SEARLE Ethel Florence

Compiled by Gordon Freegard based on research by Merilyn Stewart

Additional imformatiom by Stephen Newbey

Ethel Florence Searle née Richards.

Ethel was a Aunt to Bob “Snobby Richards” and affectionately known as ‘Mum Searle’.
Ethel was born on 17 September 1890 at Horsham, Victoria. She arrived at "Xmas Farm" with her parents Charles and Roseanna Richards in 1901.
On 11th July 1907 at the age of 16 she married Henry James Searle at "Xmas Farm", Clear Hills (Gnowangerup Did not exist then). Her wedding was a double wedding with her sister Edith Richards. Note the spelling of "Xmas Farm", it is often incorrectly recorded as "Christmas Farm". Roseanna Richards was a very devout woman and considered calling the farm Christmas Farm a blasphemy, but allowed it to be called "Xmas Farm" as it didn't contain the word Christ.

ETHEL FLORENCE  SEARLE                #1
 

Ethel and Henry had 9 children: Robert Henry Searle (1907-83), Edward George Searle (1909-1996),  Amelia Rosanna STURGES/ANTHONY (1910-98), Roderick Charles Searle (1912-56, Arthur Edmond Searle (1914-15), Elizabeth Ellen Jessie WELLSTEAD (1915-2010), Thelma Alice BURROUGHS/ALLISS (1917-2015), Francis Walter Searle (1919-2012), and NancyWinefred VIRTUE (1921-1994).
Later in life Ethel lived in the Gnowangerup town site near the "Common" and took in boarders. She kept cows and supplied milk to local residents. She was a Life Member of the Gnowangerup Football Club, and washed the football jumpers for more than 20 years.
Ethel died on 27th January 1968 aged 77 years and was buried at the Gnowangerup Cemetery on 30th January 1968..
 

       ETHEL SEARLE'S HOUSE            #2

Tammy Backshell:  My grandmother was Ethel Searle’s daughter. Her name was Amelia( Milly) Searle who married a Sturges. Once won first place for sewing her hankies in the Gnowangerup show. Information came from a Trove newspaper article. Must find it and post it. There were lots of lots of families names in the article. She also taught me to sew on a treadle”.
Rose English: Lovely lady always made me welcome when I went to her house to see her granddaughter Thelma, we were at school together.
John Altham: Great. ‘ milk lady ‘ supplied us for years
Rod Walker: great memories of Mrs Searle, milk, cards, football, boarders Edward Kuriata, John Crawford, National bank staff, post office staff (know their names, memory escapes me just now) an era that will never occur again. Still think about those days when we were all young.

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