1898 – 1973
Family
Parents
John Powell 2 February 1873 to 24 July 1938
Mary Carr 11 December 1876 to 15 April 1956
Eileen was born at 7 Arnott Street Geelong West on 5 October 1898
Siblings
Junaita Margaret 3 March 1907 to ????
Elizabeth 19 Jun 1910 to ????
Marriage
Joseph McKinnon 5 February 1896 to 5 June 1964
Joseph and Eileen were married at St Peter and Paul’s Church West Geelong on 14 May 1924.
Children of Joseph and Eileen
Margaret 1925 to present
Angus John 1927 to 4 December 2012
Joseph Donald 1933 to present
Biography
Eileen was the eldest of three daughters born to Jackie and Minnie Powell. The family lived in Geelong West and by 1919 lived at 47 Wellington Street West Geelong and this house remained the family home until xxx. We know little of Eileen’s early life or education, but we do know she completed an apprenticeship in Tailoring and that the two women who trained with her remained lifelong friends. During WWI Eileen became a volunteer nurse caring for wounded servicemen who had returned to Australia at xxx.
In 1924 Eileen married Joseph McKinnon a Victorian Railways colleague of John Powell . Joseph and Eileen purchased land in Shannon Street (now Vautier Street) in North Geelong on which they built a house, Carmel, which remained their family home until moving to Tulip Street Blackrock in the early 1950s. Joseph and Eileen had a busy community life in Geelong, with Joseph being particularly involved in the RSL. Joseph enjoyed gardening and with his father-in-law enjoyed shooting and fishing. In later years, both Joseph and Eileen were active in lawn bowls.
Joseph and Eileen had three children. All the children attended St John’s primary school close to their home. For secondary school, Margaret attended Sacred Heart College while the boys attended St Joseph’s Christian Bros College. All the children married and produced 13 much loved grandchildren.
Eileen’s husband Joseph died in 1964 the same year as the husband of her daughter Margaret. Eileen lived with Margaret and her six children for some years after his death. In the later years of her life Eileen lived in her apartment at 84 Campbell Street East Hawthorn, she died there on 2 March 1973
Anecdotes and other stories
The women who were apprentice tailors and lifelong friends’ of Eileen became Aunty Myrt (Myrtle Owen) and Aunty Jess (Jess Robinson) to the children and older grandchildren of Eileen and Joe.
Documents
Birth Record
Marriage Record
Photographs
Photos to be inserted here
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