On the 2nd of April 2011, Melva Florence Derham, grandmother to Garry, lost her battle with cancer after a courages fight. A fight that went on for over 6 years and at one stage was looking to be won.
Below is a tribute by Garry for his Grandmother:
Melva (Nan), was born in 1924 at Murrumburrah, NSW and was the 4th child out of seven. In 1938, Nan and her family moved to Cootamundra after my Great Grandfather was transferred. It was here that Nan would remain for the rest of her life, working as a nurse during the war, meeting my grandfather Stan (pop) not long after war was declared, marrying, having 5 children, 11 grand children, and 16 great grand children (with one on the way to make it 17).
I don't have many memories of Nan and Pop before Pop passed away, as i was only very young, apart from Nan's "no non-sense" face, her voice and cooking snails out the front of the farm on the outskirts of Coota(mundra). That voice didn't change even after she sold the farm and moved into Coota. I commented to many people that even while she was sick and becoming frail, if you spoke to her on the phone you could hear the same voice. It was that voice that made me forget what she was going through and remember Nan as she was before. Sitting on the veranda out the back of Thompson St, Coota, knitting needles in hand, working on something. She always had her knitting needles. Even when her knuckles where riddled with arthritis, Nan's hands would still be a blur as she made a jumper for someone in record time. Introducing my young family to Nan and the relatives, and the family Christmas parties at one of my Uncles/Aunties place are also memories I will have with me forever.
As a lot of people would say, growing up during the World War period was tough and made you tough. Nan was no exception. She lived by herself (not alone, as Nan had many family and friends nearby) since she lost her mate in 1982, she travelled, mostly by herself, but more importantly she fought. Fought the disease that wanted nothing more than to stop her. I can still remember Nan a couple of months before she past away saying to me, as she did many others, "... they are going to find a cure for me". It was this spirit to fight, to never give up till the last breath that inspired the journey I'm going to take.
See ya Nan. Going to miss you lots. Say hello to Pop for me.
