Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (1893

Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (1893 - 1987)

Children	Self + Spouses	Parents	Grandparents	Greatgrandparents
Frank Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY (1919 - 2000) Nancye Leah ELWORTHY (1922 - ) William John ELWORTHY (1923 - ) Living Robert Fitch Ross ELWORTHY (1928 - 1990) Macarthur Arthur James (Cookie) ELWORTHY (1933 - 2008)	Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (1893 - 1987) + Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY (1891 - 1967)	Frank HANSEN (1856 - )



		Hannah Maira Ellen Jane FITCH (1871 - 1927)	Edward FITCH (1830 - 1910)	William FITCH (1790 - )
				Elizabeth (FITCH) (1792 - )
			Janet Elizabeth MACKAY (1832 - 1907)	George MACKAY (1794 - 1855)
				Ann MUNRO (1797 - )

b. 18 Apr 1893 at New South Wales, Australia

m. 03 Apr 1918 Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY (1891 - 1967) at Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia

d. 06 Aug 1987 at Wynnum, Queensland, Australia aged 94

Near Relatives of Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (1893 - 1987)
Relationship	Person	Born	Birth Place	Died	Death Place	Age
Grandfather	Edward FITCH	14 Dec 1830	Whitechapel, London, England	14 Jan 1910	Kyabram, Victoria, Australia	79
Grandmother	Janet Elizabeth MACKAY	12 Jan 1832	Shoreditch, Middlesex, England	13 Oct 1907	Kyabram, Victoria, Australia	75

Father in Law	Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY	18 Jan 1866	Tumut, New South Wales, Australia	19 May 1935	Cooma, Monaro, New South Wales, Australia	69
Mother in Law	Leah Christian ISAAC	15 Aug 1865	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	03 Feb 1930	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	64

Father	Frank HANSEN	16 Dec 1856	England
Mother	Hannah Maira Ellen Jane FITCH	03 May 1871	Daylesford, Victoria, Australia	1927		56

Self	Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN	18 Apr 1893	New South Wales, Australia	06 Aug 1987	Wynnum, Queensland, Australia	94

Husband	Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY	31 Jan 1891	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	23 Jan 1967	Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia	75

Son	Frank Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY	30 May 1919	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	20 Dec 2000	West Gosford, New South Wales, Australia	81
Daughter	Nancye Leah ELWORTHY	19 Apr 1922	Harden, New South Wales, Australia
Son	William John ELWORTHY	11 Dec 1923	Harden, New South Wales, Australia
Daughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Son	Robert Fitch Ross ELWORTHY	13 Feb 1928	Crowther, New South Wales, Australia	07 Oct 1990	Albury, New South Wales, Australia	62
Son	Macarthur Arthur James (Cookie) ELWORTHY	16 Aug 1933	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	abt 2008	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	75

Sister	Olive Agusta HANSEN	1895	New South Wales, Australia	1967	Burwood, New South Wales, Australia	72
Brother	Frank Edward HANSEN	1898	New South Wales, Australia	1955	Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia	57

Daughter in Law	Joan Maree STONEY
Daughter in Law	Living or Recently Deceased
Son in Law	Frank Baylis MACKENZIE	14 Dec 1919	Tumut, New South Wales, Australia	11 Feb 1988	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia	68
Daughter in Law	Living or Recently Deceased
Son in Law	Roland Ian LOGAN	09 Mar 1925	Newcastle-on-Tyne, Northumberland, England	29 Apr 1995	Manly, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia	70
Daughter in Law	Living or Recently Deceased
Daughter in Law	Rosemary Heather CARMICHAEL	06 Dec 1937	Cremorne, New South Wales, Australia	06 Jun 2002	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	64

Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Grandson	Living or Recently Deceased
Granddaughter	Living or Recently Deceased

Uncle	Edward Frank FITCH
Uncle	Frederick James FITCH
Uncle	William Edward FITCH
Uncle	George Mackay FITCH	abt 1855	UK
Aunt	Elizabeth Ann FITCH	1857
Uncle	John MCGEOCH
Aunt	Anna Maria FITCH	1862	Daylesford, Victoria, Australia	1863	Kyabram, Victoria, Australia	1

Nephew	William Arthur Fane DE SALIS	09 Jun 1916	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	26 Nov 1999	Canberra, ACT, Australia	83
Nephew	Eric James Fane DE SALIS	18 Mar 1918	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	14 Feb 2002	Canberra, ACT, Australia	83
Nephew	John David DE SALIS	23 Oct 1923	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia
Niece	Jean ELWORTHY	22 Oct 1925		18 Jun 1992	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	66
Niece	Living or Recently Deceased
Niece	Leah Doreen ELWORTHY	17 Dec 1930	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	25 Apr 1961		30
Niece	Living or Recently Deceased

Sister in Law	Eileen Christian ELWORTHY	19 Oct 1892	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	10 Sep 1956	Canberra, ACT, Australia	63
Brother in Law	James Baker ELWORTHY	07 Jul 1894	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	01 May 1965	Balmain, New South Wales, Australia	70
Sister in Law	Doris Henrietta (Dobbie) ELWORTHY	17 May 1896	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	21 Nov 1975	Gunnedah, New South Wales, Australia	79
Brother in Law	John Douglas ELWORTHY	15 Jun 1898	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	01 Mar 1942	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	43
Brother in Law	Charles H O'BRIEN

