One of Corals favorite childhood memories was milking the cows with her father and grandfather, and making butter from the cream.

Growing up at Elsmore, all the neighborhood kids were one big happy family, and living in a small village, everyone knew everyone else’s business.

Coral and her sisters spent a great amount of time with friends Robyn and Beverly Brown and loved a variety of sports and line dancing.

With there being five girls practicing their dancing, one girl would always have to use a broom as a partner and a lot of fun and laughter was had by all.

The girls loved to play hopscotch, using little pieces of glass as their throw pieces, and while playing marbles there was always a lot of fudging going on.

The girls always made their own fun, and often played 7’s with a tennis ball. Uncle Al would come up for a visit every two years and spend a lot of time and energy getting the tennis court up and going for the kids.

His work was much appreciated by all the family as on many occasions following lunch at Nanna Colley’s we would join Coral for tennis at the courts. Childhood memories included games of rounders or cricket played in Corals back yard.

As well as the Bruce and Norma Colley’s crew, there was the Bob and Doreen Colley crew and the Grace and Noel Miller crew, and anyone else who wanted to join the game. Another favourite of Corals was when they went up to the acacias to wash the car, with everyone enjoying a swim afterwards.

The Acacias was Elsmore’s community swimming pool, and probably still is. Not only swimming, but fishing as well, if the swimmers could be kept away from the lines.

When Coral discovered fishing it was bad news for the fish, she could catch fish anywhere, anytime, if there was a fish to be caught she would catch it. I personally spent many an afternoon sitting on the river bank just a few feet from Coral and watch her pull in fish after fish as I caught nothing.

On more than one occasion she let me have her line so I could at least catch one fish to take home. She then proceeded to show her ability by catching fish on my line while I couldn’t get a bite.

“Well Minner”, she would say, “maybe It’s just not your day.” I think many of us would have experienced getting beaten by Coral on fishing trips.

Coral went to school at Elsmore public, and then went on the bus to Inverell High School finishing in fourth form. Growing up, Coral also spent a lot of time with her Aunty Grace and cousins, Colin, Ron, Bob, Tina, Jenny, Noelene and Dick, and was also like a sister them well.

Corals first job was at Don Miles Newsagent, and she then later worked at the Malvern star store. While Colin was working at the Walton's Store, there was always fun banter between the two as to who worked at the best store.

Coral also played basketball, and met Rosalind White who introduced Coral to her brother Lionel. After some time of courtship, Coral and Lionel were married on June 8, 1963 and then lived in Armidale for a while, with Coral working at the local dry cleaners.

Coral and Lionel then made the move back to Elsmore and set up home at the house where Coral grew up. They both enjoyed nights with family and friends playing cards and eating Coral’s famous Kentucky fried chicken, it was better than the colonels.

Coral and Lionel spent a lot of time involved with the lnverell Tennis Club, and practiced their tennis during Lionel’s lunch hour.

Coral started working at the Elsmore telephone exchange and post office where she worked until it was closed, and everyone got a direct telephone line into their homes.

Coral and Lionel would spend many hours picking blackberries. Coral had the gift of knowing just where to find the biggest and best berries, often when they were perfectly ripe others would get an invitation to join her and Lionel on a blackberry pick.

Bucket fulls would come home, which was amazing, considering the number of berries that went into the mouth, not the bucket. After the pick, Coral would make the best blackberry pies and jams, she would even allow Lionel to have some to dabble with his blackberry wines.

Their son, Raymond was born in 1969 and Coral and Lionel loved watching him play many sports over the years, and helped out in various ways in a lot of committees. Coral also spent many years scoring the local cricket matches, that Lionel and Raymond played in.

After Raymond married Joanne, and their sons Alex and Jarrod were born, Coral enjoyed watching her grandsons in their various sports and school activities and loved taking photos of them in action.

Coral was fondly known by many people, and on trips to Inverell she was always up for a chat to many friends or relatives on a stroll up the main street.

Coral was one of those people who made you feel better just by talking to or spending time with her. I think my brother Bob had it right when he said “she was a good mat and will be sadly missed by all”.

Coral loved kids, they were all treated as her own and given lots of attention, whoever they were. When our children, Jim and Joanne came along, she called them her “twinnies” and still did in recent years. She pretty much adopted Matty Fenton as one of hers.

Corals net was large, and many here could tell of Corals love and concern for their children. After ill health took hold a couple of years ago, Coral moved into Sunhaven Hostel care at Ashford.

She was very happy to be in such a beautiful place in the small community and loved all the staff, who also loved her so much, and gave her the greatest individual care. Thank you very much, to all the staff for your caring help to her.

Coral, we all love you dearly, and will miss you so much.