Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Ellis Owen Matthews, known to all as Snow, passed away in the Proserpine Hospital on Thursday August 22. 1996.Snow was born in Mt Morgan, he was the second of 3 children,
His father was a miner& during Snows younger days they moved around many mining communities, eventually the family settled in Proserpine where Snow attended a number of schools.
Snow left school at the age of 13 years & completed an apprenticeship with a local baker Sam Gillian.
On the outbreak of WW2 he enlisted & for much of the war he was on the minesweeper, HMAS Perie, cruising the islands between Australia & Japan & was in Tokyo Bay for the signing of the Japanese surrender.
After the war Snow returned to Proserpine where he held many jobs including the PMG, Queensland Rail, Proserpine Sugar Mill & Fausts.
In 1946 Snow married Iris (Tootie) McBride & they built a house in Davey Avenue where they raised their 2 sons Bill & Barry.
While working at Fausts, Snow became a keen gardener & grew one of the better gardens in Proserpine.
Throughout his life Snow had a dream of owning his own cane farm & spent all his spare time cutting & splitting cane & saving as much as possible to forfill his dream.
His dream came to fruition in 1964 when he was granted a new assignment on land he had purchased at Mt Julian, he continued to work the farm until he & his wife semi-retired to their beach house in Cannonvale where he continued to live for the rest of his life.
Following the death of his wife in 1982, Snow took up bowling as a hobby & played a major part in transforming a bare block of ground on the Shute Harbor Road to what it is now the Airlie Beach Bowls Club.
In recognition of his effort Snow was made a life member of the club. Snow continued his association with the farm, willingly helping Bill whenever possible, he also assisted Barry in raisin g cattle on a block of ground at Yalbaroo.
Snows funeral service was on Friday August 23 at St Pauls Anglican Church, the R.S.L honored him with a full R.S.L service & Proserpine & Airlie Beach bowlers formed a guard of honor, Father Keith Felgate conducted the church & graveside service.