Phyllis Barbara Gimson Nicholls:1922-2023

 

Phyllis Barbara Gimson Nicholls was born on 2 November 1922 in Linton, Cambridgeshire, England to Ernest Reynolds Gimson and Gladys Hilda Wakefield. She was the fourth child of five children born in this family. At the age of 3 she and her family sailed on the "SS Berrima" from England to Western Australia where she settled and grew up for the next seventeen years. Ernie, Muriel, Phyllis, Eva and her parents.

They lived in Guilford, Konnongorring, and Bindi Bindi before settling in Babakin in 1931 where her father bought a store called The Trading and Agency Co., which he renamed to E. R. Gimson, Babakin Trading and Agency Co., General Merchants store. 

Here she grew up and did her part to support her family and attend school. They lived in walking distance from the school and learned multiple things and how to grow fruits and vegetable as well as helping in the store. Her older and only living brother Ernie, joined the RAF and before he finished his training WWII broke out. Unfortunately he did not return from an air raid flight in 1941. In 1944 she moved with her family to New South Wales where she remained the rest of her life.

She went on to become a registered nurse and married in 1949 to John Benjamin Nicholls and lived in Blacktown, N.S.W. Together they raised a son, Colin John Nicholls, who unexpectedly passed away in 1974. 

John liked to play lawn balls and Phyllis enjoyed painting ceramics. She was an excellent painter of many designs on plates, cups and sauces, she even had a kiln in her home. She would share her work with stores in the area for sale but would also give some away to members of her family. 

Phyllis and John, her husband, along with Eva, her sister and James, Eva's husband moved into the Mayflower Villas, Westmead, N.S.W. Here she stayed through the loss of James in 1998 and John in 2000. Her and Eva would do shopping together and attend family gatherings along with church together. They were always together until April, 2015 when Eva passed away. 

While she could still get around and was somewhat healthy, she resettled into the Melrose Village, Pendle Hill, N.S.W., where she could be comfortable and should she need assistance of any kind, they would provide it. It was here that she would turn 100 years old on 2 November 2022, and have quite the celebration. 

Before turning 100, she fell a couple of times and became very frail. On 27 June, 2023, she passed away and has been laid to rest with her husband and son at Pinegrove Memorial Gardens in Minchinbury, N.S.W., Australia. She will be dearly missed by many who knew her over the years.

Phyllis Barbara Gimson Nicholls:  2 Nov 1922-27 June 2023

Aunt Ozina

On January 25, 1995, I interviewed my Aunt Ozina to learn more about her. Ozina Cora Marotte was born on August 15, 1908, to Alphonse Arthur Marotte and Lovina Theroux on Aug. 15, 1908, she was the oldest of 9 children, with my mother, Claire Virginie Marotte Brisson, being the youngest with almost 19 years apart. 

She spent most of her life helping others and became a Registered Nurse in 1934. She also helped the Red Cross as a nurse.

Her father, had the first Model T that did not need to be cranked, and she learned to drive in it. 

She shared with me about her mother Lovina Theroux, and how she played the piano and had a green thumb. She would see a plant along a path that looked like it was dying, bring it home and nurse it to good health. When she got too old to have any more children she was very upset. Unfortunately, her mother passed away in 1945, Ozina had just turned 37 and had been married for five years to Eugene Baron, they were married 20 June 1940 in Mansfield, Massachusetts where they lived for many years.

Ozina was an accomplished organist, and in June, 1979 she became Grand Organist of the Eastern Star. 

Not having any children of her own, she was like our grandmother as Lovina had passed away before we were born. She outlived two husbands, Eugene Baron and Dexter Stripp.

She taught me how to knit, and crochet using string, and sew my own clothes by helping me make my high school prom dress. She made many sweaters and gloves for us over the years. Whenever possible, we would play cribbage and Scrabble together, go blue berry picking at her summer home, made the best blue berry muffins. We learned much about life from her as she shared of her own life experiences. Whenever we play either game, we always think of her and Uncle Gene. Eugene died in 1969, and she remarried Dexter G. Stripp on 16 September 1975, he died 22 January 1984.

She is missed very much and were blessed to have had her in our lives. She is buried at Spring Brook Cemetery in Mansfield, Massachusetts with her first husband, Eugene Arthur Lewis Baron, and her mother-in-law, Annie Baron Slater.

Remembered: Ozina C. M. B. Stripp 1908-1997   

Updated: 15 Aug 2021