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About Maureen Pearce
My mom was not the typical type of mother. She was musical and artistic and did most things differently. Graeme and I would come home from school to either the sound of mom playing her piano or to the smell of terpentine and linseed oil as she painted pictures in the dinng room. The piano was always piled high with music ranging from Beethoven to the Blues all of which she could play brilliantly. There was no order to the music and the piles were never stacked neatly but mom would know exactly where any piece was. Mom didnt worry too much about things like our homework or if we were studying for exams or if we were following rules - she didnt much like the restriction of rules, patterns or even recipes. She did everything by "feel" and she usually got it right anyway. Whereas other mothers were concerned over the normal things that worry a parent my mom would rather sit up at night painting pictures on a skirt she had made for me to wear to a party, or sewing a beautiful pink tutu for my doll to wear at the next doll's party she was planning. She would throw amazing childrens parties for me with the most beautiful home made birthday cakes which could range from a butterfly, a garden complete with pond or a "May Pole cake" with little handmade dolls in the likeness of each friend who was to attend. I have many happy memories of my mother who was also a very good and special friend of mine.
Mom studied the piano from a very young age and she passed all her music exams by the time she reached 15 years of age. Her music teachers encouraged her to further her studies overseas but I'm told that her father was not too keen on this at that time. Instead she matriculated at Umtata High School and went to work for a legal firm as a typist. She was an extremely fast an accurate typist bashing out about 65 wpm on those old manual typewriters. Shortly afterwards she decided to leave Umtata for Durban where it was arranged that Uncle Ivan Pearce(Grandpa Ernie's brother) would keep an eye on her. Her sister Peggy also decided to go with her and so the two set off for greater adventures than Umtata could offer. There was a mix up at the YWCA where they were supposed to stay initially and so they had to sleep on beds that were put on the stage until a room became available. Thereafter they moved to the Womens Res. Uncle Ivan kept an eye out for the girls taking them home to meet his family and his wife Joan Pearce. It was there that my mom met my father Basil Beckett who was Joan's elder brother. So mom married her uncle Ivan's brother in law which meant that her sister in law was also her aunt!
Mom, the beautiful, petite, blond and green eyed artist and Dad, the tall dark and handsome sportsman were complete opposites and although they loved each other their marriage was not noted to be smooth or boring. But as rocky as it was they stayed together for 24 years until dad died. Mom never remarried and died a widow 24 years later.
In her later years Mom joined the Salvation Army where she would proudly wear her uniform and play the piano for the church choir. Sadly as she got older she was not able to continue due to her failing health and for the last few years before her death she wasnt able to play the piano at all. However she never tired of listening to the classics and would love to hear the sounds of all her old favourites on CD.
Written by Mavis Jollivet
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Maureen Pearce's Timeline
| 1927 |
September 24, 1927
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Umtata, Cape, South Africa
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| 1999 |
June 11, 1999
Age 71
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Durban, Natal, South Africa
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| ???? |
Durban, Natal, South Africa
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