Valmy Mary Thompson

  Noted events in her life were:

• source. Pat Spence who writes:
Valmy Butler's hand written sheets of notes include the following written about 1990 when mum was 82:
"My dad died at Charters Towers on the feast of Christ the King 30th October 1938. (Miners complaint) He worked in Mines at charters Towers and Woodlark Island - Miners Thysis. Mum stayed on at Mosman St - Grandma Barty nee Noonan from Ballyglunin Galway, was still alive and living with mum and dad. Grandfather and Grandmother died and then Winnie persuaded mum to go to Brisbane and live with her. Winnie had married Dave Moffatt after Uncle Fred Pinder an Englishman died if a heart attack in Cairns - he strained the muscles of his heart shifting a consignment of stoves into his hardware shop near the station. He was a nice chap. The hardware shop is still there now in Sheilds St. Next thing Winnie was asked to marry Dave Moffatt who used to come into their shop - he was a sales man for Dulux paints etc.
They sold the shop and came to Brisbane and lived at Greenslopes [690 Logan Rd]. The house became too crowded so Winnie bought a house - a small one - for mum to live in and said it was hers but made no final settlement with these details. So when Winnie died in [1970?] as she always considered Mary Ann much older and bound to die before her (mum was only 2 or 3 years older than her) but Winnie died and left mum's house to Margaret Gould of Cairns so I asked mum to live with me. It made her very unhappy to leave her home - she was so proud of it with its gold curtains and the lounge suite in Pat's house (recovered from mum's home).

Mum lived with me and died aged 92 {at 80 Reeves St}. We were both very upset about not being able to find Ray - Mum even sent me to Sydney but he had died in [1970] and had been a chemist with ICANZ. He was the last student at the Charters Towers School of Mines - they kept the School open for an extra year so that Ray could get his degree in Metalurgy and Assaying. He was such a lovely boy - Billy reminds me of him. Mum said dad had a row with him - it must have been about leaving Mt Isa Mines - he had been appointed straight from the school of Mines to Mt Isa in the twenties but was disappointed with the Yanks who took over - I don't know whether he was put off or left of his own accord.
I went down to a job as a Commercial Teacher at the Townsville High and Technical College under D C Hamilton in the twenties. Then to Kingaroy, Bundaberg and back to Townsville. Maried in St Joseph's Church on the strand 6th Feb 1935 I think."

Val said that she and Orme travelled to Sydney for their honeymoon on the interstate steamer the Montoro in February 1935. They had a couple of days at Alma Den geust house before the ship left for Sydney.
Also Valmy Butler wrote the following notes concerning her brother Ray on an envelope:
" Ray died at Prince Henry Hospital 13th October 1970 aged 65 years. His funeral was handled by Labor Motor Funerals 24 Enmore Rd Newtown 2042. He was nursed by L Scott 55/79 Gardiners Rd Kingsford. Mrs scott said he had been in St Vincents Hospital on two occasions previously but was sent to Prince Henry by a Dr Pierce on the last occasion.
Copy of Death Register held at Reg Generals Office dated 27th March 1971.
Cause of death: multiple pulmonary emboli cor pulmonale [b] chronic ulcerative colitis
Admitted to hospital 26th Sept 1970.
Mrs scott said an autopsy was done following his death.
Ray resigned from Inorganic Chemical Factory ICANZ, Botany on 30th June 1965 [ill health]"
Valmy could not accept that he had died and until her death continued to attempt to locate him. She kept the copy of the notice which was published in the Brisbane Courier 20th March 1971after his death which read:
"Anyone knowing the where-abouts of the daughter of William Henry Thompson, wife nee Mary Ann Barty sister of Raymond William Thompson please contact Sydney 663 6548 re death of brother after 29th March."
" Mrs Scott said Ray spoke of working for the Forestry Dept near Gosford before joining ICI at Glebe and then at the main factory at Matraville. Mrs scott said he spoke of his home life at Charters Towers. He ahd also obtained a Refrigeration Engineers Diploma

