Elizabeth Helen "Beth" JULIUS [896]

  General Notes:

EULOGY read by John Dicks and Helen Macintosh at the Funeral Service held at St Stephen's Anglican Church, Coorparoo, on Friday 20 August, 2010 for their mother, ELIZABETH HELEN DICKS.

John:Elizabeth Helen Julius was born on 3^rd June, 1919 in a small private hospital in Barker Street, New Farm. She was the first child of John (known as Jack) and Isabel Jane (known as Belle) Julius. Mum was baptised on 14 July in St John's Cathedral before the family returned to the cattle property 'Dovedale' outside Boompa (near Maryborough) where Mum's father was manager.

Mum's Brother John Stewart was born in Maryborough on 29th November 1921 and the family continued to live at 'Dovedale' until 1926 when they returned to Brisbane. Mum, who had been taught by correspondence at 'Dovedale', started school in Brisbane at the Misses Stephensons' establishment at New Farm. She then attended Sunnybank State School for a short while, returning to New Farm and the Misses McKenzies' school. At about the age of 11, Mum and her family moved to Laidley in the Lockyer Valley where she and Uncle John attended the Laidley Central State School before she travelled for two years by rail motor to the Gatton State High School completing Junior in 1935.

Helen:Mum then came to Brisbane to undertake a secretarial course at Stott's College. While at Stott's she boarded with family friends. She commenced work at Robert Harper & Co where she remained only a short time because Stott's invited her back to teach shorthand to girls almost her own age. Later she moved to a position at the National Mutual Insurance Company where she continued right up until the time of her marriage.

Mum's family returned to Brisbane in the late 1930s and built a new home named 'Southery' in Hethorn Street, Coorparoo. At the wedding of a friend's older sister in 1940 she met a Coorparoo chap named Henry Gordon Dicks and a friendship ensued despite the fact that he parted his hair down the middle and wore two-tone brogue shoes! Mum soon fixed these bad habits!

John:Mum and Dad became engaged in 1941. Dad's parents wanted him to complete his electrical engineering studies before he and mum were married, but after a three year engagement they took the plunge on 16 December 1944 at St. Andrew's Church of England, South Brisbane with a modest reception at the Red Cross Café. They planned to go to Sydney for their honeymoon, but with wartime petrol rationing putting a stop to this, they ended up going to Caloundra by train! Their first home was a flat in High Street, Windsor and Dad finally finished his studies - obtaining better marks after his marriage than before!

After a while at Windsor, Mum and Dad bought Mum's grandmother's home at 148 Kennedy Terrace, Red Hill. I, Henry John, was born on the morning of 6^th February, 1948 and by lunchtime, Mum was wondering why Dad hadn't come to visit. It turns out that nobody at the hospital had phoned him to tell him he had a son! During their years at Red Hill, Mum joined with a group of local ladies who played tennis on Tuesdays. They continued to play until the 1980s and after that still met regularly for lunch in the city until only a few years ago. She became actively involved at St Barnabas' Anglican Church where she joined the Mothers' Union. In 2008 Mum was very proud to be awarded her Mothers' Union 50 year membership badge. I commenced at the Ithaca Creek State School in 1954. On 7th June 1956 Helen Mary was born, and again Dad had to be telephoned to be informed of the arrival of his child - this time he was working on a job in Theodore in country Queensland.
Dad's business relocated from the City to Woolloongabba in 1956. He found crossing from Red Hill to the Southside through the Normanby in peak hour traffic a real pain so he and Mum decided to move closer to Woolloongabba. Imagine what Dad would think of the traffic today! In June 1959, when I was 11 and Helen 3, we moved to 19 Spica Street, Coorparoo. I started at Churchie immediately, and so began Mum's almost 50 year association with the school. The family became parishioners here at St. Stephen's, commencing another 50 year association. Mum joined the Holland Park Red Cross Branch and was a very hard working member of this dedicated group of ladies. Over the ensuing years she received her Long Service Award and three bars, indicating over 40 years of service. She also did volunteer work with the wives of Dad's fellow Rotary Club members and she and Dad had lots of fun with Rotary friends. She continued to return to Red Hill for tennis on Tuesdays and all other days of the week were taken up with Church work, Red Cross, Meals on Wheels and school tuckshops. Dad also took up sailing and the crew and families of Trevor Early's 'Sonda' became probably their dearest friends.

Helen:Every August for 20 years our family holidayed at the dearly loved 'Kalara' at Miami on the Gold Coast. We have so many happy memories of great carefree times in the old fibro beach shack, many of them spent with our Uncle John, Aunty Daph and their three daughters Elizabeth, Penelope and Susan.
After two years at St. Stephen's kindergarten, I started at the Coorparoo State School in 1962. John completed senior in 1965 and commenced his electrical apprenticeship with Dad as well as studying Engineering at QIT at night. I moved on to St. Margaret's at Albion in 1968 and so began Mum's next tuckshop career! John joined the regular Army in 1970 and I completed Senior in 1973. During my senior year, Mum and Dad enjoyed a wonderful, long-awaited overseas trip. Many of you will be well aware of Mum's great love of cricket and she was thrilled to visit Lord's and Old Trafford during their travels.
In 1974 I commenced my Arts degree at the University of Queensland and John married Lyn at the Churchie Chapel in November of that year. Mum and Dad first joined the Liberal Party in the early 1970s and were very active supporters. For several elections, Mum was Booth Captain at the Scout Hall in Eva Street, Coorparoo where the workers for the other side often said she had an unfair advantage because she knew everyone who came to vote! She was so well known and liked in the Coorparoo area. Two weeks ago Mum cast her postal vote for tomorrow's federal election. Her interest in politics and all current events never diminished.

