Johanna Elizabeth Keating (1912 - 1975)

Born 3 Jun 1912 in McKenzie St West, Golden Square, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 9 Jun 1975 at age 63 in Abbottsford, Victoria, Australia

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Johanna Elizabeth Keating was born on June 3rd 1912 at McKenzie St Golden Square, Bendigo. As child she contacted meningitis & therefore had no schooling. Her father died when she was five and later her mother took her two daughters to Footscray/Sunshine to live with their grandmother. The two brothers (Jack & Tom) stayed in Bendigo with an aunt. Being uneducated made work impossible and when the grandmother died in 1929 & grandfather in 1935 she eventually found herself at the Good Shepherd Convent ( now the Chadstone Shopping complex) She was put to work as they ran a laundry service with their "staff". She had a bed & was fed. What more could she want? She told the nuns she had two brothers & one day they would come for her. Problem no one would tell them where she was. Her sister Catherine would not discuss it & said it was for the best. I was home ( Robinvale) for picking in 1971 & my father was reading "The Sun" & said " my brother has died". I only knew Jack as my father's brother . About two years later I decided to find my Aunt by ringing every Mather in the Melbourne White Pages. Sure enough went I got to "V" & asked "does the name Keating mean anything to you?" The lady said her late husband had two brothers namely, Jack & Tom. I met her & she said I had an Aunt Johanna. I rang the Good Shepherd Convent & the went to meet her. We brought her to our home a few weekends & arranged for her to meet her brothers at Robinvale. Jack & family came from Merbein & we all met at Robinvale in 1973. She continued at the Good Shepherd but had Christmas with us. Early in 1975 she was diagnosed with cancer & by early May I was told to expect the worse. I rang my father & mother and they both came to my home. My father died that night. Johanna passed away a month later. She is buried at Springvale. She would have died in peace after being reunited with her two brothers after such a long time. She is buried at Springvale, Vic.

BIRTHS: BDM,Vic 20882 DEATHS: BDM,Vic 13290