Memories of Maria, our neighbour

When we moved into our home five years ago a little elderly neighbour yelled out yoo hoo! over the fence and introduced herself and handed us a homebaked cake. Her name was Maria, she was Polish and her english was not fabulous but it was good enough that we could communicate. Maria had left Poland during the war and migrated to Australia with her two children. She remarried in Australia and had lived in the same house and raised her family there.

Maria's husband was in a nursing home and had Alzeihemers, he died that same year we moved in. Maria's daughter Jenny had moved in to help Maria around the home.
Maria has the most amazing vegetable patch which she worked daily and we'd often find a bag of vegies hanging over the fence or our son would come inside with a zuchinni from her.
Maria loved our dog Lucy and Lucy loved being picked up so she could get a pat. She always told me Lucy was a bit fat.
Maria always had a smile on her face and on weekends we'd see her walking to and from the local church, about 500 metres down the street.
In the past few months Maria had become very ill and in the last few weeks was in home palliative care, sadly she passed away on Monday. We'll miss Maria, she was a beautiful neighbour. My deepest sympathy go to Jenny and her family.
RIP Maria xxx