Joyce Lorraine Eddy

Joyce Lorraine Eddy

Joyce Eddy aged about 20

• Father: John Lovell Eddy b. 5 May 1877, d. 20 Nov 1965
• Mother: Ada Miles b. 21 May 1878, d. 13 Feb 1959

• Birth*: Joyce Lorraine Eddy was born on 8 October 1916 at Stawell Street, Ballarat East, VIC, Australia.¹
• She was the daughter of John Lovell Eddy and Ada Miles.
• Marriage*: Joyce Lorraine Eddy married Thomas William Maxwell, son of Thomas William Maxwell and Bertha Ellem, on 23 October 1943 at Ballarat, VIC, Australia; Transcript of letter to Bertha Maxwell from Mauva Oliver
  
  Flat 6
  “Kenilworth”
  6 Queens Road
  Melbourne
  
  24.10.43
  
  My dear Mrs Maxwell,
  
  Little did I think as you and I chatted together in mother's home at 65 The Boulevard Dulwich Hill that circumstances later would lead me to Melbourne & give me the great joy of being at dear old Tom's wedding yesterday.
  
  You remember don't you, that in April of this year I gave up my nursing life leaving the Royal Hospital to marry & I might say here that I know I will never regret the step I have taken for I am very very happy.
  
  Now the main object of this letter to you is to give you my impression &as many details as I can of the wedding seeing that I & my husband were the sole representatives of Tom's family & friends. We were just thrilled to be able to go even though it meant we had to get up early to catch the Ballarat train from Melbourne which left at 8am & arrived there at 12 md & of course we had to come back to Melbourne at 6pm the same night. However it was well worth it.
  
  Ballarat is a beautiful city & the very old grey stone church of St. Peters looked a picture with the chancel decorated with massed bowls of mauve and white lilac purple irises & lovely soft pink gerberaras. The afternoon sunlight shone through the exquisite stained glass windows & shed a soft radiance over the whole of the chancel. The seats where the guests were to sit had a soft bow of white satin ribbon & a posy of a lovely white flowering plum attached to it. We arrived early enough the greet the old boy as he got out of the car with his groomsman.
  
  I gave him a kiss for you & your family & one for our family how much all the Deane family think of Tom.
  
  We took our place in the beautiful little church & sat in the space reserved for the bridegroom's relatives and friends. Besides my husband & I there were about 6 Air Force personnel amongst whom was Wing Commander Fairbairn & his wife & several Squadron leaders. All from Tom's Stations. Whilst we waited for the brides parents & friends to assemble - about 40 odd I think, the organist played very sweetly "Where 'ere you walk" & Tom & his groomsman took their place at the altar steps to await the arrival of his bride Joyce - whom I am sure you will all become very fond of for I think that she is a very bonny girl & seems to suit Tom in every way. The family and friends seemed such superior nice happy people & worthy of linking up with your family life.
  
  Well at last the bride came in on the arm of her father & she looked so sweet. As a matter of fact she reminded me a good deal like your Jess.
  
  To say the least of it she looked absolutely sweet. Dressed in a lovely white crepe romain type of frock - made almost like a jacket top with long skirt & beaded on the cuff of the 3/4 sleeve with cream satin beads & also the points of the Eton collar & her Grandmothers lovely net veil was held in place with a coronet of gardenias & she carried a spray of gardenias together with a white ivory prayer book. Tom looked very proud & happy as he stood with her during the service & he spoke out very clearly. They certainly made a very beautiful picture standing there whilst the service proceeded. Both of them young healthy and radiant with happiness.
  
  Of course you can imagine I was giving them all the moral support I could for your sake for it seemed such a pity that his people could not be represented.
  
  This is war in earnest isn't it.
  
