JourneyOnline
Elsie Gillbard (nee Dennis) was born in 1904 and lived in the Loganlea/Beenleigh area. With her parents and younger sister, she attended the Loganlea Methodist Church as a young girl, and began playing the organ for services in her mid teens. With very little tuition on the organ, she began by selecting hymns she could play. After more experience she played for a choir which performed in the Beenleigh, Pimpama, and Loganlea/Kingston areas.
After her marriage in 1935 to Stanley Gillbard’ she was closer to the Glen Aplin Presbyterian church in the Stanthorpe district so, with a young family, she attended that little church and helped with the organ when required, travelling the four miles in horse and sulky during the war years.
When a building was moved to the Severnlea area in 1945 and set up as a Methodist Church, Elsie and the family attended worship services there.
In retirement she and Stan moved to a hostel in Inglewood to be near daughter Laurel (Dawson). With no Uniting Church in Inglewood, she again linked up with the Presbyterian church and still attends there on occasions.
Elsie celebrated her 104th birthday with her friends at the Hostel, Casa Mia. This was followed by a get-together at Laurel and Ian Dawson’s property, “Talbragar”, with family from as far away as Yeppoon.
Photo : Happy 104th
