Today I captured the lovely Jeannie. When she arrived in her red leather jacket, I told her she reminded me of Michael Jackson.. she lamented that she would have worn a white glove.. haha
She was more than happy to pose, & said that I had made her whole week with completing the photos for her. She wore meaningful necklaces around her neck, the cross to symbolise her faith, a "Mum" necklace & beautiful pendant with some of her sons ashes encased in its design.
When I tool the picture of Jeannie's hands I asked what the stone was in her ring & she said it was a Ruby gifted to her by her mother in law after she passed.
Her own engagement ring had been stolen after she allowed a young woman with a baby to stay at her house while she was down on her luck. Unfortunately Jeannie's kindness was met with the theft of her ring as thanks.
I took her on expedition down the hill to have some pics with the orange trumpet vine. She gracefully twirled her dress & gave me all the goddess vibes.
Jean Marion Turrier 13-6-38 (who prefers to be called Jeannie)
Born in England she was the 6th child of Ethel Lilian Beckett she had 4 brothers and 3 sisters. She was a difficult birth and ended in a c section and blood transfusion for her mother.
Her older sister wasn’t happy with the duration her mother had to be away, and consequently Jeannie wasn’t her favourite person as she thought it her fault.
In 1941 another sister was born, this time her mother was allowed home the next day because of having 6 other children waiting at home, and thank goodness she was, as the hospital took a direct hit from a German bomb and the women’s ward took the worst of the attack and all the mothers died leaving the babies in the nursery unharmed.
Jeannie and her brother were evacuated to the county of Kettering Kent she went to a family with 3 boys and a baby girl. She fondly recalls a pet mouse who would run along the babies play pen and make her giggle.
They weren’t away long because they called it the Cold War as there was no bombing in London so they all returned and she was back to start school at age 5
Her father Harry Vincent Beckett was in the First World War, and suffered from gas in the trenches. He was a very strict father and believed children should be seen and not heard. He never said the words I love you.. even though it was what they all wished to hear.
Her mother was amazing raising 8 children during the war, when food was rationed. Jeannie says they never went to bed hungry and home was always clean and tidy. They all had jobs before school.
They lived in a three bedroom house and slept 3 to a bed. As her brothers moved out, sleeping became easier.
Her childhood was happy and simple, no cars, they played in the street, roller skated, played marbles, played cricket.. no tv, no phones, no washing machine, no inside toilet.
She met her husband when they were in Winterborn infant school year 6. She didn’t like him because he pulled her hair ribbon and teased her.
However they grew up as good friends and he would give her a lift to school on the cross bar of his bike.
Her first job was a paper round, then she worked in a newsagent.
Neil joined the merchant marines and would visit when on leave. They both had other love interests, but at age 17 realised they were in love and married 10th May 1958. They had 4 children 3 boys and a daughter.
Jeannie loved being a mother and had many ups and downs. They made the big move to Australia in 1971 with the 4 kids moving to Lakemba. They were considered 10 pound Poms. Jeannie had other family already moved here, & they were all there to welcome them. They had even set up their new home with all the furnishings needed.
68 years later they have 16 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren.
They suffered awful heartbreak in 2023 when their second son Richard lost his battle with cancer. Neil also had bowel cancer that year but he survived
