THE SKEHAN FAMILY HISTORY
Elleanor June Skehan, known to all as June, was the eldest of three daughters born to Charles and Elizabeth Liebich in Wudinna, South Australia, in the early autumn of 1937. At this time, little is known of June’s childhood or early adult life; hopefully, some of these details will come to light in the future.
June married very young in life and had two children; after the tragic loss of her seven-year-old son, the marriage soon failed.
Some years later, she re-married and had three more sons. After the acrimonious breakdown of this marriage, June was left emotionally traumatised; she fell physically ill and became estranged from her family. During this period, her three sons were made wards of the state, as she could not care for them. It was several years before she recovered enough to rejoin the workforce and several more years before the family reunited.
June arrived in Kilmore in 1969 and took up residence at the old Manse attached to the Church of England, where under the care of Beryl and Jock Duncanson, she continued her recovery and gained employment with the Post Master General (PMG) as a telephonist at the Kilmore Exchange. During this time, she met Philip Skehan, and after a short time, the relationship blossomed, and they married in June 1974; their only child, a daughter (Therese), arrived a year later. Prior to her marriage to Philip she converted to the Catholic faith and found great peace in her devotion to the Virgin Mary.
June sustained a serious back injury, which resulted in her being superannuated from the P.M.G. Not to be deterred, she became an integral partner in Phil's printing business, filling many essential roles and endearing herself to all she came into contact with. At the same time, June also played a key role in caring for Phil's mother, Cecilia, throughout her declining years.
June was a devoted wife and mother. Circumstances made her mothering all her children extremely difficult, but her love was unstinting and selfless. She always put the needs of others before her own.
The aftermath of the back injury and surgery meant she suffered considerable pain. However, as a survivor from long ago, she soldiered on regardless.
Many of those who knew June understood her enormous input into the business with Phil and willingly stepped up to the plate when her brother-in-law needed assistance in the funeral business. She has worked tirelessly at tasks that were largely self-taught.
June was a person who called a spade a spade. Some may have found her manner a little abrupt at times, but underneath was a heart of gold, caring, compassionate and honest.
Everyone was welcome into the home, so long as you didn’t expect to be waited upon. The coffee pot was always hot.
What did June do for relaxation? She was passionate about jigsaw puzzles; she always had one on the go. She also read many books and liked a bit of flutter on the Pokies.
Her community involvements included the Girl Guides and acting as “Akala.” She also contributed considerable time to the Kilmore Swimming Club and was presented with an “Appreciation Plaque” in 1989 for her services as Secretary. Phil was a Rotarian, so she enjoyed being involved in Rotary. Hosting Rotary exchange students from Indonesia and Japan at her home was a rewarding time for her and the students. June was also involved with her church and served on the St. Patrick’s Parish Council for a number of years.
She kept in touch with her extended family, and many family reunions have taken place in recent years, bringing much joy to all concerned. June was always available with a listening ear and loads of advice on request to anyone who called upon her. Long phone calls to the boys with loads of advice were warranted or not.
In reflecting on June’s life, some of the deep and meaningful discussions with family over the years. There were some curly ones to which one could only say, “It’s one of the mysteries of life. Don’t worry about it!”
A gracious lady, sadly missed.
