fred&cissy: Passionate petunia

Who were Fred & Cissy?

Fred and Cissy (actually Alfred & Gertrude) were my dad's maternal grandparents. I have the letters that Fred wrote to his sweetheart on the boat across from England in 1912-13. He came to Australia ahead of her to find work and get settled before she made the trip and then they were married. Dad also has a poem that his grandfather wrote (or appropriated) for their golden wedding anniversary and he was evidently as smitten then as he was on the boat across. Since I inherited the letters I've been fascinated with them, charmed by their love for one another and aware of the sense of humour they must have had (one of the few photos dad has of them has Cissy and another lady on either side of Fred. They're holding silverbeet and he's holding a teddy bear with a grin on his face!

I hope that if you receive anything with a Fred & Cissy label it'll give you a smile to match Fred's in that photo!

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