This week we have farewelled my good friend Margie. We met 34 years ago when our family moved to the Bordertown farm. We soon met one of our neighbors and there started a special friendship.
Our children were similar ages and all travelled the school bus into town each day.
This family were a big help to us starting out farming in a new area, and also stepped up to help out when later our family faced a traumatic time. Margie was a city girl who had adapted well to country farming life when she married the love of her life.
Margie encouraged me to join the local KYB (Know Your Bible) group which was held weekly in member's homes. While I had grown up attending Sunday School and Church, it wasn't until I joined this group that I really began to read and study the Bible and grow in my faith.
There was a real sense of community amongst the residents of the area and there were many social occasions over the years, including KYB end of year, family birthdays, 21st celebrations and engagement parties.
Margie was always smiling and we had a lot of fun together over the years. We went bike riding most Wednesdays and often pedalled into Bordertown and back which was 16km from our gate and 22km from their farm gate. Monday afternoons we would head to the local indoor pool and swim 96 laps. It wasn't a large pool, but 96 laps totalled 1.6km, or 1 mile in the old measurement!! Just writing this I am wondering where all that energy went??
For many years we journeyed to Victor Harbour in March for the annual CWCI (Christian Women) conference. I remember the first time we went. It had been a very last minute decision to go, and we were unable to attend the Friday night session. After a very early start and a drive of 3 1/2 hours, we arrived a 'tad' late on the Saturday morning and walked into an auditorium of 1000 women already seated!! After our initial shock, we had the most amazing uplifting weekend, especially singing with 1000 other voices.
A few years later, we sold our farm and moved into town and then a few more difficult years followed as our family farewelled a husband and father, all made easier with friends beside us.
When I started talking about buying a longarm quilting machine, Margie and Barry were very encouraging and supported me every step of the way. Although Marg was a sewer and knitter, she never aspired to making quilts. This did not deter her from taking an interest in what I was doing, and checking out the quilts on the machine and taking note of how I was quilting them.
She journeyed to the Adelaide quilt show with me and shared my excitement when I won the Best of Show award for my quilt Woven Inspiration.
My next venture was to purchase The Sanctuary for quilting retreats and again they were right behind me with support, including helping me bid at the house auction.
I also organised Christian Women retreats at this house and Marg was a definite attendee. These were very special weekends with much fellowship, learning, sharing..........
........... and even a pergola church service with communion.
Marg and Barry had 2 sons living in West Australia and they made many journeys across the Nullabor to visit them. Here they were calling in to my house to wish me Happy Birthday before they left. Marg never forgot a birthday, a wedding anniversary or other significant dates.
We watched each other's families grow up, attended weddings, celebrated births and attended funerals.
There were many gatherings at The Sanctuary and Number 8 over the years with friends.
Some years ago illness changed the life of Margie and there was a slow deterioration, which eventually led to a diagnosis of Frontotemporal dementia. After some years with at home with a private personal carer, in 2019 Margie was admitted to nursing home care. Covid rules and regulations, and the isolation that resulted made life more difficult for residents, their families and visitors.
A special wheel chair was sought for her needs, and then Barry purchased a special wheelchair bus so that he could take Margie for outings away from the 4 walls of her room. She loved the trips to visit favourite spots, out to their farm, to the beach or just driving around the district.
Gatherings at Number 8 continued with Margie in the wheel chair.
She loved her visits in the summer when the strawberries were ripe..........
.....and this was in March when we celebrated her birthday, with a cake, aged 69.
The last few weeks has been hard, especially for her family, watching her slowly fade and I was thankful to be able to visit her just before.
The funeral service was a lovely tribute to her and a witness to her deep faith that stood the test of adversity through much suffering. We know that Heaven is our final home, our ultimate place of complete peace, security and joy forever. No more pain or suffering.
Thankyou Margie for being such a good friend and support to me and my family. You will be missed.
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It has been quite a job, going back through the photo files from all those years, and reliving the memories, and very sobering knowing we were the same age. Also seeing many photos of other friends and family who have gone before. So feeling rather flat and emotional as a result. Tomorrow is another day.
Blessings, From Jude