John:Mum and Dad's first grandchild, Henry Michael was born on 29 January, 1976 followed by Angela Jane exactly three years later. This was convenient as each January after Michael's birth meant a birthday road trip to wherever my family and I were posted - complete with Dad's comprehensive range of spare parts for his car! Mum had her second overseas trip in 1980 commencing with a Mothers' Union tour of Europe (sharing a room with great friends Edna Early and Edith James), then meeting up with Dad and Helen in London. Helen married Andy at Churchie Chapel in October 1981. Mum and Dad had several other shorter trips within Australia and over to New Zealand with friends Trevor and Edna Early and Ed and Margaret Scott in the early 1980s. Dad continued to work as an engineering consultant during his retirement. His untimely death on 28 May, 1984 was a terrible shock. Mum was so strong for everyone and we can only imagine how it felt for her to lose her husband of nearly 40 years. She continued on at Spica Street for four more years, during which time she welcomed the arrival of grandson Alexander Andrew Gordon on 16 April, 1985 and her namesake, Elizabeth Helen Mary on 28 July 1987.

1988 began Mum's next 20 year association with Churchie when Michael commenced Grade 8. In December of that year, after over 29 years at Spica Street, Mum moved to her unit at 'Lorelei' in Mackay Street, Coorparoo. Mum's fifth grandchild, William Douglas John arrived on 8th August 1990. While at Mackay Street, Mum continued her busy lifestyle and enjoyed several trips away with great friend Edna Early.
Her tireless devotion to the Liberal Party was rewarded in 1993 with a Meritorious Service Award. 1993 also saw Michael follow me into the Army. 1994 began on a very sad note with the sudden passing of Mum's only brother, our Uncle John. They had a close relationship all their lives punctuated only by his service overseas during the Second World War. To us he was a fabulous uncle and an even better friend.

Helen:Mum was an avid card player. She enjoyed all kinds of card games, especially Solo and Poker. She taught all her grandchildren to play poker and there were many fiercely fought contests. However, sometimes she underestimated the skill of those she had taught. On one occasion she rather rashly bet her car on what looked like an unbeatable hand only to lose it to William who was then about five or six! He has always claimed that the old silver Ford Laser is his!

Mum enjoyed another overseas trip to Los Angeles, Disneyland and Canada with Andy, our children and me in 1995. Her total support of all her grandchildren's activities saw her at endless concerts, sporting matches, Speech Nights and more recently (and very proudly), tertiary graduations. Each of Mum's grandchildren shared a wonderful individual relationship with her. She followed with great interest their lives as adults:

Michael & Alicia's life in Sydney and the building of their new home;
Angela's travels and physiotherapy work;
Alexander the mechanical engineer - so like our Dad;
Elizabeth the Prep teacher and her tales from the classroom; and
William's Law and Commerce studies and his passion for playing the drums.

Right up to the end of last week she was thrilled to hear and respond in her inimitable way to

"Gidday Granny!" from Michael,
"Hi Gran - it's me, Ang!" from Angela,
"Hi Gran… Good thanks Gran!" from Alexander,
"Gidday Hot Stuff! What's Goss?" from Elizabeth and
"On ya Narg!" from William.

John:For about a year before her final house move, Mum enjoyed having granddaughter Angela living with her at Mackay Street. Angela enjoyed being spoilt, however, she was embarrassed when she revealed in the lunchroom at work her lovingly prepared miniature triangle sandwiches in their recycled paper bag! By mid 2007, Mum was in need of a little support in her day-to-day activities, so she decided to make the move to a serviced apartment at Aveo Taringa Retirement Village. She made many new friends at Taringa and thoroughly enjoyed her lifestyle there. The lack of such an outstanding facility in the Coorparoo area was the only downside, but the move did not stop her from returning often for Mothers' Union meetings, lunches with old Red Cross friends and visits to other friends in her beloved Coorparoo.

Helen:In June last year Mum reached the milestone of her 90th birthday. Many of you here today enjoyed celebrating it with her. We all felt so proud and privileged to be able to mark such a significant event with such an outstanding lady. One more huge celebration lay ahead for Mum with the marriage of her eldest grandson, Michael to Alicia in February this year. The famous organisation known as the Dicks and Macintosh Travelling Circus headed off to Sydney and the whole family enjoyed a wonderful weekend together with Mum our shining light both in the air and on the ground!

John:Thank you all for being here today to celebrate the life of Elizabeth Helen Dicks.
In particular we want to acknowledge:

Dr Tyson Doneley - Mum's GP for at least the last 30 years;
The staff of Ward 9 North at the Mater Private Hospital;
The fabulous staff of the Aveo Taringa Retirement Village; and
Fr David Johnstone.

Thank you too to all those wonderful people who have visited us, phoned, emailed, sent flowers and so kindly brought us beautiful food over the past two weeks.

Helen:In Mum's last week she was surrounded constantly by her loving family and four other special people to whom she was so very close -
our cousin Elizabeth, Toni Given, Julie Henderson, and Dean Waters.

John:We are so proud of our Mum and her 91 remarkable years. She gave so much to so many. Hers was a life centred on family, friends and her faith.

Thank you.

Beth married Henry Gordon "Gordon" DICKS [4930] [MRIN: 1696], son of Henry Isaac "Harry" DICKS [19497] and Lillian Gladys May "Glad" FAIRLEY [19498], on 16 Dec 1944 in St Andrew Sth Brisbane QLD. (Henry Gordon "Gordon" DICKS [4930] was born on 9 Oct 1921 in Ipswich Queensland AU, died on 28 May 1984 and was cremated on 30 May 1984 in Mt Thompson Memorial Gdns Brisbane.)