A lasting friendship

WHEN Peggy Calcraft died, among her belongings was a tattered and torn cutting from an Ongar newspaper.

The article described the departure from England of a young Australian couple who had taken a two year working sabbatical in Europe, over a year of which was spent living at Shelly Hall and teaching at the school at Fyfield.

They were now heading home with the delightful family addition and souvenir of a new baby boy born in Ongar at the hospital.

The article expounds the virtues of Max, while only mentioning his wife Ruth in passing.

The piece is undated, but probably close to fifty years ago. When the ship sailed for Australia with Ruth on board, it took a piece of Peggy's heart along.

The young mother and child had become so much a part of her world it was terribly hard to contemplate life without them.

Despite the thousands of miles which seperated them, the friendship grew and blossomed.

It would transpire that Peggy's son would marry an Australian girl and after globe trotting for several years with her, he would finally settle in Australia, when they had a baby son, there was a very good reason to visit Australia and the trip also consummated on of Peggy's dreams, to visit Ruth in the home so often described in her letters. Oh the joy of that trip.

The years rolled on, they swapped stories of joys and of heartaches, phone calls and letters were punctuated with more trips for both Ruth and Peggy.

When Peggy lost her beloved husband and valiantly tried to live without her companion of nearly 60 years, Ruth became her mentor and saviour, Peggy would write to her daughter about Ruth.

What an unbelievable friend she had been, how the "goodness" just radiated from her and how she could make God's word come alive.

Finally just days before both her 60th wedding anniversary and her 80th birthday, Peggy took her leave of this earth.

Ruth's grief was just monstrous.

In Ruth's home in Australia, two years passed, Birthdays and holidays would go by without the customary greetings from Peggy.

Ruth was very involved with a healing ministry and just when she was at her wits end, exhausted and overwhelmed and filled with doubts about everything, she received a letter in the mail which was Peggy's description, full of gratitude, of the value of Ruth's advice and counseling and friendship.

The letter from her wonderful friend was simply a life saver. Peggy, two years after her death had come to her friends aid in her hour of desperate need.

Peggy's daughter, who takes procrastination to an art form had felt utterly motivated to send the letter to Ruth. I know, I am that daughter.

Many readers who were at school 50 years ago and there is a generation of Ongar folk who learned a lot about Australia and will surely remember the charismatic character of Max.

He went on to do such great things with his life. He recently celebrated his 75th birthday.

Barbara Riley,

Florida,

USA

10:16 Tuesday 9th July 2002

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