A Headstone for Keith

Yesterday we drove to Kellerberrin to place a headstone on Stephens brothers grave. He passed away when he was only 4 weeks old.

Ailsa told me the story of his birth and death and even though it was over 50 years ago it still upset her to talk about it. With tears welling in her eyes she told me of how there was no therapy to help get over this loss. You had to 'just get over it!'. She had two other children and they needed their mother so she appeared to everyone to have 'gotten over it' but as she talked I could see that she never would.

She knew there was something not quite right when he was born and was told there was a problem with his bowel. These days it would be easily fixed. She never got to take him home and he passed away at Princess Margaret Hospital on the 15th September 1959.

In those days long ago Ray and Ailsa couldn't afford to place a headstone on little Keith's grave and when they moved away from Kellerberrin to Moora it was put on the back burner. So here we are 53 years after his death finally placing a headstone on the grave of this precious little boy.

It is a bit hard to read in the photo...

It reads:

MATHER

In loving memory of 

KEITH STEWART

Infant 3rd Son of Ailsa and Ray

Brother of Bruce, Stephen and Russell

Born 15th August 1959 Died 15th September 1959

Aged 4 Weeks

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

While we were at the cemetery Ray pointed out that he had made the gates at the works of Electweld Steel that his family owned.

He must have done a good job because they still look fantastic!

We drove up the road to a lookout and Ray showed us this plaque referring to his grandfather J.J. Mather and his chaff cutting plant. 

On the same plaque it tells of Ray's father Frank Mather's innovation to recycle water pipes that were only corroding on the bottom. He cut them in half lengthwise and invented a special machine to join the two good halves together and complete the job. 

On the way back into town we stopped at the house where Ray, Ailsa, Bruce and Stephen lived. I thought it was looking pretty good apart from the garden, all the lead light windows were still intact but Ray and Ailsa thought it looked terrible!

 I can imagine it would have been all tickety boo when they lived here.

Our last stop before heading home was to visit the church where Ray and Ailsa were married.

 Unfortunately the doors were locked so couldn't get a look inside.

 It was very tempting to ring the bell....but we restrained ourselves.

A beautiful building!