) for 17/6d per week ($1.75) and selling insurance for T. and G. (9 years) and ,Harry Clarke’s grocery store(10 years) and while there was approached by Macrow and Sons to manage their Renmark Branch.

His dream was always starting his own nursery and he started establishing that while working at Macrows and the beginnings of Avenue Nurseries was in 1955. Of course in 1956 the Murray River Flood put a dampener on a lot of things for a while. (pun intended)

In his own writings he says the main family friends in the early days were the Richardsons, Yates and Martins. Of course there have been many others counted as friends since those days.

Dudley Foweraker; Husband, Father , Father in law, Grand Father , Great Grand Father, Conservationist, Nurseryman, Philosopher, Author, Ornithologist, Field Naturalist, Historian, Champion of the Murray River, Letter Writer,Ball Room Dancer,Musician, Table tennis player, and, sometimes, a bit out of sorts because he was in a lot of pain.

Dud was a self taught in all of these things and had some amazing gifts.

He was always in wonder of the world around us and just through observation and thinking things through, he built up an enormous amount of knowledge and understanding, particularly of the world of nature.

When I first visited the Foweraker household on Renmark Avenue , as an already bird and nature enthusiast, I thought I had entered a small version of paradise when I walked out the back door to see the bird aviaries, trees, shrubs and plant nursery all in very well kept and organised order

For the latter years of his life he and Audrey have shared an even more wonderful place on the outskirts of Renmark , their own minature national park and self contained eco system of mallee scrub. Cathy and Richard and David have also shared that paradise in recent years.

Richard re established Avenue Nurseries again in that time.At the moment because of the drought the Nursery is closed.

Over the years Dud began to hand feed a family of thrushes on the property and they continued to bring their generations of young to share the experience and then the willy wagtails and blackbirds jumped on the bandwagon as well not to forget the ever growing flock of top knot pigeons and doves that he fed each day calling them in his own distinctive way and also mimicking their calls. He firmly believed birds had their own languages as complex as ours.

The memories we as a family have of Dud’s life are many and I am sure many here could also recount having fascinating conversations with Dud and wanting to absorb as much as they can.

He was very law abiding, never tolerated the thought of doing the wrong thing and never wanted to embarass anyone by his behaviour.

Dud had lots of ideals.

One was, “it isn’t music unless you can whistle to it.”

Dud was a terrific pianist but played entirely by ear.Audrey too played the piano well.

The family have many fond memories of sing a longs around the piano.Lesley and Helen said one of their favourites of that time was “Buttons and bows.”

He loved to hear Lesley and Helen playing duets over the years whenever they were in Renmark.

Another favourite activity for Dud and Audrey was playing cards. They were great Khun Kahn 500 rivals and shared many laughs together over a game and all the score sheets are still available for the statisticians to peruse.


Dud had an amazing work ethic and was very frustrated when over recent years he could do very little physically.

It was then he started to cultivate his writing gift a little more than he had done in the past .

I know many appreciated his recent contributions of memories of days gone by in the Murray Pioneer.

He wrote those articles often with pen clasped in two hands as he could not stop his hand from shaking.

He also wrote a small collection of nature stories which was his way of wanting to get a message out to today’s school children about protecting the environment.

Many thanks to Tony Hersey who put then together and did the illustrations.

They are very special to us.

His first one called Puddin was written in 1946 when he was 27.

Rob and I will be reading some extracts from some of those stories shortly.

Dud used to keep us enthralled with his knowledge and discussions but literally sometime had himself and us in stitches.

He didn’t believe in wasting money on something new and was a firm believer in repairing and patching trousers.

On a visit to our house in Adelaide for a medical check up about a year ago, he decided to put a patch on a trademark pair of his khaki trousers. He was sitting on a chair in our kitchen sewing on a patch on his trousers while he was wearing them.

He finished the job went out of the room came back and complained his leg was itching. -------It was then that he discovered he had not only sewn the patch on his trousers but his leg also.

