An important family milestone was reached on 11th February 2008 with the passing of my mum, Annie Irene Whiteman, or simply known to all as "Mim". After 94 years she left us for who knows where. I have my own thoughts about that but whatever you believe, the suffering and pain have stopped.
Mim was a trooper right until the end and her old heart just wouldn't give in. As I watched her during those last days, I wondered how much longer she could hang in there, indeed I knew she wanted to go months ago but who knows what keeps us going when the body has given up.
Mum was born on 31 December 1913 in Trangie NSW and was the eldest daughter in a family of 7 brothers. All her brothers passed away before her and it seemed that she did at the end of her life what she had done at the beginning ... looking after her young brothers ... she hung on until all of them had gone to sleep forever before she herself decided to turn in.
Those last days were difficult for all of us, my sisters Wendy and Jan and Mim's many grandchildren and great-grandchildren and sons and daughters-in-law. Her funeral was a real tribute to her and the love and respect she earned over all those years. Mim wasn't perfect, as none of us are, but she was a great mother who always put her family first and she will be sadly missed by all of us.
The theme of her funeral was the Frangipani flower. We spread them in her coffin and we all wore them on the day. Her ashes were scattered on Jan and Alan's farm at Cudgen next to the Frangipani trees with Mt Warning in the background.
