Letters & Stories
BETTY AND BILL HANSEN – an account of continuous willing happy service for St. Bedes by BILL HANSEN – Feb/March 1996 Issue
I was born on 24th of November, 1917 in a house opposite St. Bede’s where there is now a garage. I have had a variety of jobs including painting, machining, mending roofs, military, air force training and laborastory work at W.R.Est, Salisbury. I met Betty Olsen when I was 23 and she was 17 and we were married 2 years later at St. Bede’s by the late Rev. Hewitson on January 16th, 1943. We have 2 daughters, a son, six grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren. Betty was baptised at St. Bede’s and has always been a member. Art Blizard used to hand out apples, etc. to her at church picnics at Belair. I attended the congregational Church in Jagoe Street for several years. Betty used to take our children to St. Bede’s for Sunday School as I was usually working to supplement the family budget. Our children were all baptised and confirmed. Betty was confirmed on 15th August, 1961 and I was confirmed on 13th October, 1964 and we have since been regular communicants.
We have been engaged in many activities in our church and Betty always cooked for fetes and other occasions. I was Warden for 11 years with Rev. Ben Jones and fete convenor, parish councillor and helper with Arthur Blizzard in reorganizing the whole layout of the crypt, including opening up new rooms and cementing the floor surface and the installation of light and power. I have compiled some photo albumns and kept historical records in duplicate of the plans of the church and grounds and completed 30 years as hall secretary. Over a period of 4 years I collected about 30 old cement incinerators and used them to build a wall on the south boundary and a car stop on the rear of the grounds. I have used $20,000 from collecting bottles and scrap metal to purchase hall items and electrical work in the church. I am sidesman and keeper of the keys and a general minor maintenance worker. My time at St. Bede’s has been most interesting and rewarding, both in a physical and spiritual way.