Dud used to say he didn’t need to read books as the natural world was a book to him and that was all he needed.

In recent years he did tend to read more often and always the newspapers. Over many years he has built an extensive scrapbook record of newspaper clippings of things that interested him about the Murray, conservation and the environment.

Dud was an expert on plants and trees and advisor to many on what trees to plant where. Many of the trees in Renmark were planted on his recommendation and many people in local councils and committees sought his advice.

He established his own Nursery business and for many years it was the main one in the Riverland. It only ever shut on Saturday afternoons and it was a family ritual to head for the bush on those time outs. Later on in retirement he was a volunteer worker at Richard and Cathy’s Avenue Nursery and really enjoyed helping out and meeting new customers and advising them.

A favourite Foweraker place over the years has been lake Merrittee and Calperum Station, home of the biosphere these days.

He used to in his younger days after knocking off from work on a Friday night In Renmark ,where he worked in a grocery shop, hop on his bike with a mate ,usually Alan martin, still dressed in their work suits, and ride to Lake Merrittee and camp the whole weekend and then ride back again.

It was out there where he gained a lot of his knowledge of birds and all the rest of the habitat.

Later Audrey and his friend’s wives joined them on these camping expeditions to lake merrittee and then later on the children and their families. Many a chop picnic was enjoyed there and other favourite places in the bush.

He could not understand how much we needed to take oon a picnic-As far as he was concerned all you needed to take on a picnic was “a few damn biscuits in a bag” and if you camped there all that you needed was a hip hole in the sand.

He used to share stories of people who had perished out there including a man called Tyndall whose grave used to be marked by a wooden cross but it has now been swallowed up by time. He is buried beneath some old native pines where he died.

Also when camped there as a family he used to tell us all, about the legendary but real hermit of the riverland called possum and say: “he could even be watching us now.”

Lesley and Helen and Richard grew up with their Dad as great birdlover who was always nursing some injured bird that had been brought to him.

They marvelled at his bird’s egg collection and there were always sick birds in the laundry. They remember cockies with no feathers and he taught them to stroke the bird’s gullet to help them get their oatmeal down.


Dudley was a great influence on all of us. His Children and partners and their childern and partners.

Richard in particular remembers the most important thing his Dad passed on to him was that the best things in life are free. They are all around us.

David has had the privilege of being the only grandchild actually living in Renmark who has had the benefit directly of his grandad as a mentor and has gained a great interest in the things special to him.

I will miss Dud greatly as we would quite often go out in the bush whenever we could get here and shared many wonderful times and absorbing discussions.

Taud Edmonds also took Dud out in the bush in recent years although Dud was always a bit worried about Taud’s go anywhere driving policy.Taud has been a great friend and support to Dud.

Dudley of course had a wonderful partner and wife in Audrey just about all of his life. They have been a wonderful team and Audrey, Mum, Grannie we just love you so very much for the person you are to all of us and your devotion and support and love for Dud for all these years. I know there a lots of your friends here also who will say amen to that.

We as his family are so thankful for all he taught us and shared with us about his beloved bush.

Mallee trees, purples,everlasting daisies, Murray Lillies, red dirt and blue bush and especially the birds.

How blessed we have been.

To Dud we love you very much and will never forget you.

Dud had no doubts about there being life beyond this earthly existence and of him having a creator.He said his church was the world around him.

I believe we can take comfort in knowing his Creator loved him even more than we ever could.

May we all know God’s wonderful blessings, His love and comfort at this time and the peace He gives.

Please feel free to share your memories of Dud with family members and each other after when we have a cup of tea or coffee and some refreshments.

Rob and I are now going to share some readings as promised and Rob has also written a tribute poem.

Dud hand feeding a Thrush at the back door

Watching the birds feed at home

I took this photo in the 1970's when we were rescuing Koalas from a flooded Paringa Paddock