  Well at last it was over & it was a lovely service - beautiful calm day - lovely church beautifully decorated & a happy couple What more could be wanted. Joyce's sister was matron of honour & looked very sweet also in her long powder blue and shell pink frock & her little Juliette cap looked so sweet on her black hair. Of course you will see all the photographs and will then know yourselves the details. We are adjoined then to wait for the bridal party whilst the photographs were being taken & I had time to see the relatives. Joyce's mother wore a costume almost a Scotch tweed & had two beautiful orchids pinned in teh lapel of her coat.
  
  She & her husband seem a very fine type & altogether they seemed very happy amongst their friends. Well the bridal couple & party returned & for a short while waited whilst about sixty telegrams were read. It was lovely to see old Tom's face when those from his family were read out.
  
  I wish you could have seen the banquet room. It was absolutely exquisite.
  
  Each table was decorated with massed bowls of glorious mauve lilac & daffodils mixed & lace tablecloths covered the tables.
  
  The bridal table was glorious really with the same flowers & there were about a dozen bowls of beautiful lily of the valley arranged in the front of this table. They were from the garden of Wing Commander Fairbairn. The centre decoration of the table of course was the cake - a lovely white one & on top of the cake was a vase of the same lily of the valley.
  
  Lovely cold meats oysters - salads trifle fruit salad & ice cream & savories were the order of the menu. It was lovely really & such a happy crowd altogether. Tom offered his apologies for you not being there. Everyone seemed so sorry that you were not. The speeches were bright & happy & all held Tom in such regard from the Wing Commander down.
  
  Well all the toasts were over & then I had an inspiration so I got up quite impromptu & said a few words myself about Tom & about you all. I felt I had to bring you all personally into it & believe me it was a pleasure to do it & I felt very honored (sic) to be able to speak so highly of you all & of how much we as a family thought of Tom. Tom's speech was very good too.
  
  Well the function ended & Joyce dressed & her going away or travelling suit was very sweet. Black & white check woollen material white blouse & hat & black accessories & I can tell you they looked a very fine pair as they stepped into the car & the last I saw of them was watching their plane out of sight as it took them to Melbourne.
  
  Wee now dear Mrs maxwell I hope that I have in some way let you feel some of the atmosphere present in that wedding & I feel sure that you would appreciate a little first hand about it. I felt very proud to be able to represent Toms friends at that wedding breakfast & I didn't hesitate to tell them of the good home folk that had sent him into the world to take his place as a good citizen - Tom has done well & I am sure that you will all come to love Joyce too.
  
  If she and Tom are as happy as I am with my good husband well then there will be no worries.
  
  I am gradually forgetting all the cares & worries I had whilst at the Royal & Joyce being a nurse also will be glad to settle down I'm sure.
  
  Will you show this to Jess too Mrs Maxwell & ask her to write to me a let me know how David is & Allan also.
  
  My love to you now dear Mrs Maxwell & have no worries.
  
  Tom has made a wise & good choice.
  
  Affectionately yours
  
  Mauva Oliver
  (Mauva Deane that was).²
• Death*: Joyce Lorraine Maxwell died on 11 November 2006 at Strathlea Nursing Home Mann Street, Armidale, NSW, Australia, at age 90. The cause of death was pneumonia and dementia.³
• Burial*: She was buried on 15 November 2006 at Armidale Presbyterian Cemetery, Armidale, NSW, Australia.³
• Married Name: Her married name was Maxwell.
• Military Service*: Joyce served in the military from from 14 March 1941 to 26 October 1943 to from 14 March 1941 to 26 October 1943; RAAF Nursing Service She was a Staff Nurse on appointment and had been promoted to Sister Group I at discharge.⁴
• Occupation*: She was Nursing Sister She worked at Heidelberg Hospital in Ballarat. in 1943 at Ballarat, VIC, Australia.⁴
• Note: She and Thomas William Maxwell (an unknown value) on 26 October 1943 at Hotel Pacific, Lorne, VIC, Australia.⁵
• Note*: Joyce Lorraine Eddy War Widows on 5 June 1990.⁶
• Residence*: Joyce and an unknown person lived Strathlea Nursing Home Mann Street, Armidale, NSW, Australia from July 2006 to 11 November 2006.