Val also wrote again in another notebook:
"1942 we left the train at Yass and were driven to Tenandra on the Murrumbidgee by Ivy and Col [McMurchy]. Col has charge of the pumping station there - supplying troop trains going north to war. Then later we went to Wagga - stayed oposite [Calvary]Hospital at [Foxborough Hall] with Mrs Bridges. Pat went to Mt erin Convent in thick fog. There was an almond tree in the back yard."
"In 1942 we were evacuated from Nth Qld and I was sent to Wagga/Tenandra on the Murrumbidgee. Japs were in New Guinea. Orme rang up my aunt at Tenandra outside Wagga and I took my two very young children down and was met at Yass by an aunt and uncle I'd never seen and did not know. They met me and my two children and drove us to their home at Tenandra on the banks of the Murrumbidgee. My aunt was my father's sister Ivy - I called at Pr Alfred Hospital in Sydney on my way and were met at Yass by Aunty Ivy and Col McMurchy her husband. When school time arrived I took the children to Wagga where we stayed at a large house opposite the Catholic Hospital with the other evacuees from Sydnay and other places. My daughter was enrolled at the Presentation Convent - it all seems so long ago. 1942 the war was on the Japanese were down in New Guinea. On one occasion a Minister of the Crown visited the school and Pat was one of the children chosen to recite for him. The poem began: Little boy Jesus how do you do - here are some flowers I have gathered for you - Love is the red rose I've plenty you see pansies for thoughts will you thinking of me."

Valmy's notes written 1992/3 on her father's family - 4 boys and 4 girls? - may not always be accurate:
"William Henry my dad was the eldest. died st charters Towers.
Ray [Lawrence Raymond] lived in Melbourne or nearby - he had a hotel at ....... near Melbourne.
Herbert was in a Northern Rivers town in NSW on the railway
Charles was in Nyngan
Lida in WA
Beatrice ?
Ophelia WA
Ivy Sydney 37 Lancaster Rd Rose Bay Daughter Joan a nurse and her doctor husband [Wright] now live in Aunty Ivy's house. Joan was a sister at Pr Alfred Hospital 1942."

Notes on mother's family written 1992/3:
"My mother's family 4 girls and 6 boys?:
Mary Ann Barty a tailoress my mother was the second eldest. Died at R Brisbane Hospital 1975 and is buried at Nudgee Cemetery beside Orme Butler. She had lived 4 years with me at Reeves St Clayfield and was totally bedridden for this period. Mary Ann did all Winnie's mending and sewing.
Margaret - Cairns a very good pianist she could play anything
Myrtle - died at 17. she was a book binder on the Cairns post at the time. She had a big funeral cortege with white feathers on the hearse. I knew her she often made dolly clothes for me - I liked her.
Jim - Cloncurry - his wife died young and his two daughters Phyllis and Hazel came down to the Towers. Then Phyllis was sent to Cairns and lived with Aunty Win and after became a secretary to the Manager of Bolands the big Cairns store. Hazel was brought up in Cloncurry and then married Mr Cran and lived in Cairns and Redcliffe - her daughter still lives in Redcliffe but I think she went to Rockhampton or Yeppoon the week after her husband died. Hazel died in Redcliffe.
Jack - a stevedore on the wharf in Bowen and a big family I think
George - Mackay I think - bad tempered creature?
Arthur - the eldest child was out west
Archie - out west. He gave me some money to help buy a piano for Pat while I was in Townsville.
Robert - an original ANZAC at Gallipoli - I liked him a lot - a nice chap and good fun - showed us all the tricks he learned at the war.
Winifred - Cairns - had a hardware shop on road leading to the station with her husband Fred pinder from Leeds - he had a sister Ethel in Leeds whop wanted to come to Australia.
After uncle Fred died Winnie married Dave Moffatt and lived at 690 Logan Rd Greenslopes and then at Mayfield St Ascot in Brisbane. Winnie lost her wedding ring when we went swimming in Back creek at Charters Towers - she left it on a big rock. Winnie's house at Mayfield St was left to Keith Anderson. Winnie died at the free Mason's Home at Sandgate in 1973? she was cremated at Albany Creek."

On 17th January 1920 Valmy received a telegram from her father in Blair Athol when she was in hospital for 2 operations and she was 12 years old. It read "Dear daughter I aam glad you are better. Fondest love Dad"
Valmy received a telegram from her father when Pat was born in Brisbane in 1935. It was addreessed Wembley Exeter St Ashgrove and read "Fond love to you and baby Dad" It had been sent from Queenton Charters Towers on the 23 November 1935.

In another telegram dated 14 July 1938 at Queenton and sent to Mrs O W Butler, State Orphanage, Belgian Gardens by her father he said "Wishing you many happy returns. Love from Dad and Mum. Harry"

On her marriage certificate for her wedding to Ormand Butler on the 6th February 1935 she gives her address [and her father's address] as 60 The Strand Townsville and Ormand states his address was 5 The Strand Townsville

In 1992 Valmy broke several ribs in a fall down the back steps at Reeves St at Clayfield. On 22 January Pat took her to Morris surgical to buy a brace to assist her until the bones healed.