Farewell to centenarian

“One hundred pounds of fun.” Madge Dunn at her 100th.
BERWICK centenarian Madge Dunn died on Saturday 28 January 2007.
Madge Potter was born at Minyip where her parents owned a wheat and sheep property.
She received her early education at Minyip and later the Church of England Girls Grammar School at Ballarat.
Madge then returned to the family farm where she settled into a typical country life style.
Eulogist Beverley Dunn told of how Madge would enjoy telling her about a trip to town when she (Beverley) was 10 months old”.
“The adventure was to have a professional photographer take my photograph,” she said.
“Madge was Mum’s stage manager and had the job of distracting me with props such as rattles and soft toys so that I would stay still.
“I remember from their holidays in Melbourne, from whichever branch of the Commercial Bank they had been posted, that Madge, and Thorold, my uncle, would take me to a musical comedy at His Majesty’s Theatre.
“We saw such shows as Gladys Moncrieff in The Maid of The Mountains and Max Oldaker in The Desert Song.
“We celebrated her 100th birthday at Stephenson House, Berwick, on 22 August 2005 with a wonderful joyfilled occasion.
“Madge loved a party and we were all warmed and made happy by her exclamations of delight as each person came to greet her.
“She was an enthusiastic tennis player and it was to the tennis court on the home property that a young bank clerk came from Ballarat.
“His mother was my grandmother and a great friend of Madge’s aunt at Minyip.
“Madge said he was lovely and that they were on the same wavelength and clicked,” Ms Dunn said.
Madge and Thorold were married on 30 March 1929.
They had no children, but travelled all over Victoria with the Commercial Bank to places such as Numurkah, Nathalia and to King Island, a place they loved.
Thorold was in the Masonic Lodge and they both played bowls.
Their last posting was to Neerim South and they decided to settle in Berwick.
Thorold died in 1973 after they had spent 34 years together.
Madge served her community on many auxiliaries – Red Cross, hospitals and Probis – and was an awardwinning bowler.
“We remember her laughter,” Ms Dunn said.
“We know life has not been easy for Madge over the last few years, but she was able to stay in her own home until 1998 where she was a magnet to her friends.
“She would read the Herald Sun from front to back and be abreast of what was going on in the world.
“On her last birthday at the Berwick Private Hospital we sang ‘A hundred and one pounds of fun that’s my little Madgie Dunn’.
“She was fun and everyone loved her.
“Nurses and other staff at Stephenson House and Berwick Private loved her humour, understanding, feistiness, her directness. We were never in any doubt about what she meant.”