Arthur Raymond Bowmaker (1913 - 1991) and
Esma Beryl Wailes (1917 - 1997)
Arthur Raymond Bowmaker (known as Ray) was born December 21, 1913 in Sydney, Australia.

Esma Beryl Wailes was born December 13, 1917 in Five Dock, NSW, Australia.

Ray and Esma were married August 31, 1940 in Methodist Church, Five Dock, NSW. They lived at 17 Vivienne Street, Kingsgrove for the rest of their lives.

Their family
Ray and Esma had three sons

Graham Arthur Bowmaker was born in 1943 in Leichardt, NSW. He married Christine Mary Quiggin (who was born in 1944) in 1967 in St Johns College Chapel, University of Sydney, NSW. They had three children, Sonia Louise Bowmaker, Richard Graham Bowmaker and Robert John Bowmaker.

Alan Raymond Bowmaker was born in 1946 in Leichardt, NSW. He married Brenda Kay Geldard (born in 1947) in 1968 in the Methodist Church, Kingsgrove, NSW. They had two children, Kay Lorraine Bowmaker and James Alan Bowmaker.

Geoffrey William Bowmaker was born in 1949 in Bexley, NSW. He married Jan Christine Barlow (born in 1950) in 1972 in the Methodist Church, Beverley Hills, NSW. They had two daughters, Erin Kathleen Bowmaker and Frith Danielle Bowmaker.

Esma and Ray were a warm and vibrant couple who both had a keen sense of humour. They had a very close relationship with their sons and their wives and their children.

At family get-togethers the whole family would sit around in a big circle and talk and laugh for hours. Certain stories of family members were recounted time and again, usually by Esma who would have everyone, including herself, in tears of laughter by the end of a story.

Christmas was always a particularly warm and memorable family affair, held each year at their home in Kingsgrove. Esma was a whizz in the kitchen and their family looked forward to the delicious traditional Christmas feast!

Esma and Ray's youngest son, Geoffrey, worked at Qantas for many years, allowing them to travel overseas on staff family rates. They took full advantage of this, and flew across to New Zealand every year to visit their eldest son, Graham's family. They usually stayed with them at their home in Auckland for approximately one month, sometimes also going on sightseeing trips around the country, before returning to Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Left Esma with her three sons in 1995. From left, Geoff, Esma, Alan and Graham.