Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Daughter of John Dennis SHEIL and Elizabeth Susan SHEIL nee POLLARD, Parkvale, Booligal via Hay, New South Wales

OBITUARY
Sister Emily Sheil
Sister Emily Jane Sheil, who died on Saturday, at the Yarrawonga Hospital, at the age of 59, was the daughter of a very old district family, and believed to be one of two sisters  who trained at the Hay Hospital to go overseas in the nursing services in the 1914-18 war.
 
Sister Sheil was the eldest daughter of the late John Dennis Sheil, who came to this district as a lad in the late 1860's to the service of Mr. Peter Tyson, of Corrong. The Sheil and  the Tyson families have remained very closely associated practically ever since, and have been holders of neigh bouring land for a long time. In due time Mr. J. D. Sheil, known locally as Dan Sheil, took up land in the Mossgiel district known as Weeonga. Later, after the 1902 drought, this was acquired by one of the larger holdings and in due time  returned to his son, Will, as an additional Western Lands block.

Sister Sheil trained as a nurse in the Hay Hospital, and after completing her course enlisted and left Hay with her trainee friend, Sister Frost. Illness, on the part of Sister Sheil caused their separation on the voyage overseas. She served in England and Egypt and later on a hospital ship making innumerable trips between Australia and the areas of battle. 

On return from service she conducted a private hospital in Randwick, and later returned to the land on a soldiers' block in the Mossgiel district. She later left this for the Me
rool Irrigation Area, and returned about 1937 to purchase a Western Lands holding on Corrong. On the outbreak of war in 1939, Sister Sheil returned to nursing and spent a  considerable amount of time in the service of the Ministry of Munitions, as relieving factory sister. She was for a time in charge of the casualty room at the Hay Munitions Factory,  and up to a few days before her death was in charge of the casualty department at Yarrawonga Explosives Factory.

Whilst in the outback and when in town, Sister Sheil never tired of using her nursing skill and tireless energies in giving care and succor to neighbours in need of nursing care. In  Yarrawonga when shortage of staff all but closed up the hospital in that centre, she had a regular round of calls to make to give assistance at the sick bed of the townspeople,  after her day's work at the factory. She remained at her post there until a few days before entering hospital for an operation, performed as a desperate attempt to save her life!
Although she pulled through the operation, she was too ill to regain her strength and passed away on Saturday.

The funeral was held yesterday, from the Church of England, to the Hay Cemetery. The Rev. Canon F. L. Cuttriss conducted the services whilst the large attendance of returned  soldiers in addition to a large number of district residents, paid their last offices of respect to a comrade in arms. The R.S.L. formed a guard of honour and the Last Post was  sounded over the grave. Mr. Henry Hyde carried out the funeral arrangements.

Of a family of seven, one sister, Maggie (Mrs. M. I. Browne, Calooli), and three brothers, Walter (Calooli), Bill (Courtrai, Mossgiel), and George (Griffith) survive.