Maisie ROBERTS
Name: ROBERTS Maisie
Date of Birth: 11 December 1906
Birth Location: Smethwick, Staffordshire, England
Maiden Name: JENNINGS
Age at Burial: 97 years
Date of Death: 8 May 2004
Death Location: Wattle Hill Lodge, Bunbury.
Date of Burial: 14 May 2004
Denomination: Anglican A
Row/Grave: Row 4 / Grave 36
Grave Transcription:
TREASURED
MEMORIES OF
MAISIE
ROBERTS
BELOVED & DEVOTED
WIFE & MOTHER OF
FELIX,
JOHN & GEOFF
DIED 8 TH MAY 2004
AGED 97 YEARS
PEACEFULLY
SLEEPING
Father: John Jennings born: 2 May 1876 Worcestershire, England. Died: 20 September 1965 Buried Karrakatta Cemetery.
Married: June 17, 1900, Birmingham, England.
Mother: Elizabeth Woolley born: 19 October 1871, Smethwick, England. Died: 4 September 1931 Buried Karrakatta Cemetery.
Grandfather (Father): William Jennings born: 1834 Kensington, England. Died: 1909 Smethwick, England.
Married: 1857 England.
Grandmother (Father): Ann Beardsmore born: 10 April 1836 Smethwick, England. Died: June 1904 Smethwick, England.
Grandfather (Mother): John Thomas Woolley born: 20 November 1844 Smethwick, England. Died: July 1871 Kings Norton, England.
Married: May 10, 1867, Shropshire, Staffordshire, England.
Grandmother (Mother): Eliza Anne Brookes born: 16 April 1841 Birmingham, England. Died: Unknown. Second marriage March 10, 1874, William Oakley.
Siblings: Dorothy Jennings born: 13 December 1901 Warwickshire, England. Died: 6 September 1997 Cremated Karrakatta Cemetery. Married January 1926 Earl Stafford “Staf” Tunney.
Spouse: Felix Guy Roberts born: 10 October 1897 North Capel Farm. Died: 24 February 1966 Buried Capel Cemetery.
Married: July 3, 1926, Bunbury.
Children:
John Jennings Roberts born: 18 January 1927 Bunbury. Died: 22 July 2005 Buried Capel Cemetery. Married December 19, 1953, Dorothy May Nicholls.
Geoffrey Jennings Roberts born: 23 June 1932 Bunbury. Died: 22 November 2018. Buried Capel Cemetery. Married April 26, 1958, Eleanor Bryden Huxtable.
Occupation: Teacher, Wife, Mother, Grandmother, Great grandmother.
Their Story
Maisie Jennings was born in Smethwick, Staffordshire, England on December 11, 1906, to parents John and Elizabeth Jennings. Her big sister Dorothy had been born 5 years earlier on December 13, 1901. John and Elizabeth had been married June 17, 1900, in Birmingham. The family lived at 536 Birchfield Road, Perry Barr. John Jennings was a butcher, and Elizabeth had been a dressmaker prior to her marriage.
John Jennings was advised to migrate to a warmer climate to improve his health. He was a mild asthmatic. The family of four, John, Elizabeth, Dorothy, 9 years and Maisie, 4 years along with a niece of John’s and her husband to be, packed up their belongings and came to Western Australia in July 1911 on board the Osterley. John’s niece returned to England shortly after and her husband to be stayed and eventually married.
The Jennings Family lived in Highgate, then Victoria Park and then in Mt Lawley. Maisie’s father John established a wholesale and retail butchers’ shop. He would rise at 1.30am, catch the train from Mt Lawley to Midland to attend the stock sales, where he would buy what he needed for his shop. He was successful and soon opened more shops. He still ran the wholesale business and put managers in his shops. Home deliveries were made by horse and cart.
