A beloved wife, mother, grandmother and friend has been remembered for her life of generosity and devotion to family.
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Helen Margaret Oshannessy Little passed away on September 18, 2019, survived by an extensive list of friends, family and all those she met along the way.
In her Eulogy, granddaughter Tracy described Helen as passionate about creating memories, dedicated to her community and always up for a dance.
"Mum cherished all occasions to gather family together. Birthdays, Weddings, Holidays and any other reason she could find," Tracy said.
"We spent many years holidaying at Sussex Inlet together with other family members, with the house packed to the rafters.
"Mum was always handy with the camera on special occasions, and loved to capture these happy moments with photographs to look back on."
Born on January 23, 1927 in Junee, Helen's upbringing had a huge impact on who she became to be as a person.
One of nine children,Tracy said the best days Helen's childhood were spent in her humble family home on Lisgar Street.
"They did not have the luxury of electricity or any hot water unless you boiled it on the stove. There was no bathroom and the out house was up the back," she said.
"Mum recalled that her brothers would wait and scare her on her trip back from the outhouse at night, she would drop the hurricane lamp and scream all the way back into the house, followed by howls of laughter from the boys."
Tracy said while there was little money for luxuries, their was an immense amount of love.
"Her mother taught her an important lesson in life: 'It doesn't matter what you don't have, make the most of what you've got. Time and attention cost no money, yet the rewards are enourmous'," she said.
Helen got married to the love of her life, Noel Little, in April of 1949 at Junee's St Lukes Anglican Church which became the starting point of a whole new chapter in her life.
"Mum used to say Dad married her for her money. The 35 pounds she had saved bought them their first vehicle, a truck Dad could drive to work," Tracy said.
Her family quickly grew to six children, 17 grandchildren and 29 great grandchildren, plus many others not blood related.
"She was the adopted mum or Nan to every kid in the street and any ring-ins from the neighbourhood," Tracy said.
"Her home was always open to anyone wishing to join the family, and the house was often very full. Anyone and everyone were welcome."
Volunteering became a pivotal part of Helen's life from schoolyard duties, helping out the Lions Club, Camp Quality and Rotary, and even getting the Junee VRA up and running.
"She was a very dedicated and reliable community member and contributed untold hours of her time with great enthusiasm," she said.
"During this time Mum gained many friends and well deserved respect, not only in Junee but throughout the region and state.
"She contributed endless hours to her community and it was a labor of love."
But her passion didn't stop there - Helen had a number of hobbies she put her heart and soul into.
She researched family history, as well as the town's past, she documented memories through a love of scrap booking and photography, enjoyed gardening, sewing and even had an interest in stamp and coin collecting which lead to many trips to Canberra to the Royal Australian Mint.
"She loved to dance with Dad and frequented many local balls and dances," Tracy said.
Beyond her passion for many of life's offerings, Helen was an adaptable woman.
"Mum saw many changes throughout her life. The introduction of electricity into homes and hot running water, telephones, electrical appliances and television, man landing on the moon, WWII and Vietnam, the change to decimal currency and measurement and the changes in motor vehicles and transport, although she never drove herself," she said.
"She would laugh and say it was safer for others if she didn't."
But at the end of the day, their was a singular focus for Helen.
"One of mum's greatest achievements in life was watching her family grow," Tracy said.
"She was very proud of each and every child and partner. She delighted at welcoming new members into the fold.
"The devotion Mum has given to her family has extended through to all she loved, and they will carry her special qualities through many generations to come and hopefully they will embrace Mum's belief that life is to be cherished until the end."