Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Frank Mervyn Ward was born the 3rd child of Luke & Eva Esther (Hobson) on 22nd March, 1923 at the Women’s Hospital, Rockhampton. Nearly all his young life was spent in the Caping Siding/Noorlah with his sisters & brothers Mabel. Eddie, Marcel & Shirley where his parents had a cane farm. Frank was a pupil at Bloomsbury State School from 1933 to 1936. The 290 train would roll in to Bloomsbury about 10.30am with 17 school kids from Noorlah (including Frank) on board. Sometimes they wouldn’t get home till late at night. It depended on how the trains were running on that particular day. Then on 14th January, 1943, aged 19 years he joined the army, where he served as a gun fitter in the 2nd Australian Field Artillery Regiment & was discharged 17th September, 1946. After the war he bought the old Hadlow cane farm at Kelsey Creek, he married Betty Chandler on 26th March, 1947, the daughter of Dick & Maude Chandler. One day while trying to break-in a horse, he injured his back which necessitated them selling the farm & moving into a flat in Barry Street. After receiving treatment in Bowen on his back, he worked in the railway as a fetter & when the crushing finished a job came up at the Proserpine Hospital for a Wardsman. They bought a house at 23 Smith Street. There family grew, William Mervyn, Douglas Richard, Gary Steven & Dianne Kay.
When he wasn’t working long hours at the hospital, he was up the hills up to his elbows in dirt & water looking for gold. His other pastime was reading He worked at the hospital for 27 years until 1979 when he suffered a major heart attack & was forced to retire. His health deteriorated slowly & the rapidly until just after midnight on Tuesday morning he lost his battle with cancer. He will always be remembered by Betty, his family & friends but comfort can be found in the knowledge that his suffering has finally come to an end.
His graveside service was held at the Proserpine Lawn Cemetery on Tuesday 20th May, 1998.