Life and Faith Story - Mary Prior

This week I had the pleasure of meeting with one of Robina’s treasures, the amazing and beautiful Mary! Many of you will know Mary from our 7.30am Sunday service or from her many years volunteering at the Markeri Street Op Shop. Having recently celebrated her 100th birthday, Mary is our oldest (and possibly our sweetest) parishioner, and I am honoured to have the opportunity to tell her story.

What was life like for you as young person?

Mary was born in Bulli on the south coast of New South Wales. Growing up in country NSW, on 10 acres nestled between the sea and the mountains with two older brothers, Mary remembers a simple but happy childhood. Her father served in World War 1 and returned home to work in the nearby coal mine.

“Much of the land was virgin bushland but we had an orchard and grew all our own vegetables,” Mary reflects.

“As a coalminer, Dad was home early in the afternoons to do the hard work in the garden and Mum was kept busy at home looking after us, cooking and tending to the vegetable garden.”

As was the norm at the time, Mary left school at the age of 15, after three years of high school with an intermediate certificate and secured work with a large manchester and ladies clothing store.

“I started with one of the retail stores in Wollongong as a sales assistant and after that time was up, they gave me full employment in the office, and I stayed there for many years before working for the Bureau of Statistics when we moved to Queensland,” she says.

“Growing up we had family holidays by the beach at our Broadbeach unit and after we moved up here permanently, the children and grandchildren would visit often.”

Mary met and married her first husband when she was 18 and he was not much older. Within a year he had joined the Airforce and was sent to Canada and South America for training during World War 2.

“He came home after a few months and then he was shot down and killed flying over Papua New Guinea,” she says matter-of-factly.

“It was 1946 and I was three months pregnant, so my mother looked after me and after my daughter was born, I went back to work.

“Then I met my second husband, and we were married when my daughter was five years old and we went on to have another three children.”

How has your life journey been shaped by your life ‘in Christ’?

Mary grew up at a time when going to church on Sunday was common and church was always part of family life. Her mother was a regular early morning service attendee, establishing a life-long commitment to early rising in Mary.

During the war years, when the regular organist was called to essential war-time work, Mary took over the organ based on her ability to play the piano, playing three times a day every Sunday.

“I was never very good at it,” Mary laughs. “But I wasn’t very good at the piano either!

“You know how some people can just sit down at the piano and play anything? I could never do that! I need music in front of me and in those days, we played ‘God Save the Queen’ at every service and when I finished, I still hadn’t learnt it!”

One of her brothers was a brilliant violinist and the oldest became a missionary but her father refused to attend church again after revelations of misconduct and a lack of appropriate response by church leaders.

“But my mother said that had nothing to do with Jesus or the church, so she kept going and we (the children) did too.”

Mary went on to teach Sunday school raise her children in the Christian faith, something they passed on to their children and grandchildren (remember, her eldest daughter is 81!).

What is like to be part of a faith community?

“Like my mother, I was in the Mother’s Union (a part of the Anglican church) as soon as I had my first child,” Mary says.

“Everyone used to fuss over and spoil my eldest girl. I was a young mother, and she was a very pretty and sociable little girl, and it was wonderful for both of us.

“The Mother’s Union takes in everyone, all mothers young and old. It was started by women in England, and they accepted all mothers, including mothers who had not been married. It was about Christian service and support for mothers and helping people in need such as orphanages.

“It’s not as popular these days as so many women go back to work and don’t have time but there are some evening meetings which is good for women who need that extra support, advice and care.”

Mary was one of the original members of the Trinity Anglican Church before it moved to where it is today.

“Church was part of my early family life and that’s what I find with Trinity, it’s family,” she says.

“It’s not a place you just go to and walk out and forget everything you heard. It’s a family church and a caring church where people genuinely care about each other.

“If you haven’t seen someone in a while everyone is asking about them and checking on them. And Sam is always happy to pick me up and take me to church.”

In the cooler months Mary joins the early service online but can’t wait to get back to church in Spring when the mornings are warm.

So, what is the secret to Mary’s long life, good health and good humour (her laugh is infectious, ready and she says ‘loud’)?

Mary credits her long and healthy life to growing up on the land with fresh food grown organically long before “organic” was a buzzword.

“My mother was a good cook, no doubt about it, and all the fruit trees and home-grown vegetables, fertilised by our free-running chickens set me up for life,” she says.

“Both my father and mother were English and met here in Australia after the war years and they worked hard but they were happy.

“It’s only now I realise how hard my mother worked, like baking all our bread. And you can’t do that in five minutes!

“It was good food and a good upbringing with a positive attitude and lots of love.

“I like my food, and I still enjoy cooking and baking,” she laughs heartily.

“The Lord has looked after me well and I thank him every night.”

Thank you, Mary, for giving me the honour of telling your story.