Events in Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN (1893 - 1987)'s life
Date	Age	Event	Place	Notes	Src
18 Apr 1893		Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN was born	New South Wales, Australia	35781/1893
03 Apr 1918	24	Married Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY (aged 27)	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia	6508/1918
30 May 1919	26	Birth of son Frank Arthur Ernest ELWORTHY	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia
19 Apr 1922	29	Birth of daughter Nancye Leah ELWORTHY	Harden, New South Wales, Australia
11 Dec 1923	30	Birth of son William John ELWORTHY	Harden, New South Wales, Australia
1927	34	Death of mother Hannah Maira Ellen Jane FITCH (aged 56)		12100/1927
13 Feb 1928	34	Birth of son Robert Fitch Ross ELWORTHY	Crowther, New South Wales, Australia
16 Aug 1933	40	Birth of son Macarthur Arthur James (Cookie) ELWORTHY	Gundagai, New South Wales, Australia
abt 1934	41	Separated (Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY)
23 Jan 1967	73	Death of husband Frederick Arthur ELWORTHY (aged 75)	Parramatta, New South Wales, Australia	13924/1967
06 Aug 1987	94	Viola Janet (VJ) HANSEN died	Wynnum, Queensland, Australia

Personal Notes:

On the eve of their marriage on 03 ApI 1918, at St John's CofE, the rector, wardens and parishioners gave Vi a handsome canteen of cutlery in appreciation of her service as organist. Her daughter Betty Logan still has the canteen.
It was considered 'bad form' to have elaborate weddings in wartime particularly when close family members were in the forces. Fred and Vi had a very pretty wedding featuring Fred's regimental colours of white and blue - but the reception was limited to the two families. Fred's sister Eileen De Salis lent her wedding veil, sister Doris and Vi's sister Olive Hansen were bridesmaids and Fred's best friend
D. McCaig was best man.
The honeymoon was spent in the Blue Mountains, Jenolan and the Yarrangobilly Caves then Fred and Vi lived at Maitland until transferred to Albury in August. Peace was finally declared and the young couple returned to Gundagai for a rest.
Whilst out driving near the end of January 1919 they had a lucky escape, duly reported in the Times. "They were driving down Learys Hill when the pony toppled over,the impact snapping off the two shafts close up to the springs. The pony hardly moved a muscle and as the body of the sulky swung forward, the occupants quietly stepped to the ground without suffering any personal inconvenience whatsoever." Vi was five months pregnant and it could have caused more than personal inconvenience!
They must have really liked the town of Albury (where Vi had lived from 1902-06). Fred applied for the job of Secretary of the P & A Society but alas, came second to a bank manager in a field of forty.
On 14May Vi was at Gundagai to greet her brother Frank Hansen returning after two years at the front and six months leave in England. Maybe the excitement was a bit much or maybe she'd planned to be with mother for her first baby. In any case Frank Arthur Ernest arrived on 30 May 1919.
Later he took mischievous pleasure saying he was born in Gundagai gaol. Technically he was - his grandfather Hansen was the town constable and his residence was within the gaol walls
Following the separation from Fred, Vi and the children stayed on at Burrenderry here she continued to take care of her bachelor brother-in-law Jim and also do the farm's books.
One by one the children went away to school or work and when war came in September 1939, only the two youngest Rob and James, remained at home. Many years later Vi commented that never again did she have all her family together under one roof - at least one was always missing.
For many years she worked for patriotic organisations in Gundagai such as the RSL and Red Cross and was an enthusiastic supporter of the CWA. Vi was a foundation member of Gundagai RSL Auxiliary, for 15 years directing its affairs as President and later becoming Patron.
Shortly after son James married Rosemary Carmichael in 1965, Vi left the home she had lived in for more than 30 years and stayed a year or two with her daughter Nancye Mackenzie at Norfolk Road, Epping, then moved up to Queensland to be near daughter Betty who, with her husband Ian Logan, owned and ran a nursing home in the Brisbane bayside suburb of Wynnum.
She found a comfortable unit in Bride Street with views of Waterloo Bay and later, when the steps became a bit much to manage, she moved to a ground level unit just one block away in the same street. She was an alert and mentally active lady who read widely and kept up with current events on television and ABC radio.
She loved to shop, especially at David Jones where she'd had a charge account for more than 50 years. To acknowledge the half century, the company sent champagne and flowers - with a personal note from Charles Lloyd Jones!
Her Bride Street unit was directly opposite the Anglican Church and in her later years when kneeling was difficult (but not impossible as she always knelt for her evening prayers), Vi derived great pleasure just sitting at home absorbing the music of the well-loved hymns she had played so long ago as organist at St John's, Gundagai.
Because she kept her finger on the pulse of her family's lives and knew all their doings, her children jokingly referred to her as MI.5 (Britain's espionage headquarters). She was also called VJ and Mama. She didn't ever forget anyone's birthday and wrote regularly to each of her six children. But woe betide anyone who didn't respond promptly!
Until she was just past 90, she lived alone, entertaining friends and doing much of her own cooking. Sadly she suffered a stroke and moved into Betty's own home but finally needed full time nursing care. Her last four years were spent in The Wynnum Nursing Home where she died peacefully on 26 Aug 1987. VJ now lies in Portion 8, No 276 of Hemmant Lawn Cemetery.

Source References:

2. Type: Book, Abbr: Devon to Down Under, Title: Devon to Down Under, Auth: Bettie Elworthy, Publ: Bookbound, Date: 1997

- Reference = 202 (Name, Notes)

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