BORN Florence Freda Vickery on 13 December 1913, ‘Flo’ was the eldest of eight children followed by James, Arthur, Emily, Irene, George, Gladys and Amy.
Unfortunately Irene died of an illness when only young.
Flo, a loving mother and grandmother was 102 years old when she passed away.
Flo’s late husband, Harold Earnest Wilson, was a great sportsperson who specialised in playing soccer, tennis and then bowls.
His sporting fans referred to him by the nickname of ‘Grubby’.
Harold died at Wollongong Hospital in 1978 aged 73.
He was the eldest of two late brothers, Frederick and Albert, his mother was Elizabeth Wilson-Wynn and his father Harold Oscar Wilson, commonly called ‘Ock’.
Flo and Ernie were married at Corrimal Methodist Church on 15 April 1933 and they had one son, Albert John Wilson, and four grandchildren, Meryl, Trudy, Rodney and Malcom, with daughter-in-law Lorna Wilson Thompson.
Flo’s father Percy George Vickery, known as ‘Perce’, was born at St Peters, Sydney, and was raised in Helensburgh, while her mother, Florence Muriel Vickery-Holmes, was called ‘Maggie’ when living in Australia.
Maggie was born in Scotland and travelled to Australia at the age of 15. She was seasick most of the way and had to be carried from the ship on a stretcher.
Percy and Florence were married at St Albans Church of England at Corrimal on 14 March 1913.
Perce was 27 years old and Florence was 19. The consent to marry was required in writing by her father, John William Holmes, because Florence was under 21.
Flo lived a long and full life, outliving her brothers and sisters and also sadly lost her husband many years ago, and more recently her grandson Malcom.
Malcom was just 31 when, sadly, he died. The other grandchildren and great grandchildren will remember Flo with a great deal of affection.
Flo died peacefully at Akooramak Aged Care Home on Saturday 29 October 2016.
– Contributed by Flo’s family