When Dorothy finished her schooling, she went to Claremont Teacher’s Training College. Also attending Teachers Training at the same time was Mary Victoria “Queenie” Walker. She later became Maisie’s sister-in-law! Maisie attended Highgate School, Victoria Park School then back to Highgate, to 6 th Standard and then Perth Girls School and Perth Modern School. Both Dorothy and Maisie learnt piano and were very good. Maisie also did ballet. Maisie learnt to swim in the Swan River and on March 10, 1920, she received her Elementary Swimming Certificate and a Certificate from The Royal Life Saving Society for “Knowledge of Rescue, releasing one’s-self from the Clutch of the Drowning, and the ability to render aid in Resuscitating the Apparently Drowned.” In November 1921 she got her Diploma in French. She was a very good student. Even though Dorothy was five years older than Maisie the sisters were very close and often attended functions together. When Maisie had finished her schooling, she too decided to become a schoolteacher. She also attended Claremont Teacher’s Training College, for the one-year course, learning the necessary skills to teach at a one teacher school.
Maisie’s first appointment, in 1925, was at Stirling State School. She had no idea where this was and had to write and ask the Education Department. They duly notified her it was near Capel and with some research she found the location. This was Maisie’s first visit to the country. She travelled down by train, getting off one stop before Capel at the Elgin siding. Board had been arranged with Rowley and Bub Roberts about a mile from the school. Felix Roberts was a neighbour and first cousin of Rowley and soon became friends with Maisie. The four of them would go out to dances and social events. There was a small teacher’s house next to the school where the previous teacher, Les Elkington, his wife and son had lived but it was not offered to a young, single, 18-year-old, female teacher and was shifted shortly after Maisie arrived. On her first day she walked the mile to the school where all the students were eagerly waiting for the new teacher. She called the roll, Charlie Hansen – 7 th Standard correspondence, Nellie Roberts, Grace, and Henry Norton – 6 th Standard, Len House and Norman Norton – 5 th Standard, Charlie Bentley, Bob Roberts and Monty Murnane – 4 th Standard, Maudie House – 3 rd Standard and Mabel Edwards, Pat Roberts and Stan House – infants. All were present. Maisie only had to supervise Charlie Hansen with his correspondence lessons. Felix Roberts offered to “blaze a trail” for Maisie so she didn’t get lost and to make it easier on her walk to and from school each day. Maisie thought this a grand offer and imagined that Felix would be burning a path through the trees. She soon realised that he was cutting back the branches and marking the trees. In later years she admitted that there was quite a distance between the marked trees, and she could still have wandered off the path, and it went through a swamp! Maisie then went to board with the Edwards Family who lived much closer to the school. Maisie remembered that Mrs Hester Edwards, who was the mother of Mabel the youngest student at the school, was very hospitable and attentive. She even made Maisie sandwiches to take for lunch.
When elections were held Maisie was the presiding officer at the Stirling School. She had to appoint her poll clerk and this position was filled by Felix. Polling opened at 8am and closed at 8pm. They were both paid for their work. After the Stirling School closed, and was moved, polling was held at Mrs Harriet Dunkley’s residence on the Stirling Estate.
The school had a fireplace that was lit in winter and was surrounded by trees for shade in summer. At the end of the year there was to be a school windup and prizes for the students. Maisie organised this and bought books as prizes with her own money, from Mr Herb Sherry who had a shop opposite the Capel Railway Station. He was also asked to come and present the prizes, which he did. Maisie had made sure that all the students received a prize. At the end of the ceremony, afternoon tea was provided for the parents. Mrs Jane Norton approached Maisie looking very unhappy. She wanted to know why Henry had received a better book for the Arithmetic prize than Norman as she considered that both her boys were equally as intelligent. Maisie tried to explain that because Henry was a year above Norman was the only reason. Mrs Norton still thought both boys should have got an equal prize but looked at Maisie and said, “kiss me and we will be friends”. Even though Maisie felt like bursting into tears she did as she was told, and they remained good friends until Mrs Norton died.
Maisie was bridesmaid for her sister Dorothy in January 1926 when she married Earl Stafford “Staf” Tunney. Dorothy had met him whilst teaching. He was the Lake Grace Hotel Proprietor but had previously been at the Premier Hotel in Pinjarra. When Maisie returned from summer holidays, at the beginning of the 1926 school year, the number of students now attending Stirling School had dropped and the school was soon officially closed. Maisie Jennings was the last teacher at the Stirling State School. She was then appointed to Parkfield School, in Bunbury. Felix, now Maisie’s boyfriend, drove her into Bunbury in the sulky, to see the school. The key to the school had been misplaced, so they couldn’t go into the room where she would be teaching but were taken to see the boarding house where she was to live. Maisie described it as “never having seen anything like it before”. Maisie declined the position and was then appointed to Greenbushes School, another one teacher school, where she taught a much larger number of pupils. Maisie returned to Capel and married Felix Guy Roberts on July 3, 1926. This ended Maisie’s teaching career. Married women were not permitted to teach.
