On the 27th April 1906, Helena (Lily) Maud Pike (nee Rosevere) aged 30yrs, passed away at the St John of God Hospital in Dugan Street, Kalgoorlie from Typhoid. She was the wife of councillor Eustace Walter Pike and the mother of one child, James Albert, aged 6yrs. The following photograph is a very poignant one and shows father and son standing by the graveside in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery.
Lily was to die only a few short years after the above photograph was taken outside the family home at 116 MacDonald Street (now the site of Lotteries House) Kalgoorlie, showing Lilly, Eustace and baby James.
The above impressive memorial was placed on the grave some years later. Today the grave is very little changed and has stood the test of time. Eustace, aged 84yrs, was buried with his beloved wife some 49yrs later having never re married. His son James is also buried in the Kalgoorlie Cemetery, he died on the 26th Nov 1986 and is buried in a different grave. Also buried with Helena and Eustace is Georgina PIKE who died in 1939 aged 93yrs, Eustace’s widowed mother.
I cannot forget her
I loved her too dearly
For her memory to fade
From my life like a dream
My lips need not speak
When the heart mourns sincerely
For my thoughts often rest
where they seldom are seen.
Moya Sharp
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I knew Jim Pike. He was a great old bloke. He used to move buildings in Kalg when I was an apprentice carpenter with Peter McGinty. He had a huge system of ” Jinkers” ( a type of Tiimber trailer) that he towed with an old ex army blitz wagon. It would be great if someone has a photo of it. He moved the houses from Lakewood into Kalg when I was about 10 or so.
I bought a photo in a Bunbury op shop today and this is where it has taken me. The hand writing on it says “Shifting from Kanowna – Pikes Jinker” happy to send a pic.
Hi Kirsten I would love to see the photo, Many thanks.
Sad reading this, have read her story several times and it still seems to hit heavily.