January saw the passing of another long time Gympie resident.
My mother, Hazel Elizabeth Duthie, spent most of her 92 years in Gympie.
She had a difficult start to life as did many born during the depression years, but she had many fond memories of the freedom and fun times had growing up in the Gunalda/Kadina area with her five siblings.
Hazel was born on 26 March 1930 the second youngest child of English born Betty and Finnish born Andrew Johnson.
Andrew was a fettler in the railway and the family lived in the Kadina crossing house and were responsible for manually operating the crossing gates.
The children Sydney, Hilda, Leonard, Pearl, Hazel and Robert attended the Gunalda school.
Walking barefoot for miles to and from school was common in those days as was making your own fun like fishing or catching jabbies in the creek and collecting pieces of coloured glass and china.
Sadly Betty died in 1936 leaving a young family ranging in age from 3 to 16 years.
The younger ones were taken under the wing of Ethel Jocobson a friend of Betty’s who had a large family of her own.
Circumstances at the time meant Hazel could not complete her schooling.
It was required she leave school in year six to gain employment, housekeeping for a neighbouring family before venturing as far away as Woodford, then moving to Marlborough station to work with two of her brothers.
She then worked in various cafes in Brisbane and Cleveland during the war years before moving back to Gympie in 1946 and found work at Londy Bros café in Mary street.
By this time Hazel’s eldest sister Hilda had passed away at 21 years of age as had her father Andrew.
Her remaining sister, Pearl, had moved to America having married an American serviceman.
Hazel then commenced nursing training at Gympie general hospital and lived in the nurses quarters in Alfred Street.
It was during this time she met Lyell Duthie and her desire for a family and somewhere to belong saw them marry in 1948, shortly after which they moved to Manumbar where they both worked in the plywood mill.
Hazel relished being part of Lyell’s family.
She once again had two sisters, another brother and parents in law.
Whilst living in Manumbar their first two children Warren and Marilyn were born.
They then moved to Cooran where Lyell worked for Straker’s sawmill.
The little family grew with two more children, Pamela and Glen arriving before they moved back to Gympie in 1958 when Lyell commenced work at W.C. Prongers.
The next four years saw the birth of two more children Brett and Sharon to complete the family.
Hazel embraced family life and excelled in the domestic arts like cooking, sewing, knitting etc.
She never learnt to drive and shopping days saw her bundle up pram, baby and toddlers to board Clarrie Lewis’s bus for town.
When one of the children needed specialist treatment in Brisbane it involved a long exhausting trip by train with young ones in tow.
Christmas was a special time for Hazel, she loved the lead up to the festive season cooking and decorating in preparation.
The six week school holidays were also a blessing with no need to prepare numerous lunch boxes.
As the years passed and grandchildren arrived Hazel once again was in her element, fussing and caring for her grandchildren.
Lyell and Hazel divorced in the late seventies and a few years later she moved to Woody Point then the Sunshine coast before returning once again to Gympie.
During her later years Hazel occupied her time reading, doing crossword puzzles (a question never went unanswered) and many complicated counted cross stitch items for family and friends.
She also enjoyed a weekly lunch outing.
However her greatest pleasure was spending time with family.
Although her health was declining Hazel insisted on living in her own unit with help from her carer and her family.
Despite limited schooling, Hazel was a very intelligent woman whose quest for knowledge never wavered and she had all her faculties until the end.
Hazel passed away with family by her side in the palliative care ward of the Gympie Hospital on 12 January and was farewelled in a private family service on 17 January.
Hazel leaves a legacy of 6 children, 16 grandchildren, 29 great grandchildren and 5 great great grandchildren.
She was dearly loved and will be sadly missed by all who knew her.