Felix and Maisie had a house built on the farm by John Baxter Fletcher, a builder from Capel. Frank and Janie, Felix’s parents, then transferred the land the new house was on to Felix.
There was great delight in the Roberts household when a son was born in January the following year. He was named John Jennings Roberts, after Maisie’s father. Maisie had become an aunt, 2 days before she had John, when her sister Dorothy had a daughter. While Maisie was still in St. Clair’s Hospital in Bunbury, Matron Brown suggested to her that she should join the CWA in Bunbury, explaining that the CWA had a restroom that could be used to change and feed the baby, somewhere to sit and rest and a pram to use when you came to Bunbury to do the shopping. Maisie had never heard of the CWA and thought that it stood for Christian Women’s Association only to find it was Country Women’s Association when she joined in 1927 and was issued a receipt! At that time the membership fee was 4 shillings. Maisie couldn’t go to any meetings in Bunbury as Felix had to milk the cows, twice daily and couldn’t take her. She remained a member of the Bunbury Branch, as it was such a wonderful service that she used when visiting Bunbury. Felix’s brother Wilfred married Mary Victoria “Queenie” Walker in July 1927 and his sister Margery married Cecil Edward Hazelton in September 1927. A busy year for the family.
Maisie remembered the Centenary Ball held in the Capel Hall in 1929. Many of the residents dressed in “old fashioned” clothes. Most of the community attended. Every New Year’s Eve the Capel Rifle Club held their annual ball. Felix was a very keen rifle club member, along with the other men in his family. The women wore their ball gowns and the men dressed in dinner suits. Everyone contributed to the lavish supper. It was a chance to catch up and enjoy themselves. Maisie’s sister Dorothy had a baby boy in November 1929.
Shopping and collecting the mail in the early years was done on a Saturday. The shops in Capel were open all day and it was very much a social occasion. Everyone gathered at the railway station to greet the train to Busselton. Passengers on the train would catch up with those gathered, while empty cream cans were unloaded, and full ones loaded and then the train continued to Busselton.
Maisie often went to Perth on the train and stayed with her parents. She would catch the train from Capel to Boyanup, change to the main train that had come from Manjimup and continue through to Perth. The journey took about 7 ½ hours. Dorothy was also a frequent visitor to her parents and the sisters would stay there with their babies. Maisie’s mother had health problems and needed extra help and care as she declined. Maisie often went to stay and care for her mother. As John got older, she left him at home with Felix and his grandparents on the farm. On September 4, 1931, Maisie’s mother died at her home in Mt Lawley. She was 59. Maisie had been helping care for her. Also, in 1931 sister Dorothy had another daughter. The Tunneys were still living in Lake Grace.
In June 1932, Maisie and Felix welcomed another son. Geoffrey Jennings Roberts was named by his grandmother Janie. Once again, the CWA in Bunbury was a great help.
Felix’s Uncle Charlie Higgins made the boys a miniature dray. He was a very good blacksmith and Maisie recalled that it was a perfect replica. The boys spent many hours playing with the dray.
On April 23, 1934, a meeting was held in the Lounge at the Capel Hotel, to establish a Capel branch of the CWA. Mrs Ursula Dunkley convened the meeting, and Mrs Herrmann, the district President from Donnybrook, attended. A number of women came along, including Maisie and the Capel Branch was formed. Maisie transferred her membership to Capel. From then on, the meetings were held once a month in the supper room at the old Capel Hall. When afternoon teatime came, one of the ladies would go to Mr Harrison’s, the baker, and get the boiling water to make their cups of tea. Mrs Marian Turner was the first president, Mrs Mabel Hutton the first secretary and Mrs Norma McTaggart the first treasurer.
