Marie's early years were spent at Howell where she went to school. Howell was her favourite place and she told many stories of growing up there and could name all the families that lived there and where their homes were.

One of her life-long friends who she went to school with was Lola Monckton who married Bill Heath. Marie spent her early working days at Mrs Tonkin's in Ross St, the Tatts and the Australian Hotel in Inverell.

On November 16, 1946 she married Aubrey James O'Brien (better known as Dick) at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church Inverell. They were married for 60 years till his passing on January 27, 2007.

When they were first married they worked for Major Bice at "Osterley", Dick was the cook and Marie the housekeeper.

Marie and Dick's first home on the Elsmore Common was a little cottage they purchased from Dick's sister Nancy and her husband Clyde Glynn.

They became parents to Kay in 1948, Alan in 1951, Garry in 1953 and Jayne in 1957. Alan passed away when he was a week off being 12 months old. In 1951 they purchased a cottage across the road from their first home and remained there till Marie entered McLean Care in 2017.

Over the years they lived and worked on some of the big stations in the area including Newstead North and Paradise Station where they lived in the Shearers Huts.

When Kay was a baby Dick worked for George Mepham and they lived in a tent with the bed and a cot in the tent and a fire place with a roof oven nearby where Marie cooked in a camp oven and boiled nappies up in a kerosene tin - just imagine if young ones had to do that today.

Marie was a great knitter, crocheter and needle-working woman making all the children's clothes and jumpers. Over the years she worked dozens of duchess sets, centres, tablecloths for family and friends.

Her speciality in the last few years were the hand towels that she crocheted tops on - she did hundreds of these which Kay and Jayne sold at the markets.

She was still working on them up to the night before her passing. Marie loved entering her handicrafts into the Inverell Show and she won many prizes over the years.

When Inverell was in the Sapphire Boom she loved going fossicking for sapphires - at the time she for worked for Jack Lund and family sorting sapphires at their home on Warialda Road.

Another favourite pass time was fishing in the McIntyre River which was just below the house on the Common or Marie and Dick would go out to Copeton or Pindari for a day of fishing.

Dick always had a large market garden, growing a vast range of vegetables which he supplied to Hong Yuens, Wongs, Boulus Brothers and Herb Morris.

Marie was always there to help with chipping, picking, washing and packing the vegetables - visiting family and friends were always sent home with fresh produce.

Marie also loved her flower garden and always had a colourful display of flowers around her home.

She always had her freezer full of frozen vegetables such as corn and beans. She cooked all her meals, cakes, biscuits etc in her Canberra wood stove.

She didn't watch much TV but loved listening to music while doing her knitting or needlework. Her favourite singers were Slim Dusty followed by Daniel O'Donnell, Isla Grant, Owen Mac and many more.

In their younger days Marie and Dick enjoyed playing cards with friends around the Elsmore District and would take it in turns to travel to one another's homes on Saturday nights.

On other occasions they would attend dances at the Elsmore Hall. Marie remained in her home till she began having heart problems in August 2017, when she entered McLean Care Hostel. Whilst there she joined in most of the activities including ten pin bowling which she became quite good at.

With her passing, on January 26, 2020, she left a huge hole in the hearts of her family leaving behind eight grandchildren, 25 great grand children and five great, great grandchildren.

Marie's family and their partners would like to thank everyone who were part of her life.