Shaffery, Mary Ann ³⁸

   Cause of her death was Breast Cancer.

  General Notes:

Mary absconded from home to marry James. (see notes under her mother). James went ahead to Bowen (by push bike - the trip took 11 days!), and bought the property in Proserpine in anticipation of Mary's arrival. Mary followed by boat. She stayed in Proserpine until they were married- with the Blair family). She was not able to marry immediately because she was under age. (She would have turned 21 yrs in Dec 1915. 1st child William was born September 1916).

They were married by James Gibson (Presbyterian Church). They later converted to Seventh Day Adventist (1927). (She had also been propositioned by the priest whilst she was in the coffessional. Years later when she was suffering from post menopausal problems she told her husband James about something that she had never told him before, and which had troubled her for many years. James mentioned this to WH Turner, but did not give details of the incident. WHT surmises that it was related to the relationship to the priest.)

Mary had some "nervous breakdowns". She had her first at 28 years of age after Lina was born. She had another one in her late 50s and another when she was 65 years old. This time she disappeared from home and was found sitting in the grass. She said she had a pain in the abdomen at night. She went to a psychiatric ward in Townsville and had shock treatment. Kate (Hollyoak) visited her there. She recovered and went back to her husband and was well again. She came out of her breakdowns.

Depression returned in her last days. She stayed with William and with Anil in her last years. She also stayed with Elizabeth at Norman Park. She went to a nursing home at Sylvan Park near Victoria Point for 3 weeks and then died of pneumonia at the age of 80. She had a breast removed because of breast cancer 8 years before her death. ^13,39

  Noted events in her life were:

• Religion: Born Roman Catholic, converted Seventh Day Adventist.

• Occupation: Domestic servant.

Mary married James "Jim" Hurst Turner, son of George Turner and Christina "Tini" Robertson Learmonth, in Dec 1915 in Bowen. Presbyterian Minister (Gibson) ¹³.^,36 (James "Jim" Hurst Turner was born on 30 Apr 1890 in Bowen, , Queensland, Australia,^13,37 died on 8 Aug 1962 in Yatala, , Queensland, Australia ¹³ and was buried in Beenleigh, , Queensland, Australia ¹³.) The cause of his death was Heart Attack.