Nellie Naomi (Nell) Stephens

  General Notes:

Nellie Naomi McClure was born in Burwood on the 10th July 1909. She was the eldest girl in a family of 7 boys and three girls born to William and Elizabeth Stephens. Her parents ran the local Post Office, which they continued to do until she was eight years of age.
The family relocated to Ruby in South Gippsland, where they took up dairy farming.
Nell and her sister Ruby were the first children of the Ruby School to wear elastic waisted underpants and were known as the hitch-em-up step-ens sisters.
Nell left school to work as a domestic for the local "Shire Engineer" and his family where she continued to work until her marriage to Harold Mason in 1928, at the age of 18.
After her marriage, she helped her husband in his timber and firewood enterprises. She became a master in the operation of a two-man crosscut saw.
During the Great Depression, they took to the road with 3, soon to be four children, where Harold got work road building and Nell took in Laundry to help make ends meet as well as looking after the family. Life on the road, was a learning experience for Nell, she became adept at making do with what was available and became quite good at camp oven cooking whether it be a Roast or simply baking bread or scones.
They continued to live this gipsy life until 1943, when they bought a farm at Woreen. Nell continued to live here for a couple of years after Harold’s death in 1945, as a result of a tractor accident whilst clearing their house site.
In 1950 she married Scott McClure , a divorcee with four adult children. They began their married life at Yanco near Leeton in the Murrumbidgee area of New South Wales. Later moving onto Narrandera and Yenda before moving back to Victoria, taking up diary farming at Edi Upper. After selling this farm, they retired to a farmlet at South Corowa, where they continued to exercise their love of country living, milking a couple of cows, raising a few chickens and growing vegetables. She continued to live in the Corowa area after Scott's death in 1974 until her move to Bangalow in 1990.
Nell was active in the Red Cross, CWA and RSL Women’s Auxiliary where she received the Triple Star and was awarded a life Membership for her contribution.
Nell had many loves, these included Preserving Fruit, Knitting, Crocheting, Travelling which she did with Scott after retiring, her animals and not to forget her love of a good debate about various topics.
Throughout her 93 years she travelled by many different modes of transport, Horse and Carriage, Tram, Train, Car and Jet Plane.
One of her Grand daughters, asked what she felt was the most important advancement in her lifetime. Nell thought for a bit and answered "Soap" – being able to buy it. She really hated to make it.
Written by grand daughter Vickie Mason

  Noted events in her life were:

• Birth Certificate: (17106).

Nellie married Harold Alexander Mason, son of Joseph Harold Mason and Mary Elizabeth Cox, on 24 Mar 1928 in Ruby, Victoria Australia. (Harold Alexander Mason was born on 24 Dec 1904 in Campbells Creek, Victoria Australia, died in 1945 in Leongatha, South Gippsland, Victoria Australia and was buried on 29 Apr 1945 in Leongatha Cemetery, Victoria Australia.)

Nellie next married Alexander John Scott (Scott) McClure, son of John McClure and Elizabeth Emily Elson, on 27 Jan 1950 in Leeton, NSW Australia. (Alexander John Scott (Scott) McClure was born on 23 Mar 1901 in Victoria Australia, died on 13 Mar 1974 in Corowa, NSW Australia and was buried in Mar 1974 in Corowa, NSW Australia.)