Farewell to a Gatton identity Dorothy Jeffes

DOROTHY Jeffes was born at the Gatton Hospital on May 24, 1920 and was the seventh child to George and Emma Whiteway.

A GOOD LIFE: Dorothy Jeffes on her wedding day in 1942 and cutting her cake on her 95th birthday. Picture: Contributed

DOROTHY Jeffes was born at the Gatton Hospital on May 24, 1920 and was the seventh child to George and Emma Whiteway.

She was a sister for Norma, Ted, Arthur, Winnie, Muriel, Peg and Clare.

Dorothy was baptised and confirmed in the Church of England at Lake Clarendon, where she regularly worshiped for 22 years.

She attended Morton Vale State School for eight years and during her time she only had one teacher, Miss Lucy Fitzpatrick.

Dorothy would rather have been home helping her parents instead of going to school, with a teacher who knew how to use the cane.

She was very much her dad's girl and would laugh when he would tell the story of how her grandfather would give her a hiding with a pencil if she had been naughty.

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After Dorothy left school she was offered a position as a telephonist and managed the post office, which was in the home of Bob and Nora Gill at Morton Vale.

Her wage was seven shillings and six pence a week.

Dorothy enjoyed working in this line of work and she held the position for three years until she was needed at home when her mother underwent major surgery.

Dorothy went to live with Bill and Vera Brimblecombe at Forest Hill as a nanny for their three children.

It was here she met her future husband, Tom Jeffes, at her sister Muriel's wedding.

Dorothy and Tom were married after a four-year courtship on November 14, 1942 at their family church St Edmund's, Lake Clarendon, by the late Reverend C Biggins.

Dorothy was keen to show her culinary talents to her new husband, however her first attempt proved unsuccessful, which resulted in a burial in the garden.

However her new husband found the remains of the cake after the dog sniffed and scratched it out.

Dorothy's cooking skills improved immensely and many family memories are remembered from her beautiful roast dinners and afternoon teas.

Dorothy and Tom were blessed with three children, Evelyn, Janice and Robert.

Tom encouraged Dorothy to complete a correspondence course in dressmaking while she was pregnant with Evelyn.

Tom purchased a Singer treadle sewing machine, which heralded the beginning of a wonderful sewing career for Dorothy.

Over the years Dorothy sewed for numerous craft shops in Ipswich, Gatton and Laidley as well as private orders.

Many newborns in the Lockyer Valley have been christened in gowns that Dorothy made and smocked.

Tom and Dorothy remained working at Glenore Grove until they retired to Gatton in January 1984.

Dorothy used her talents making children's clothes and baking for street stalls and fetes, which were conducted by the church as fundraisers, firstly at Lowood, then at Gatton.

Tom and Dorothy were blessed with eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Tom passed away in 2005.

After surgery in 2008 Dorothy could no longer care for herself and became a resident of Regis Valley Views.