Soon there were 30 members attending meetings. Capel needed a restroom. The railways granted the Capel CWA Branch a block of land, opposite the Post Office for a peppercorn lease of £1 per year. The members set about fundraising and held card parties, did catering at the Capel cattle sales, and held bazaars. Mrs Enid Lodge, one of their members, lent the Capel CWA the money needed, free of interest, to build the Capel CWA Restroom. It opened in 1936. Times were hard but the members were soon able to pay her back. Membership at that time was 4 shillings and sixpence for afternoon tea, which the members took turns in supplying. Membership in 1994 cost $25 and 50c for afternoon tea. During World War 2 there were 73 members of Capel CWA. They contributed to the War Effort by sending parcels to the local boys who were serving. The Capel Red Cross also used the Restroom and the two groups combined in their efforts, sewing pyjamas, knitting socks, rolling bandages etc. These were full days, and the ladies all took their lunch, and the parcels were made up containing tinned food and some small comforts to make the lives of the men a little easier. Some of the members had sons in the war. Maisie recalled during a function held at the Capel Hall, Rowley Roberts had to come and tell his mother Rose, that her son Boydie was missing in the Philippines. He was a pilot and his plane had been lost. Rowley said that this was the hardest thing he had ever had to do.
Children came along to the meetings. Maisie was fortunate to have her mother-in-law close by on the farm. John and Geoff were more than happy to stay with Grandma and in later years they were at school. Like many of the women, Maisie didn’t drive and had to rely on Felix to take her to the meetings. The Capel CWA had a “Younger Set”, which were a group of interested young women. They ran dances etc to raise funds and with these bought the CWA piano, a brass fire screen and had the front path at the restroom cemented. This group ran for about 16 years until the Capel Junior Farmers started, which was for both boys and girls!
In 1937, Maisie’s sister Dorothy, her husband Staf and 3 children were living in the Keysbrook area, where they were farming. They would catch up once again when they went to Perth to see their father. Sometimes Dorothy, Staf and their 3 children would come to visit Maisie and Felix on the farm.
Maisie taught firstly John and then Geoff, school by correspondence. The closest schools were Capel or Stratham and there wasn’t a bus. To get to and from school coincided with milking time. Both boys did well at their lessons. Maisie thought the program to be excellent and very detailed. The boy’s lessons were mailed to Perth fortnightly for marking and a letter returned with the results. Towards the end of the 1930’s, Mr Vickery from Elgin ran a bus service to the Stratham School. John and Geoff both attended. The family now shopped and collected their mail in Capel on Tuesdays and Fridays. In January 1939, Felix’s father Frank died unexpectedly in his sleep. This was a shock to the family. Felix ran the farm with his mother Janie, who he had to provide with an income. His sister Mary was also still living at home and helped in the dairy. Then in November 1939, Felix’s sister Margery died from blood poisoning. Her daughters Rosemary and Heather came to live on the farm with Grandma Janie and Aunt Mary. They went to the Capel School and then into Bunbury to the Convent for high school.
Maisie and Felix visited friends and family in the district. Maisie fondly remembered Mrs Kathleen Hardey who lived on her farm at Peppermint Grove Beach. Mr Hardey was much older than Kathleen. She said they were an unusual couple. Mrs Hardey rode side saddle, driving cattle along the road past Felix and Maisie’s house. After Mr Hardey died, in 1933, Mrs Hardey would call in to see Maisie and often left her shopping order for her to get when Maisie did her own shopping. Maisie would do this on her visit to Capel or when the family went to Bunbury fortnightly. Sometimes it was a long time before Mrs Hardey returned to pick up her items and Maisie remembered one time getting bread. By the time Mrs Hardey came back it had gone mouldy. Mrs Hardey was not at all worried and said she could cut the mould off and hold the bread over the steam from the kettle to soften it up! Mrs Hardey sometimes called in for a cup of tea and something to eat and end up staying the night as it had got too late to ride home. One time Maisie remembered Mrs Hardey staying the night because it was so wet and stormy. She ended up staying 4 nights. She set off home only to return later in the afternoon, with a basket of clothes balanced in front of her on the saddle, telling Maisie that her house had been invaded by possums and rabbits. They had pulled the kapok out of her mattress, and it was strewn all over the house. When Maisie was cleaning the room after Mrs Hardey had eventually gone back home, she found a snake under the bed Mrs Hardey had been sleeping in. She thought it had probably been in her basket of clothes. On one of Mrs Hardey’s visits, she spied Maisie’s radio. She told Maisie she liked her radio much better than the one she had bought, it wasn’t as rude. After she had it installed, she had been wakened in the night by voices, she had taken her rifle looking for whoever had come into her home only to discover that she hadn’t turned the radio off the evening before. Maisie and Felix went to visit Mrs Hardey one Sunday afternoon. She didn’t appear to be at home but after a quick look around they discovered Mrs Hardey down the well, cleaning it out. She was 83. She took them into the house which was small, there was very little room and she had everything stacked up. She lived very simply, keeping to herself, and running her farm.
