Shep's Place Family Tree

Edith too had a brief time at the little church school, then was at the Grange where her main accomplishment was excellent handwriting,. She was usually distinguished by a tail of admiring small boys, a state which was to continue ‎(except that the boys were much larger)‎ into adulthood. She also had gained her School Certificate by the age of 12 and was at liberty to leave, and so joined the staff of John Martin's but behind the counter.In In her twenties, at "Argentville". Wayville, there were nightly gatherings at the front gate of her male admirers, in particular Tom Whillas, Jim Grierson. Gavin Miller. and Charles Doube and in barber shop quartet style they would harmonise with "Edie, Edie, are you coming out tonight" to the amusement of the neighbours and her sisters, and the disgust of Charles Percy. She was always most particular about her appearance, never a crease on her white embroidered blouse or her sweeping black skirt of the period. Into adulthood she wore her shining gold hair tied back with an outsize ribbon, usually blue, and if she ran out of ironed ribbons she was not past raiding her sisters' supplies to their annoyance.

In her twenties Edith was engaged to Gavin Miller who worked at a bank. Her ring was a diamond shape with 13 diamonds that she came to regard as unlucky and when she broke off the attachment, and was given the ring to keep, she had it made into a circular cluster. She had come to realise that her fondness for Gavin's mother more than for him was not a good basis for marriage. It had been an engagement on the rebound from her parting with Charles Doube who was a Roman Catholic. Neither would agree to convert to the other's church. He never married and died comparatively young. To the end of her life any mention of this Charles name would cause her face to light up, but her antipathy for the R.C. church never altered.

How long Edith worked at John Martins is something E.M.S. failed to ask her in her lifetime, but it was for a good many years. Later she was at Diamond Brothers, a picture framing and print selling store at Rundle Street, Adelaide and with her friend Essie Leseuer she served behind the counter. a very decorative addition to the business. At the time of her sister Olive's 1922 marriage ‎(she was sole bridesmaid)‎ Edith as a witness signed her occupation as "home duties". By this time she had become engaged to her cousin Lancelot Kemp Wilson. The wedding has been described and the reception but not the elegant bridecake, standing tall, with sugar doves and flowers, silver horse shoes and silver leaves to complement her own choice of personal decoration.

The years at farms have been covered in the section on Lance Kemp Wilson. In later life she was estranged from her sisters Olive and Violet, twelve years from the latter. The cause remains a mystery, but one day Violet met her unexpectedly in Rundle Street ‎(now the Mall)‎ and being ever warm hearted and of a generous nature greeted her as though there had been no break and invited her to visit. The move to Brighton was in progress and soon exchange visits were frequent and continued so to the end of their lives.

At the shared place at Oleander Street, Brighton, sister-in-law cousin Mabel was always invited to afternoon tea when relatives or friends were with Edith, but not the dog Terry.

After Mabel's death she found the big house and garden something of a burden. At first she was tempted to purchase at Kensington where the five grand-daughters were at boarding school, but it was pointed out that once they had left she would be isolated. Her friends at Brighton, all elderly, would find travelling to the other side of the city to visit too tiring and her bridge days, her church and Meals on Wheels every week, would all be ended. So she purchased at 6 Wenlock Street. Brighton. the centre unit of three. She had been inclined to the larger front one, but decided she could not live with royal purple bathroom fittings. The three were newly built and of excellent construction. She moved there on 14 Jan 1970 and continued her happy social round, and flower growing in the more limited space.

From the Adelaide Advertiser of 30 Jul 1974 ‎(plus photograph of Edith holding her medal)‎.

The heading: "Twelve Years of Potato Peeling" - and continued - "Mrs. Wilson's potatoes are famous at Brighton Meals on Wheels kitchen. One co-worker said the kitchen would not be the same without 85 year old Mrs Edith M. Wilson of Wenlock Street Brighton. Mrs. Wilson has peeled the potatoes and cooked other vegetables at the kitchen for three hours on Fridays since 1962. In that time she missed only about 6 days. She was one of 11 volunteers, members of the Brighton Meals on Wheels kitchen who recently received badges for 12 years service from Meals on Wheels S.A. from Director Colonel H.G. Frith. Mrs. Wilson said that the kitchen provided 115 meals on Fridays each with two pieces of potato.'I think Meals on Wheels is a wonderful idea', she said. 'it must be a wonderful help to the people who receive them'". Her photograph with medal is in the family archives together with those of her in her beautiful youth.

During 1974 she had a slight stroke while watching T.V. one night, but quickly recovered to continue her usual activities. On December 23rd she was Christmas shopping at Adelaide with no indication that it would be he last. A sudden heart attack that night, although severe, still left her able to phone her doctor who came promptly and had her wheeled across the road on a barouche to Hartley Hospital, directly opposite. It was thought at first that she would recover, but she died on Christmas Day. She was in her 86th year.