Sheila Mary (Hancock) Curran (1928 - 2007)

Born 21 Mar 1928 in Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Wife of Clarence Gordon Curran — married 3 Oct 1949 in ST Paul's Catholic Church, Moss Vale, New South Wales, Australia

Died 28 Jul 2007 at age 79 in Orange, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Paul Curran [send private message]

Biography

Sheila Mary Hancock, announced to this world, that she had arrived, kicking and screaming on the 21 March 1928, to proud parents, Henry Robert Hancock and Margaret Bridget Hancock nee Clout. ^[1] My mother was the third child or so she thought for all her life, and the only girl.

Her parents, had what my mother thought, was just a lodger, up until the time of his death, she was close friends with him, as it turns out, he was her eldest half-brother, who for most of his life had no idea, that he was so closely related to her, up until he needed his birth certificate for identity, but still he kept it a secret from my mother up until just before he died, for fear of the thought of her thinking ill of him.

They had already seen tragedy, with the loss of their second son, Joseph Dominic Hancock, one year earlier to measles. Growing up in a very close family, she suffered the tragic loss of her best friend and only living brother, Patrick John Robert Hancock during the closing days of the Second World War, when he was killed in action in Balikipapan, which is where he is buried.

Although for most of her early life, she thought she wanted to join the religious order, that was changed when my father, Clarence Gordon Curran, asked her marry him about four years later on October 3, 1949, My mother, then thought she would have a small family and ended up with 9 children.

I remember scaring her once, while playing next door, I was hit in the head with a pick, holding my head I went inside, and she freaked out with the amount of blood, she wrapped my head tight an whisked me to Dr Gilchrist the family Doctor, who stitched me right back up in no time, to my mums everlasting relief.

A NOT SO ORDINARY LIFE

She only had a small family who didn’t have a lot of money, but provided her with a wealth of love and a strong network of support.

With the tragic loss of her brothers, her life, could have been similar to that of the life of an only child… except, that it turned out quite different.

She told us many stories of being surrounded by a large extensive family during the war. There were numerous uncles and aunties as well as strangers passing through, who were always welcomed and fed by her mother at 11 Kirkham St, Moss Vale. (Which is now ironically a large Shopping Centre.)

Mum used to speak about Uncle Tony, who would later turn out to be her brother, his children, Maggie and Young Tony, and then there was Aunty Bonnie, Uncle Phil Clout, and there was Uncle Bill and Uncle Teddy.

I can imagine that growing up in 11 Kirkham St, would have been a noisy household at times, but her extended family would instilled in her a strong sense of belonging and an unwavering religious faith.

I’m guessing that it was similar to when us kids grew up as it was very noisy Her simple but loving environment with large groups of people coming and going set the pace for what she nurtured in her own family.

She met and married dad.– the love of her life. Dad had been a another boarder at 11 Kirkham St when he was transferred from Grafton.

They went on to have a large and very noisy family nine children, 17 grand-kids and 9 great grand-kids and that count is still growing. She became the centre of our World and I know We all miss her very dearly.

These days our Family Get-together's Still exist.

That was Just one of mums legacies!!

Mum only had one job that we know of! She and her best friend, Tess Currie, who would later become Tess Wade, and dad’s sister, Betty Curran, who later become Betty Moylan, all worked at McCleary’s in Moss Vale as shop assistants. She used to tell us stories of the times of working for Mr McCleary about enjoying her job.

Mum and Dad moved Taree as a young married couple, and by the time moved from Taree to Moss Vale to Nashdale and later into Orange. At the time, they already had four children, and Mum was pregnant with her fifth child, Margaret (Margie), who was born three months after they moved to into Anson St, in Orange.

That is where they stayed. We were lucky enough to grow up around wonderful families in this street and become close friends.

We always had other kids to hang out with and there was always mischief as a result.