Maisie remembered the people in the district. The Higgins brothers lived at Springfield. They were Felix’s uncles and were looked after by their sister Madeline. She said that they all looked alike, wide brimmed hats and big white whiskers! When some of them had died they sold Springfield and moved to Stirling Location 63 on the “School Road”, now Mallokup Road. Minninup was owned by William Ramsay who had married Mrs Nina Murnane. After he died it was run by the Murnane boys and then sold to Frank Brockman in the early 1930’s. Felix’s Uncle Herbert and Aunt Rosie lived at Greenfields, Cousin Rowley and his wife Bub were next door, and in laws, Frank and Janie lived on the same farm, along with Felix’s sister Mary. The Roses were at Doungup, and Nortons, Dunkleys and Prowses had farms not far away. Most of the farms were running dairies. Trucks picked up the cream and took it to the Capel Butter Factory. The Capel River district was known for orchards. The farms around Capel mainly had cattle, pigs and horses. The roads around the area were slowly improving. Everyone knew everyone!
During the second World War Maisie was in charge of issuing ration books in the district. People were allocated an amount of an item which was stated on the ration tickets from their books. Most items were rationed including petrol, clothes, food etc. The ration tickets were often exchanged between families depending on their needs.
Maisie played the piano for the dances at Ruabon, Tutunup, Capel River, Elgin and at the Capel Hall. Felix was often MC for the night. They went off in the buggy or sulky and she remembers it being very cold. In later years she sometimes went on the back of John’s motorbike! The dances were lots of fun. During the 1940’s, she was accompanied by Mr McKenzie, on drums, or occasionally other drummers, Mr Locke, from Wonnerup or Mr Kemp, a retired teacher, whose wife ran the Post Office at Ludlow. He only had one arm but managed his drumming well. Mr Les Payne played the accordion and later the electric guitar. Tom Griffith also played the cornet, or someone would bring along their own instrument and join the group. Twins Pat and Pauline McKay sometimes joined the group and sang. When there was to be a Debutante Ball in Capel, of which there were many, Maisie played the piano for the practice evenings. Maisie continued playing for dances for over 40years.
Trove Article – Younger Set Ball
When Maisie was returning from Perth on one of her visits to see her father, the train stopped near Capel Station, at the crossing. The passengers looked out the window to try and find the cause. When Maisie looked, she could see Felix and Stan Pike, in a vehicle that was upside down by the crossing. Her main concern was if their boys were in the car with them. Thankfully they weren’t. The explanation that she received was the two men were busy chatting and didn’t see the train! Neither was hurt.
Maisie and Felix decided to send John to Bunbury High School when he finished at Stratham. He caught the bus at the Bussell Highway. When Geoff had finished at Stratham he was sent to the Convent in Bunbury. He too caught the bus, although he had been known to hide behind a tree until the bus went past and then go home saying that he must have missed it. While John was happy going to school, Geoff hated it. He was allowed to leave when he was 16 years old. He turned 16 on a Wednesday and never went to school again! John and Geoff worked on the farm with their father.
