This is a story written by Granny about her younger brother, Donald. It's who Uncle Don is named after.
Donald George O'Flynn Madden, son of George and Jean van Blerk O'Flynn Madden, was born on October 4, 1934, in Umtali, Southern Rhodesia, now called Mutare, Zimbabwe. He was about 5'11" tall, slimly built, with dark brown wavy hair which he wore brushed straight back, and his eyes were brown.
Donald George O'Flynn Madden, son of George and Jean van Blerk O'Flynn Madden, was born on October 4, 1934, in Umtali, Southern Rhodesia, now called Mutare, Zimbabwe. He was about 5'11" tall, slimly built, with dark brown wavy hair which he wore brushed straight back, and his eyes were brown.
Don was a lively youngster and did well in school, being in the academic classes. He enjoyed playing field hockey and swimming and was always interested in cars and engines.
Don would go out with his dad, George, prospecting for gold. One year he collected all the samples they brought back and panned them collecting all the traces of gold into a small container. Dad had it assayed and he had collected 1 ounce and was paid 18 English pounds. That was the price of gold per ounce in that period of time (approximately 1948-1949). With this money he bought himself a brand new bike, something he had never had before. Unfortunately, the bike was stolen a couple of months later. Don was heartbroken as it had taken hours of hard work collecting the ore, crushing it by hand with a pestle and mortar, panning it and getting just a trace of gold, or not even a trace sometimes.
Don graduated from high school, standard 8, probably the equivalent of grade 11 American. He would have been able to go on to college but chose instead to be apprenticed in the motor trade to Duly and Company, in Gwelo (now called Gweru) where the family was living at the time.
This was a four-year apprenticeship and Don passed out (graduated) as a journeyman able to work on all aspects of motors. However, he chose not to pursue this and went into the administrative side of the motor trade, finally working up into tractor sales and service for Duly's. This entailed him traveling many miles out and about the farming districts. He became well known in the farming community and was very popular being liked and respected by all he came in contact with. He was known as someone who followed through and kept his word.
Don was very popular with the girls and was always out and about, however, his mother, Jean, was his favourite person. He would forget to give her his rent for the month but was always doing things to make her happy. One month he sent people round to put new linoleum in the dining room because he had heard her say it was looking bad and she had no way of replacing it.
The greatest gift he ever gave her was a piano. I remember well the day this big van from Bothwell's in Bulawayo arrived at the house to deliver this piano.
Mum said, "I think you have come to the wrong house, no one here has ordered a piano."
They asked, "Are you Jean O'Flynn Madden?"
"Yes."
"Well, this piano is for you from your son."
Mum about passed out.
When the family moved from Northern Rhodesia the move by rail had broken the back of her piano and strained the whole inside so that it was not able to be tuned or used and Mum had been heartbroken as she loved to play her piano.
Mum took great care of Don. Each morning she would take him in a cup of coffee and a slice of her homemade bread before he got up to start the day. The rest of the family used to say he was spoilt but never resented the fact. We knew he was Mum's favourite.
Well, he wasn't spared to her for too long. He was almost 23 when he was driving his blue MG sports car from Gwelo to Salisbury and when passing a car on the dirt road, a rock came up and hit him in the temple. He was killed instantly. Mum never got over losing him. Don never married, though there was a girl named Janet Barnes who loved him dearly and I think, given time, they would have married.
Don would go out with his dad, George, prospecting for gold. One year he collected all the samples they brought back and panned them collecting all the traces of gold into a small container. Dad had it assayed and he had collected 1 ounce and was paid 18 English pounds. That was the price of gold per ounce in that period of time (approximately 1948-1949). With this money he bought himself a brand new bike, something he had never had before. Unfortunately, the bike was stolen a couple of months later. Don was heartbroken as it had taken hours of hard work collecting the ore, crushing it by hand with a pestle and mortar, panning it and getting just a trace of gold, or not even a trace sometimes.
Don graduated from high school, standard 8, probably the equivalent of grade 11 American. He would have been able to go on to college but chose instead to be apprenticed in the motor trade to Duly and Company, in Gwelo (now called Gweru) where the family was living at the time.
This was a four-year apprenticeship and Don passed out (graduated) as a journeyman able to work on all aspects of motors. However, he chose not to pursue this and went into the administrative side of the motor trade, finally working up into tractor sales and service for Duly's. This entailed him traveling many miles out and about the farming districts. He became well known in the farming community and was very popular being liked and respected by all he came in contact with. He was known as someone who followed through and kept his word.
Don was very popular with the girls and was always out and about, however, his mother, Jean, was his favourite person. He would forget to give her his rent for the month but was always doing things to make her happy. One month he sent people round to put new linoleum in the dining room because he had heard her say it was looking bad and she had no way of replacing it.
The greatest gift he ever gave her was a piano. I remember well the day this big van from Bothwell's in Bulawayo arrived at the house to deliver this piano.
Mum said, "I think you have come to the wrong house, no one here has ordered a piano."
They asked, "Are you Jean O'Flynn Madden?"
"Yes."
"Well, this piano is for you from your son."
Mum about passed out.
When the family moved from Northern Rhodesia the move by rail had broken the back of her piano and strained the whole inside so that it was not able to be tuned or used and Mum had been heartbroken as she loved to play her piano.
Mum took great care of Don. Each morning she would take him in a cup of coffee and a slice of her homemade bread before he got up to start the day. The rest of the family used to say he was spoilt but never resented the fact. We knew he was Mum's favourite.
Well, he wasn't spared to her for too long. He was almost 23 when he was driving his blue MG sports car from Gwelo to Salisbury and when passing a car on the dirt road, a rock came up and hit him in the temple. He was killed instantly. Mum never got over losing him. Don never married, though there was a girl named Janet Barnes who loved him dearly and I think, given time, they would have married.
No comments:
Post a Comment