Leslie Keith (Les) Stephens

  General Notes:

Leslie Keith (Les) Stephens was born in 1902 in Burwood, Victoria. He was the second child in a family of seven boys and three girls.
He attended the Burwood primary school and then went on to the TallyHo Boys High School.
When his father decided to move to a farm, Les and his older brother Arthur both went to work on farms in the Mirboo area to gain experience. Both Les and Arthur returned to their parents farm at Ruby which was purchased in 1919 and sought work on other farms in the area.
Les remained a bachelor all his life. He inherited the farm at Ruby when his father passed away in 1937 on the proviso that his mother Elizabeth was able to live her life out there.
His father William had grown vegetables, but Les changed over to dairying. He continued to keep the farm for a few years after his mother’s death in 1948, but eventually sold it and purchased a property in Drouin. Here he continued in dairying until he had a stroke in the 1950’s.
The farm was sold as Les was unable to continue, he was partly paralysed on his left side. He went to live with his brothers and sisters in turn, a few weeks at each place. There were few nursing homes at this time.
It was while staying with sister Nell and her husband Scott McClure on their Wangaratta property that Les used their shotgun and committed suicide. He is buried beside his parents in the Korumburra Cemetery.

(Gunshot wilful - Inquest held)

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Dairy Farmer.

• Birth Certificate: (16473).

• Death Certificate Number: (18622).