Trove Article – Mrs FG Roberts President
In the early 1950’s a group of Polish migrant families came to Capel. They camped in “little tents” on the Railway Land. The men worked on the railways. At a CWA meeting the members thought it would be a nice idea to invite the wives to an afternoon tea to welcome them to Capel. Maisie being president at that time went to the camp to extend the invitation. The language barrier proved to be an obstacle and after much sign language and gesturing Mr Madden from Boyanup, who was in charge came forward and explained to the women that they should dress up and go to afternoon tea on the requested date. When the afternoon came the women, dressed in their best clothes came to the restroom for afternoon tea. Some of the women spoke a little English. Maisie said it was a lovely afternoon. Shortly after, a letter arrived at the CWA requesting that the Capel CWA members come to the camp and the Polish ladies would provide the afternoon tea. When the CWA ladies duly went for their afternoon, they were greeted with luscious cream cakes and goodies. The ladies all remained friends whilst in Capel.
Felix’s mother died in May 1951. His sister Mary remained living on the farm in the original house. Around this time John decided farm life was not for him. He had met schoolteacher Dorothy Nicholls, who had been teaching in Capel and had transferred back to Perth. John moved to Perth and lived with his grandfather John Jennings for a time. He got a job bookkeeping with Perpetual Trustees. John and Dorothy had a car accident, in April 1952, when a truck, loaded with apples hit them at an intersection, on Albany Highway, Perth. John received lacerations to his face and Dot had a thigh injury.
After John and Dot’s accident it was found that Dot had a more serious injury and had broken her hip and needed a lengthy recuperation. Once released from hospital she came and stayed at the farm and Maisie looked after her. John and Dot had been due to get married, but this had to be postponed until December, the following year. Geoff was best man for his brother John. Unfortunately, Felix couldn’t go to the wedding as the cows had to be milked at this time of the year.
This article appeared in the Southwest Times 24/12/1953.
A wedding of interest to Capel folk was that of Mr. John Roberts and Miss Dorothy Nicholls, which took place at Wesley Church at 11.30 a.m. on Saturday, December 19. John is the eldest son of Mr. and Mrs. F. G. Roberts and spent his life in Capel until taking a position in the city about three years ago. Miss Nicholls is also well known, as she spent some time teaching at the Capel school. The reception was held at the Adelphi Hotel, forty guests being present.
Maisie remembered the Capel Gymkhanas. They were held annually and had horse events, foot races, athletics etc. The CWA catered lunches, morning, and afternoon teas. They made sandwiches, pies, cakes, and pastries. They were real community events. Geoff usually competed in the horse events. Maisie told of one occasion when Felix was starter for the foot races and used a starters pistol, which he held behind his back and fired. At the end of the day the seat of his trousers was black from the gunpowder, she thought he was lucky not to have set them alight.
Maisie talked of the Mineral Sands Mines opening at Capel. There was much more development around the town. Houses were built to accommodate the people who worked at the mines. More people came to town and often didn’t settle in Capel, just worked for a while, and then moved on. Maisie felt that this changed the town, once everyone knew everyone else or were related to them but now the town was full of strangers.
When the CWA Divisions were changed in 1953, Capel became part of the new Leeuwin Division, and Maisie was the Founding Secretary.
Geoff met Eleanor Huxtable who was the Post Masters daughter. She was working at the Capel Roads Board office. Eleanor was known as “Snookie” to all her friends and family. In 1955, Geoff and Snookie became engaged. They built a house on the farm not far from the original homestead where Aunty Mary lived. Felix gave Geoff the block of land that his new house was built on, as his parents had done for him. Geoff and Snookie were married in Capel in April 1958. John was best man for Geoff.
Maisie and Felix were delighted to become grandparents in March 1959, when Geoff and Snookie had a son. Maisie became known as Nanna. Felix and Geoff were both working on the farm and milking the cows. Mary, in 1959, decided that it was time to move to Capel where she had inherited a house from her mother. Janie had bought Town Lot 45 in 1943 which had a small house on. She bought another small house from Alex Maidment and transported it to Capel, joined the 2 houses together and made a bigger house. Geoff helped Aunty Mary with the move. Felix’s brother Wilfred passed away suddenly in February 1960 at the age of 63. John and Dot had a daughter in June 1960.
