Beryl (Atkins) Knuckey

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Biography

Beryl was born in 1910. She was the daughter of Henry Atkins and Maria Ellis. She passed away in 2008.

The following words formed part of the memory that was shared at her Funeral Service -

"Beryl had five older brothers and sisters… and later, a little brother was born.

"Beryl’s early education in Canterbury was followed by several years at MLC, with a focus on secretarial studies. She enjoyed sport, she was a champion gymnast, and played table tennis at state level. She also enjoyed tennis and golf. .

"A focal point in the life of the Atkins family was the nearby Methodist Church. As a young woman, Beryl reached a point where her first priority was to serve God, wherever that might lead her.

"After leaving school she worked in an office in the city for a time, until she responded to the call to become a Methodist Mission sister, working in a number of churches in inner Melbourne for some years. A former Minister of their family church proposed marriage to her, and they were married in November 1940. Beryl was 30 when she became the wife of a Minister A great deal was expected of women of her time who were married to ministers, not simply as a support and companion for her husband… but as secretary, hostess, entertainer, cake-maker, presider at women’s meetings, devotional leader… and so the list goes on. She brought her unique approach to many of those tasks which she was expected to fulfil.

"Beryl had two sons, Lawrie and Michael … Books and reading, along with prayers and Bible knowledge, were an important part of their childhood. As well as being the perfect hostess whenever a church occasion required it, Beryl was also a generous host to members of the family. When her boys were small a number of their cousins were invited at various times to stay over and they enjoyed her hospitality. "In the retirement village where she lived for more than thirty years, Beryl became more and more involved in the life of the congregation there, and her organisational and leadership skills were not wasted.

"Beryl was an artistic person ….. skilled at penmanship, and water colours. She loved being creative, and her boys can remember many examples of craft activities in which she created things for a church fair, or as gifts. . In later years she took up china painting and produced some very beautiful work. Scrabble had been part of the family’s life since the boys were young, and this continued to be a regular pastime in her unit at Baxter….

"Beryl was not one of those Christians who was always talking about her faith, or trying to convince you to believe but she lived and breathed her faith. It was part of who she was; and she was never uncomfortable about being asked to explain what God meant to her and to her life."

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Sources

1. ↑ First-hand information as remembered by Al Orton, Wednesday, February 26, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.

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