Untitled Document

Tribute to
LAUREL MARGARET COUDREY
21.02.1917 - 30.06.2001
John 14: V 1-3, 18-19, 27

Laurel was born at Semaphore on 21st February 1917, the second daughter of Gertrude and Harry Knowles.
Her older sister is Audrey and her younger sister is Norma.
Her Dad passed away when she was only five leaving her resourceful mother to cope with her young family.

She grew up and lived her early life in the Semaphore district, attending LeFevre School.
It is interesting to note that future husband Ron also attended the school.
When he was eight and she was six he presented her with a toy ring that came attached to a lolly.
She didn't get the lolly.

After leaving school she worked as a photographer's assistant for a number of years.

Her family were deeply involved in the life and community of the Semaphore Baptist Church with their Sunday School, youth programmes and worship, and through its social and community life, this congregation was formative in Laurel's maturing.

Ron was always in the scene and their relationship developed through engagement and then marriage in 1941.
And so a long and faithful partnership began.
Due to the war the early years brought times of occasional separation.
However eventually their family began to arrive even though they were spread out over 13 years.
Lesley, Laurence, Knowlton, Sharon and Fiona all duly took their place in the love of their parents.

In 1949 employment for Ron saw them move to Loxton.
It saw Laurel face a major change of scene and life, which she handled with courage and determination.
The first house there was "condemned" and the second house brought for her the strange experience of living in a "trust" home. There is a story that Ron had to fit doors to the cupboards of the trust home and it was taking longer than Laurel was prepared to put up with.
So she removed all the contents of the cupboards onto the kitchen table and gave Ron the ultimatum that that's where the contents would stay, and there would be no meals until the doors were fixed.

In 1955 the family moved to Pooraka where twelve months later the house burnt down with all its accompanying drama and stress.

This was just before Fiona was born in March 1957.
In 1970, after many years of hard work, their dreams were fulfilled in an exciting move to Greenhill.

Wherever they lived this family was fun loving, close and busy.
The kitchen table was the centre of Laurel's life and the place where they all enjoyed one another.
Whoever was a guest among them, was included.

Once all the children were married, Ron and Laurel moved to a home in Uraidla where she delighted in the view.
Then to Maslin's Beach where she could daily indulge her pleasure in magnificent sunsets.
Ron's death in 1989 saw her final move to McLaren Vale where she has lived since 1993.

Being a mainstay, supportive and faithful, sum up her qualities as a homemaker and mother.
These qualities flowed through to her eleven grandchildren and her six great grandchildren.
She adored them all.

Over the years her natural talents showed up in her sewing, craft work, reading books, floral art, being an armchair gardener, and her latest love of cross stitch.
The family suspect that with her passing Reader's Digest may go broke.

Throughout her life she has been a faithful worshipper and servant of God and His Son Jesus Christ her Lord.
Christian activity through Bible study groups and Ladies Fellowships has been high on her priorities.
She also participated and supported various Country Women's Association groups.
Her strong Christian faith laced all that she was and did.
I remember her recent delight to return to a gathering of people linked with Semaphore Baptist congregation of her youth.
It was an occasion of great joy and celebration for her.

Read by Rev Trevor O'Brien at Heysen Chapel, Centennial Park 04.07.2001