In 1962 Maisie and the family decided it was time to learn to drive. This job was assigned to daughter in law Snookie. She would go to Maisie’s house and take her driving around the paddock in the Holden car. On one occasion, as Maisie drove around the corner of her house, she failed to straighten up the wheels of the car and ran into the veranda, knocking down the post and the stump holding it up. Maisie and Snookie laughed and thought it very funny, but Felix didn’t think it amusing at all. After that incident, Snookie took Maisie into Bunbury where she had professional driving lessons and duly got her licence. Maisie was a very capable driver and drove to Perth regularly to visit her father and attend CWA meetings. Geoff and Snookie had a daughter in September 1962.
Maisie’s father John Jennings died, at the age of 89, on September 20, 1965. His funeral took place at Karrakatta Cemetery, and he was buried with Maisie’s mother who had died 34 years before. Maisie and her sister Dorothy had been bought up with the belief that women did not go to funerals, so neither Maisie nor Dorothy attended their father’s funeral. It was a big loss to Maisie as she and her father had been very close.
One lunchtime, in February 1966, Felix walked through the paddock from the dairy, to go home for his lunch, as he did every day. Shortly after Maisie rushed into Geoff and Snookie’s, to ask Geoff to take Felix to hospital in Bunbury, as he had had a “bad turn” at home. Geoff had gone into Capel to help Aunty Mary, so Snookie rang cousin, Gordon Roberts at the shop in Capel and asked him to give Geoff the message. Geoff rushed home and took Felix to hospital. The doctors examined Felix and said it was a heart attack. John was contacted but could not come straight away. Geoff and Maisie visited Felix and he appeared to be doing well. John came down and visited his father one evening and then went and stayed at the farm with Maisie. John, Geoff, and Maisie went into Bunbury to visit Felix the next morning after milking. When they went into his room, he had just passed away, from a massive heart attack. February 24, 1966, Maisie was widowed, at the age of 59, after 39years of marriage. This was a huge shock to the family, Felix was only 68 and had appeared fit and healthy. His funeral was held the following day in St. John Anglican Church Capel and the Capel Cemetery where he was buried. Maisie’s did not attend the funeral.
Maisie’s brother-in-law, Staf died suddenly on November 21, 1969. He was cremated at Karrakatta. Both sisters were now widowed. Dorothy lived in Preston Street, Como.
In 1970, Maisie decided to have her house renovated. It had been built in 1926 and had not had much maintenance. The toilet was quite a long way from the back of the house, there wasn’t a bathroom or laundry, the veranda had missing boards, and the kitchen was very basic, with only cold water and an old metters stove. The house was situated in the middle of the paddock with no fence surrounding it and the cattle could come up to the house. She and Felix had always thought that they might have the house moved to the main part of the farm and nearer to the dairy, but it had never been the right time. At last, Maisie had a bathroom, laundry and toilet in the house, her kitchen had hot and cold water and a gas stove, her veranda was cemented, the whole house had been painted, inside and out, and she had floor coverings throughout. She also had a fence built to keep out the cows!
Maisie continued her CWA pursuits and held every position in the Capel Branch a number of times. She became State Editor of the CWA magazine from 1970 – 1972 and would go to Perth for 10 days every month, to get the magazine to the printer and proofread. It was a very big job, which she thoroughly enjoyed. She represented Capel and the Division at Conferences. CWA took up much of Maisie’s time. At this time, Maisie was diagnosed with bowel cancer and went into St John of God Hospital in Subiaco for an operation to remove the cancer, which was done successfully, and she made a full recovery. Maisie became a grandmother again when Geoff and Snookie had another son in January 1971. She now had 2 grandsons and 2 granddaughters.
John and Dot had built themselves a house in City Beach and Maisie had a flat built on the ground floor, so she had somewhere to stay on her frequent visits to Perth or maybe one day she would decide to move back to the city. She used the flat occasionally but often stayed with her sister Dorothy in Como. Maisie had no trouble driving herself to and from Perth and navigating her way around the city. On her return journey back to the farm in Capel, Maisie would often buy the new take away, Kentucky Fried Chicken and bring a “bucket“ for the family dinner.
Sister Dorothy would come down to the farm and stay with Maisie. They were best friends and had the same sense of humour. In the evening there was often a nip or two of sherry while they sat in front of the TV or worked on a crossword. Maisie was an avid crossword enthusiast. She did the crosswords from the newspaper most days and had no trouble doing the Cryptic crosswords either. The sisters went on a bus trip to the Pilbara visiting many of the towns along the way and admiring the landscape that was so different to home.
