My Wonderful Life (A Memoir of Elvie Mary)
I was born in a small Australian rural town hospital on
the 15th of July in 1929. My parents worked on fruit
blocks, fruit agriculture was the main industry in the
area. I attended a small Catholic school, St. Josephs, and
would ride my bike to school in a neighbouring town each
day. When my little brother was ready for school he joined
me on the long ride to school every day.
Elvie’s parents who met in Mildura, Redcliffs
Australia after he mother left Ireland and immigrated
to Australia and her father who immigrated from
Italy.
My father went to visit a friend in the States capital
city, about 500 km away. Whilst running an errand to
collect some wood both my father and his friend were
killed in a car accident. My mother was devastated. She
was left alone with me and my little brother on the fruit
block.
Soon after we had to find another place to live. My
brother continued at high school and I began working in my
first job. During the day I worked in a photography studio
as a colorist, adding colour with a brush to
black-and-white photos, and at night I waitressed. This
was necessary at the time because I became responsible for
looking after my little brother and mother, the money
earnt from my two jobs supported our family.
A digital photograph of a self portrait of Elvie Mary
that had been hand painted in colour by Elvie Mary
herself in one of her first roles as colourist and
female Entrepreneur in her own photographic studio.
A friend of mine, a photographer, asked me if I was
interested in going into partnership in a photography
business. My mother supported me to do this by lending me
the money to go into the partnership business. We had
built a really successful business; but one night it was
gutted by fire. We managed to rebuild another business and
overtime I managed this by myself. I sold this business
when I met my first husband. He was a butcher, I helped
him with the books and business deliveries.
Over the years we raised a lovely family of five children.
My mother lived with us for ten years. Eventually the
marriage broke down, and I moved to a capital city in
another state of Australia. It was here I met Leonard
Scarffe, a war veteran, whom I later married and we had
two sons.
It was hard times in those days, people were coming back
from the war with many problems and nowadays I guess you
would call it post-traumatic stress disorder. This was
caused by the devastating things they had seen and had to
face on the war front. After a while I had to think of the
children first, I decided to make a new life and separated
from Len.
I stayed in the photography business and met Bill, who
later I married and together we bought and ran our
photographic business.
Elvie Mary
We took family portraits photos in the home and provided a
lifelong memory of loving families. I did most of the work
from home. I was still doing the cooking for all of us and
managed to find jobs for all of the children. I took a
nanny job when the children were growing up and leaving
home. My second youngest son Ian asked if I would manage
his business in the automotive industry. I was working for
Doctors at the time and said I did not think I could do it
but he said ‘yes you can’. So my husband and I went to
work every day from 8am to 6pm and managed Ian’s business
for twelve months.
Over the years I have owned and ran many businesses. I had
a fish and chip shop, a grocery store, a chicken shop, a
mixed grocery business and a boarding house. I have had a
very busy life always helping people in need. I looked
after children so parents could go to work.
Throughout everything I have never missed a Sunday at
church, visiting the Vatican on my European vacation was a
highlight of my life.
I have also experienced a great deal of hardship and
grief. My husband had a heart attack at a Christmas
function at an early age. I also lost my mother, sons Len
and Colin and my daughter Valerie, all within a very short
time of each other.
Elvie Mary celebrating her 80th Birthday Party.
Over the last few years I assisted in boarding school
children from the country whilst they went to school in
the city. I helped them with their homework and supported
them to find jobs.
I was so grateful when my son Ian paid for an all expenses
trip of a lifetime to Europe to retrace my family history.
We visited six countries and we had such a wonderful
holiday.
My faith kept me positive and focused on always helping
others less fortunate. I have had a wonderful life and
feel blessed to have had the opportunity to help as many
people as I have, those that most needed a helping hand.
‘To change the world we must be good to those that
cannot repay us’ Pope Francis
Elvie Mary passed away in 2015 following a strong and
determined battle to survive Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
cancer. Her son Ian lived with her for the last years of
her life to ensure that she was enabled the best
possible support and care. All that knew and loved her
continue to miss her every day.
