THINKING OF GLEN AND HIS FAMILY

After a weekend of remembrance and farewells, the lead line in the local newspaper, the Northern Daily Leader,  says it best ....

HE DANCED like no one was watching and “squeezed the marrow out of the bone of every day” – and that’s what Glen Turner will be remembered for.

When you begin to meet your forefathers you often meet real life people too and so it has been for me. I started with just my Grandmothers name and found some wonderful friends, I will let you work out the relationship - my grandmother's sister's son's daughter  and her family :)

Then tragedy struck these newly found friends, their son and brother was shot in the back during a barrage of fire just a few days ago while doing his job in Moree NSW.

What a mix of emotions I felt as I was writing about this family and suddenly I needed to put a deceased date and story beside his annotation. 

As information  poured in from Australian news sites I began to piece together a horrific story of the mindless killing of a good man.  Issues that filled in the background of the man who pulled the trigger emerged and one has to wonder what sort of person shoots an innocent family man in the back over an argument with the government.

If I felt such sadness and turmoil how much more his siblings, Mum and Dad, wife and two children will be experiencing. Very sad days.

A tribute to GLEN TURNER 1963 - 2014

MOREE SHOOTING: FORMER WAUCHOPE MAN GLEN TURNER KILLED

A WAUCHOPE born man was killed in a shooting on a property near Moree on Wednesday. Glendon (Glen) Eric Turner, 51, was working as an environment and heritage officer when he attended a property near Talga Lane at Croppa Creek. A 79 year old local resident, Ian Robert Turnbull, has been charged with murder and faced Moree Local Court yesterday. He was refused bail.

Mr Turner was born in Wauchope in 1962 but grew up and attended school in Telegraph Point where the family originally lived. He attended Newcastle University, where he obtained his Bachelor of Surveying degree. After working as a surveyor overseas, he returned to Australia, making Tamworth his home and working in what is now the office of environment and heritage, a NSW government department.

A family spokesperson said his passing comes at a time when  dreams of the farm and family were coming to fruition. "He met his life partner Alison in Tamworth and they settled in a place they built together on a property in the Tamworth area, where they had two gorgeous children, Alexandra aged 10 and Jack aged 9," the spokesperson said.

"Glen was an accomplished pianist, a gourmet enthusiast and cook, and appreciated a fine wine. He had also developed a passion for home-brewing, which he viewed as a craft, forever striving to achieve that perfect brew.  He always gravitated to the outdoor life and particularly loved taking his kids to the beach, whenever he returned to Port Macquarie - as well as enjoying his quiet time at home with the family and working together with Alison on their property".

"He leaves behind Alison and their two children Alexandra and Jack, together with parents Jack and Coral, sisters Therese, Fran and Rosalie - as well as numerous other extended family members, work colleagues and close friends, all of whom will mourn his early passing and miss him greatly."       WAUCHOPE GAZETTE  1^st August  2014  

MY  DEEPEST CONDOLENCES TO THE FAMILY 

kia kaha my friends - be strong 

The small community of Moree where the murder took place is both bewildered and confused trying to come to terms with an explosion of hate that turned a formerly well respected member of their community into a killer. Propelled by their communal sorrow Moree has created a fund to be held in trust for the two young children of Alison and Glen. It is a cautionary tale.  But why does tragedy have to occur, made so much worse when tragedy hits such a well respected and loved contributor of positive things to the community, for people to sit up and listen. What scrappy piece of bush is worth a man's life? How is it that anger can boil over in such a destructive way where one human can so callously risk, and kill, another human being. Glen will be remembered not only for the wonderful man, husband and father he was, but also for stirring the conscience of a Nation and challenging haters to consider the consequences of their actions.  

 http://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/2456677/a-mean-brewer-with-a-great-sense-of-humour

Today I have had an email from a publisher who has given me great advice with regard to the format of a print ready submission, and yesterday I had a phone call from another publisher who also had really good comment to make. 

Currently processing their advice. 

I can see a re-write looming but that's OK - although I am now sitting on about 100,000 words (is a date a word one wonders to ones self) and 150 pages (loads of photos) it has always been just a first draft - capturing the info, the photos and playing with style.

My ancestors were wonderful diverse  people and the lineage is filled with scallywags and saints, artists and diggers of ditches.  How I am enjoying the opportunity to meet them all :)

I feel as though I'm in the first month of pregnancy - busting to see the end result but forced to follow an immutable process that takes time that cant be changed - arghhhhhhhh  LOL

A BABY IS BEING BORN, A BOOK IS EMERGING .....

I am a direct descendant from the Rudkins, the Mooneys, the Cairds, the Rowes and the Morgans.

And I am writing an account of the people I came from, the genetic soup that created me, my family and who we are. 
While discovering my roots I have discovered stories that made me laugh and made me cry.
It is those stories that I will share with the readers of my book so that they might understand the lives of those that went before.   
The births, deaths, loves, joys and hardships of my people.

Below:  My Grandfather Edgar Charles (Bob) Morgan and my Grandmother Isabelle Grace Morgan nee Row. 

My Mother, Noeline second daughter of Bob and Grace,  learnt to shoot  on the farm before the family moved into town. Taking pot shots at magpies with a German Luger she became a crack shot. 

When my Father Len Payne first dated Noeline he took her out with mates rabbit shooting in the sand dunes around Wanganui. Condescendingly he offered Mum the 22 for a shot. 

Undeterred at all Noeline spied a bunny and raising the gun to her hip shot it between the eyes. Rumor has it that was the day Len fell in love with Noeline - my Mum and Dad.