CWA remained a constant in Maisie’s life. She was very thorough with the paperwork that had to be done and would have it spread over the kitchen table as she worked on it only to be cleared up when it was needed for a meeting but then the next lot would come home to the table!
As the grandchildren grew, the schoolteacher in Maisie remained and she would often ask mid-sentence “and how do you spell that” of one of them or correct a pronunciation. She was very interested in the grandchildren’s education and their choice of careers. Paul the eldest grandchild always told Maisie that she was to ‘take good care of his house’ as he was going to live in it one day when he came home to the farm. This happened after Maisie moved to Perth and Paul came back to Capel as a Stockagent! John’s daughter Berwyn chose a career in music which was an interest she shared with Maisie. Delma and Kent, at separate times, lived in Maisie’s flat at City Beach, when they were in Perth for work and study. She was very pleased that she was able to help her grandchildren.
During the 1980’s Maisie became a great grandmother when Paul and Delma both had children. In 1984, Maisie was given a certificate for 50 years of service to CWA. The family got together for Maisie’s 80 th birthday at the end of 1986 and went for lunch to celebrate at Eagle Towers in Bunbury before coming back to Geoff and Snookie’s for afternoon tea with extended family and friends. Although Maisie never spoke of her age she enjoyed her day. Maisie made sure she remained active and would often walk around the paddock near her house. Geoff made sure he saw her when he was out and about. He would give her a wave when riding past on his horse and she would often wave back from the kitchen window. This way he knew all was well.
Age was not a deterrent for Maisie, and she continued driving herself to and from Perth. She regularly went to Bunbury to the Mayfair Salon for hair appointments and to do a spot of shopping and all the time she continued her love of CWA. Maisie was awarded a certificate for 60 years of service to CWA in 1993 at CWA house in Perth. A great achievement!
In 1994 Maisie was once again diagnosed with bowel cancer and once again, after another successful operation she was cleared of the disease. Maisie decided to move from the farm to her flat at John’s in City Beach. Snookie helped Maisie pack up and clean out her home of 70years on the farm. She also decided that she should give up her driver’s licence. Maisie turned 90 in December 1996. It was while Maisie was living with John and Dorothy, that she and John’s family noticed his behaviour and health was not as usual. After extensive testing John was diagnosed with PSNP (Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) a degenerative brain disease. Maisie’s sister Dorothy, aged 95, died in 1997, after being in care for some time. In September 1997 John went into hospital and then later into care at Alfred Carson Nursing Home. Maisie came back to live in Capel with Geoff and Snookie. Geoff and Maisie went to Perth and visited John. Maisie found this very hard as he declined in health.
Maisie made the hard decision to buy a unit at Wattle Hill Lodge in Bunbury. When she moved in, she was quite pleased with her little house. She was able to have her own belongings, live independently, caring and cooking for herself but have the security of the facility. Geoff and Maisie continued to visit John at his nursing home until Maisie found the outing too much for her. Geoff continued to visit John.
After living in her unit for about 2years Maisie moved into low care, in Burke House at Wattle Hill, in about 2000. Her unit was demolished, along with some of the others, to build the new high care wing at Wattle Hill. Maisie often commented on the “old people” who lived in the house with her. Most were probably quite a bit younger that she was! Maisie continued to do her crosswords and read. The family visited or Geoff would pick her up and bring her to the family home for gatherings or Christmas. She still enjoyed catching up with all of the grandchildren. She now had 6 great grandchildren to enjoy.
When the new High Care Wing opened at Wattle Hill, Maisie was one of the first residents to occupy a room. Maisie gradually declined and passed away peacefully aged 97 years and 5 months on May 8, 2004, after a long and well lived life.
If you are visiting this page and have further information that pertains to Maisie Roberts that you would like to add, can you please contact the Capel District Cemeteries Project via the CONTACT US section at the bottom of the main page.
Researched and written by DC, grand daughter and member CDCP. Also from an oral history recorded by Maisie Roberts held in the Capel Archives Room.
© Capel District Cemeteries Project 29/04/2022. Updated 13/01/2025.
