01/09/2026
A story about my mum 💗
Louise Ismail
Louise Marjorie Hamilton born on 23/2/1955.
Raised in Lilydale and was the eldest of 7.
She left school at 15, became a full timer at Woolies. She even won Checkout of the year🥇
Mum would come home after long days and would prep all the veggies for the evening meal.
Mum was a depended upon young and always took care of her siblings.
Her customers would line up just to talk to her💗
She is kind and thoughtful 🥰
Mum met dad at 19 at a Yarra Glen dance 💃🕺
Dad asked her once to dance and thought that would do it.
Needless to say the sideburns didn’t win her over that easily😅
He took her out one more time to the Icecreamery, then he got his girl.
Both my parents worked alot.
Dad on the farm 7 days and mum 5 1/2 at Woolies and the farm on Sundays.
This was dating 😂
After 5 yrs, mum said to dad in the car one day, “That’s it, are you ever going to ask me to marry you”?
Dad said “Yes” 😂
They both were gifted 1 acre from my Pa and so they worked hard and saved to build their home.
It cost $23,000 and still to this day they live there.
Mum became a mum at 24.
I have an older brother and sister.
We were her world.
We all grew up in bassinets amongst the fields👩🌾
“It was hard doing it all on my own. Somedays I worried something would happen. Raising babies on a big farm was challenging. But I have no regrets. We were all together”.
Growing your own had its perks.
Sweet corn buttered, stuffed capsicums, jams from the blackberries, pressure cooker whistling.
Mum loved good food.
Challenging recipes made her eager. But the challenge was to satisfy dad, he would say “It’s a bit dry” 🤣
To this day she still loves trying new recipes on him, and he lets her🫃
Mums proudest moment was learning how to rock and roll dance at 60.
To this day they both still dance together.
“I don’t have regrets. I like my own company. I still enjoy talking on the telephone and listening to Elvis off the vinyl. I appreciate my life. I have lost loved ones and that changes us”.
Her message is simple, “always take care of each other”🧵
We 🫶🏻 u mum 💗
Mum has had her old kitchen for 49 years.
Dad is finally giving her a new one 🏡