Owers Newman family history

Mrs W Owers

Today I am very excited to find the obituary of my great x3 Grandmother Mrs W Owers.  I still have not got her first name as I will need to research this at Genealogy society but I am happy about this find because it provides me with a comprehensive story of her life in Burra and leads back to England.  I knew that my Mayo ancestors were from Burra but had nothing on the Owers side, infact I did not know anything about that side of the family.

My greatx3 grandmother, Mrs W Owers was born in Kent, England, on August 8th, 1838 and with her parents, Mr and. Mr George Newman, came to Australia it 1848 in the ship California. The family came direct to Burra where Mr Newman with the Burra Burra Mining Co.   He however, died six weeks after his arrival here. 

This is amazing to find the next woman in my maternal linage.  I am so happy, and I remember Nanna saying that Grandmother was from Kent but could never work out which one!

In May, Burra will be holding quite a few interesting events as part of the About Time Festival so I will definitely register for some of them especially the Family history event.  Also, I will have to catch up with my Burra cousin's at the same time.  

For the whole story about Mrs W Owers obituary see the Trove National Libraries Australia website The Burra Record Wednesday Dec 6th 1922

Thank you Trove I love you.

For your information, my maternal lineage

• Estel Lindstrom - b 1918 Quorn etc, Smith field, Port Adelaide
• Alice Mayo/Lindstrom - b 1888 Pattupa, Beltana, Wonika creek, Beltana, Hawker, Smithfield, Port Adelaide, North Adelaide
• Mary Owers/Mayo - b 1857 Burra, Laura, Pattupa, Beltana, Wonika creek, Hawker, Port Augusta
• ? Newman/Owers - b 1838 Kent England, Burra
• ? ? /Newman - b?

Vintage tea party - the event

Vintage tea party

Inviting my dearest friends to my home for a vintage tea party was a lot of fun.  I feel so blessed to share these times with them.  Of course everyone dressed vintage (in their Sunday best) and brought some sweet or savoury food.

It was a lovely sunny Sunday afternoon enjoyed near our pretty garden under the pergola. Tea was served from big tea pots into pretty vintage fine bone china cups and champagne was poured into the old fashioned wide rimmed champagne glasses.

Pretty vintage flowers for the host

The food served was cucumber sandwiches, brandy snaps with cream and strawberries, quirky bright green hair icing chocolate cup cakes with a flower on top, banana cup cakes with pink sprinkles on the lemon icing, vanilla cake, cinnamon tea cake, mouth watering sausage rolls, a variety of chicken and ham sandwiches, mini quiches, and cream and jam filled lamingtons.  There was so much food but by the end of the day it was all gone.

We just chatted about old times, new times, what we were doing over Easter break, painting workshops, and life in general with our fancy cups and side plates, and a lot of delectable foods and champagne.  Life is good!

It was also great to have kiddie free time as most people arranged baby sitting in advance. It was a fairly relaxing afternoon. It was so quite compared to other times when all of the kids are here playing.

Invite by Cherrybliss designs

Renae (Cherrybliss Designs) did the vintage invitations which looked awesome. 

Catie gave me some gorgeous flowers and took photos too, so thanks lovely.

Cakes by Jo Mignone

Jo came with (Clever Cakes) her awesome designer cakes. Jo runs her own cake business so we were very lucky enough to try the chocolate cup cakes.

Here are some more of Catie's pics using her iPhone and retro camera software.  Now iPhone and software does not sound so vintage does it but they look old..

Jess, Catie and Sarah

Sarah and Cherie

Cherie, Tania, Bec and Renae

Renae and Coralie

Sarah and Jess

Nadia and Jo

Sarah and Tania

I have been organising this party for a few months inspired by my Nanna Jenkin's crockery.  If you want to read my related posts:

• History through china
• Little treasures to cherish
• Vintage tea party
• Going vintage

Reality of life - RIP Auntie Betty Staveley

L to R: Verna, Eva, Estel, Lorna, Betty, Melba and Beryl

My Auntie Betty passed away on Monday 4 April.  She had been suffering from cancer for about two years so the poor dear could not take it anymore.  It was a tragedy to see her go that way and so awful for the family too. 

I saw her on the Thursday before that, and it was very upsetting to see her like that but at least I saw her.  I kept wanting to go back and be with her but it was time for the direct family now.  I told her I loved her, and she told me she loved me and we had that moment to say goodbye.  It was really hard.  I will honestly miss her very much, we had spent quite a lot of time talking about old stories and she had given me good advice.  She was a strong and beautiful lady.  She always said to me that she would be with Bill again, her husband in heaven one day too.  The service was amazing, and it perfectly showed us the beautiful lady she was.

At the funeral her son-in-law Terry told the wonderful story how Betty and Bill had met in the war years.  In WWII the girls would make socks and fruit cakes to send to the boys at war.  It was called the comfort fund and the girls would put their names inside the parcel if the men wanted to write back.  So Bill Staveley had received the parcel from Betty Lindstrom, and was surprised that a his friend Bill Lindstrom was in his battalion.  So he asked Bill Lindstrom if he knew Betty Lindstrom and to their amazement it was Bill Lindstroms little sister.  So Bill Staveley and Betty wrote to each other throughout the war years and were married.  What an amazing story and it was so lovely that it was shared to us.

Auntie Betty had already told me this story before, but I was so pleased to hear it at the funeral. 

It is really hard to believe when someone has passed away.  It is just weird and a reality check too.  Just last month poor Graham Peacock died 41 years.  That was a huge shock for our friends because he was so young, and a man at work Matt Gurn died a few days ago 51 from cancer.  I will always remember the ones that passed away so young, who left behind loved ones especially those with small children.  It is like they were unlucky not to live to old age. 

I feel so lucky that I have my beautiful Nanna who is 92 years old.  Our family is so blessed.  She is the last one in her own family of seven sisters and two brothers. Although we are all lucky in our family because they all lived into old age.  It makes me think of my dear Pop Jenkins who was 65 years when he passed and his grandchildren were less than five years old.  The times we have missed with him. 

Anyway, do not want to get all morbid but the past few weeks have really made me look at things differently and I really want to enjoy my time with friends and family all of the time.  Make the most of it hey!  xx