Remembering Pop Ben

Well, it may be Thanksgiving in America tomorrow, but it WOULD have been my grandfather's birthday. Benjamin Cecil Barbour Hodder was born Nov 25th 1905 in Perth, WA. He and his sister were the only two to survive of four, born to his parents. Alas, his father William, had previously lost his first wife and their son, and after moving state and re-marrying, he and his wife Zoe, lost their first two children at 7 weeks and 5months of age. Losing his parents early, Ben spent his formative years at an Anglican care facility. He never spoke of his childhood and it wasn't until YEARS after his death that my genealogy research revealed the sad truth of his life before we knew him as 'Pop'.

He's pictured above with my grandmother. Their life was full of turmoil. It wasn't until years after they both passed away that the truth of their relationship came to light. Victims of circumstance and an era in time, I don't ever remember them sharing a happy moment together. I do love this shot though....it's a real 'Bonnie and Clyde' style shot taken mid 1940s. Pop served in the Australian Army at home and nan worked in a munitions factory. Due to deafness in one ear, pop was turned down for active service.

And here's a photo of me as a child in the kitchen of my grandparent's home. Both sets of my grandparents were like surrogate parents to my sister, brother and I. We went to school up the road from dad's parents and would usually eat our meals with them, even coming 'home' for lunch from school. It was literally only 8 houses up the road. Both my parents worked full time, so much of my life was spent around my grandparents. I loved them to bits.

 When I think of Ben, I remember his room in the sleepout, the trips of Mundaring Weir he would take my sister and I on, the jelly tot lollies and his glorious gardens, front and back. With great gardeners in my gene pool on both sides of the family, I don't quite know how I missed the green thumb...guess you can't be good at everything though. He had more sheds out the back than we could poke a stick at lol, and we would always be plaing in one of them. Sadly, he left us aged 82 after suffering terribly with angina for many years, in 1986. Miss him terribly still. Love you always Poppy. mwa xxx