Dawn Latta (nee Latham) was born on December 5, 1926, the filth child of Jessie Irene Lindsay-Wylan and Charles Oliver Latham.
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Dawn left school at age of 14 and worked in a clerical office. She had a very high IQ and had a definite career ahead of her already, overseeing a team of ladies. She used her math skills later to look after the books of her husband’s business and son’s taxes.
A woman with style and grace, she also worked in a lingerie factory – no wonder the men all wanted to dance.
Dawn represented love. She loved her parents and her siblings Joy, Noel, West (tinker), Hope, Ross, Jill, Jack and Owen.
What brought Dawn to Batemans Bay? Her love of her sister and selflessness. Her sister would lose her position at Blandford House if her work wasn't able to be done. Dawn came to town to undertake her sister’s duties in 1946 - the 499th resident of the town. She did a great job and ended up doing the books there also.
New to town, she went to a local dance where a man several years her senior saw her and proclaimed to all the he was going to marry that girl. He was Hilton Alexander Latta. However Dawn was engaged to a pilot in Sydney. Dawn called off the engagement and she and Hilton where married in 1947. They where married for 41 years until his passing in 1988. He was a great dancer and swept her off her feet! They loved to dance. He would lead and she would gracefully follow. They would stop and turn heads!
They had seven children: Trevor, Mark, Paul, Margaret, John, Peter (red) and Christoper. She had 12 grandchildren and 22 great grandchildren.
She saw great change in the town, living in Benandarah above the then saw mill -now a vacant paddock; then in town, at Batehaven, and at other parts of Batemans Bay.
They did not have electric hot water or an oven until 2006. She did it hard, cutting wood and lighting the fire for cooking and hot water; lighting the copper to heat water to wash by hand.
Dawn learnt to drive on the farm late in life and gave her mini a hard time grinding through the gears.
Driving with her was scattier than a ride at Luna Park. She had several accidents but was never at fault. “I didn't see that taxi! He was meant to give way!”
She had a 120Y Datsun, then finally a nice Mazda 3 to drive, but even it somehow had the wall of the garage jump out and take the bumper off.
Perhaps this was where she got to enjoy speedway.
Her sons surrounded the house with car bodies, ensuring it looked more like a car wrecking business than a home, but she didn't complain.
She sold ice creams with her grandchildren, raising money for the Moruya Speedway and became the first female life member.
Dawn loved sport, watching a local game or her family players. She loved golf. She played with her sons Trevor, Peter and Christopher and eldest grandson James.
James and Dawn often won, with her being a pro around the greens a great chip and putter! She had an old set of clubs held together with electrician’s tape and glue, kept in an old bag with a old pull buggy. Nothing flash, but they did the job and she knew how to use them.
She could have bought new clubs but that money was for other things. She was always bailing someone out of trouble, going without to help others. She used to buy food for families, deliver the food and go without herself. She picked up and dropped of those who couldn't drive to the club or to church.
She worked tirelessly in the community and especially with the church. She became a Catholic to marry and become one of the most respected in the region, working with the catholic women's league. She helped sponsor an African priest to study theology. She washed the priests’ garments and arranged the alter floral displays, cleaned the church and cooked.
There was always a spare plate available at home. She would cook for many on the wood fire and never complain.
Dawn was a fighter. She had cervical cancer after the birth of Christopher and was the only woman to survive out of 98 admitted for treatment.
Three months of radium radiation were inserted exposed and removed every three days to kill the cancer. When asked how she survived, she said: “I had to, I had seven kiddies and a husband needing me.”
She had cancer in her foot, kidney disease, yet never complained; she was hit by lightning and, while delivering Meals on Wheels, was dragged for many metres under her car, needing several skin grafts. Even after a stroke she fought.
She was well cared for and in comfort at Maranatha nursing home.
On the night she passed away at 10:05pm Dawn was Listening to the hymn Here I am Lord. It was a full moon light night with a ribbon of silver light right to Maranatha Lodge’s doors. It was a full tide (she loved the water and loved prawning). The words of the refrain are “Here I am lord, it is I Lord. I have heard you calling in the night. I will go lord, If you lead me. I will hold your people in my heart.”
Dawn with her breathing laboured after eight days of being non vocal while listening to James in his worst singing voice, took a deep breath and voiced the words “I'm here” – softly at first, then with conviction, loud enough to be clearly heard. This was her last breath and words.
Her favourite saying was “tomorrow is another day; don't worry about the past, it can't be changed; think about what you are going to do next, what you can do to make it better”.
The reading Corinthians 13. 4-13 was chosen as it represents all that Dawn was: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. 12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
The service ended with John Denver's song Perhaps love.
Please listen to the words
https://youtu.be/3YnfCH7LNcM
In the words of grandson James: “Nan – you cuddled me when I needed a hug, put a band-aid on a grazed knee, gave me kisses, cooked for me, made me my favourite sandwiches.
(You) made tutu fruit or ginger beer with me; went and checked my rabbit traps with me and cooked those rabbits; went prawning with me even when you were tired; played golf with me and walked even when your legs were tired. You tucked me into bed and always had time for me. You listened and always had a wise kind word. I will always love you. I miss you.”