In reflecting on mum’s life, I initially believed it to be quite an ordinary and simple life, – How wrong was I with her having so many children, and a husband who was often away, due to working on the trains and no network of immediate support around her, I can now understand that Mum’s life was nothing but extraordinary, for instance:

• How on earth did Mum co-ordinate the bills, the meals, the washing, the school functions, the kids illnesses and all that time she never missing Mass?
• how she managed to have 9 kids, to feed and clothe them on a single wage, whilst all the while, maintaining a perfect score of court shoes that always matched the colour of her bags.
• How did she manage to have that many kids NATURALLY.
• How did she manage to give us all just the right amount of love.
• How do you go along in life being so utterly selfless?

Mum’s main interest was always her family, and her special friends like Aunty Tess. She loved music particularly Val Doonican and Dean Martin, She had 17 Val Doonican albums and at least 7 albums of Dean Martin. She later enjoyed crosswords and became a skillful family historian.

She toured Australia and the world but her real passion was simply to watch her family “perform” the silly customs that evolved over time ie:

• "Tipped ya last", (a truly infantile game that involves hitting someone and running away. Then the person who has been tipped, has to tip someone else and so on…we THINK mum actually started this game and it still continues today, when its time for everyone to go home).
• Another custom was the Curran rendition of “Happy Birthday” – aahh - such a sweet melody by everyone at different times pitch and tone, gee, some even without pitch or tone, some deliberate, Most not.
• The water fights, which again, I think mum started, only to go inside and say "Don't bring water in the house!!
• The chips, sausages and eggs on a Sunday after Mass.
• The hanky waving goodbye.
• The fight with my brother as he made the sign of the cross like the Pope as he exited the driveway.
• The Christmas pudding must be stirred and when cooked eaten in age order. I know that this tradition is cherished by the grand-kids and we will make sure it is continued.

With these customs, inevitably came some Mums Special sayings:

• Fight, Fight I hate peace!!! and…
• Get outside if you’re going to fight (which would lead to…..
• I’ll get the feather duster!!!
• RIGHT!!!!!- GET THE FEATHER DUSTER” Which would be the signal for everyone us boys to scatter.

or She also used to say

• Don’t touch that- that’s your fathers!!
• Peter, Robert, Gregory, Paul, AAAHH, you know who you are, or, whatever ya name is!!!!

Mum was a specialist when it came to clichés too:

• You’ve got a voice on you like a Mullengar heifer – (whatever that means.)
• When we would say MUM, MUM, MUM she would respond if I give you sixpence would you go and buy another one.
• That’ll be the day…
• You can lay London to a brick on...
• Bet ya bottom dollar.
• You and me both…
• Why? Because I said so.
• If the wind changes you'll stay that way.
• What do you think I am a Taxi service.

and many others...

Even as her memory deteriorated, it was unbelievable that she could still quote these complex cliches, right until the end.

Although near the end she hardly recognised me, I still knew in my heart, that mum still loved me.

We all share a special memory of mum sitting on her chair near the old oil heater. of the family budget, we would sit on the floor where up to 20 spice tins were sitting. Each tin represented a bill eg Electricity, Phone, School Fees, Bread, Insurance, Church, etc. They were labelled accordingly and in each one she would place $1 or $2 notes in the tins. This fortnightly ritual, ensured that all the bills were paid on time. She was an absolutely extraordinary Finance Wizard and there never seemed to be any “Reminder” notices. The first bill I received was of all things a seat belt violation in the mail, when mum saw it, I can remember mums words about it they were, " Don't think I am going to pay that for you, how are you going to pay it? As fortune would have it, in the same mail I received a cheque from a lottery I had entered, the amount was the same as the fine, back then it was $20.00.

Mum would never have seen herself as a successful financial manager, but all of us are certain that she could have probably run her own business with her skills she had.

Dementia stole the loving mother that we knew away from us. In the end, she had limited communication skills, and although she maintained her good sense of humour, you could see it in her eyes, they told us that she was so tired and she was ready to join Dad.

Our mother, grandmother and great grandmother has left a wonderful legacy. We are so very lucky and grateful to have had her in our lives.

Mum, rest in peace. You will live on forever- in our hearts.

Mum passed away July 28, 2007.

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References

1. ↑ First-hand information as remembered and gathered by Paul Curran, Thursday, April 24, 2014. Replace this citation if there is another source.