Good-morning and thank you for joining us today to celebrate the fully lived life of our mum and much-loved grandmother and great grandmother, Mary Meagher. We send our love to all of the family, in Australia and elsewhere, as they live stream this service today.

We all know what a remarkable person mum was and how much she meant to the Forbes community and that if it were not for covid, the church and surrounding streets would no doubt be packed with well-wishers.

We would like to thank Hanleys, the funeral directors, for enabling the live-streaming link and send our love to all those watching, who Mary impacted in their lives.

We are both sad and relieved at this time, but Mum was deeply religious and looked forward to joining dad.

Born in Forbes in 1923, she went to school at Our Lady of Mercy Convent aged 16, and left to work at John Meagher and Co as a book-keeping machine operator.

It was there that she met dad and after the war ended, they were married and were together for nearly 54 years. Both mum and dad were very community minded and the least judgemental people I knew.

An inspirational woman, she was always cheerful, she welcomed everyone and she treated everyone equally.

Those who cared for mum in her later years will know how grateful she was, even for the smallest kindness.

You were lucky if you knew her because she was always so positive and supportive.

Despite being blind at end of her life, if you identified yourself, she'd immediately recognise you and begin asking after your extended family.

Mum had an amazing memory right up to the end. She knew what everyone in the family was doing, she never missed anyone's birthday and she always kept up-to-date with the news.

She was a wonderful cook and I know that all of the family still make her special chicken curry.

Her time with the Australian Women's Army Service during WW2 was a very important part of mum's life and she formed many enduring friendships there.

She marched proudly on ANZAC Day each year and she was the last of 'the girls' to march in Forbes.

She would march so proudly and there were constant cheers from onlookers, "Good on you Mary," as she passed by.

She was disappointed with the covid cancellation this year and wore her medals at home on the day.

Deeply committed to the Forbes community, mum's modesty would not appreciate me mentioning her life of selfless caring for others.

When I reflected on this, my memories were many and no doubt those with us today have similar ones.

I remember as a very young child, taking food to elderly people all over Forbes. She would always cook a week's supply of food for the family whenever someone died.

She was a founding member and a long-term helper with Meals on Wheels. She taught remedial reading at the college.

When she ran Jean Cameron's frock shop, she'd send the unsold fashions from the year before to an outback group of First Nations women.

The house was always packed with people needing a bed when the floods were on. Mum once brought a girl home to live with us for a time, to save her being sent by the courts to detention and two kids lived with us until other arrangements were made for them, after their parents passed.

Above all, mum was a character, full of fun. As kids she'd tell us every day, when we asked what's for dinner, "Bread and butter and duck under the table."

The time was always. "Ten to nine, hang your britches on the line," and she was famous in the family for ringing everyone on the first of each month until very recently, to catch us with a pinch and a punch.

She loved a party and she love dressing up. We have photos at home of mum dressed as Granny Clampert from the Beverly Hillbillies and dad dressed as Ellie May with a blonde wig and wearing a dress and one showing the two of them dressed as a Beatniks.

Dad was reserved, but mum made him join in. There are even some risqué photos of mum in her 80s with her friends in lingerie.

The best though, are the photos of mum and three army friends, when they performed as The Beatles for an ex-service women's reunion in 1964 at Parkes and later in Orange, because they were so good.

I entered a competition that asked in 25 words why I wanted to win two free tickets to The Beatles concert in Sydney. I wrote that mum had acted in a skit and now had Beatle mania and that I had to take her.

I won, and on the day, she argued at the door that six-year-old Pat was only two and would share a seat.

Finally, the man said, "You country women are so annoying, just go in lady." She was a life force.

She loved to dance, she loved her golf and she was always impeccably presented.

The theme for NAIDOC week a few years ago was, "Because of Her We Can." I think that this applies to a whole generation of women after the war, who shaped the Australia we know today and mum was a special one of them.

So, to finish up, I particularly want to thank our brother Patrick who looked after mum beautifully for over 12 years.

We also want to thank the Homecare staff, the community nurses and the hospital staff for the wonderful support they gave Patrick.

Thank you to Pauline Williams and others in the community for their many kindnesses to mum and Jan Martin and Lesley Teale for the beautiful flowers here today.