End of an era

By EMMA SUN
LONG-TIME Mount Evelyn resident Gwenda Watkins has passed away, aged 75.
She died peacefully in her sleep on 5 September, after suffering a stroke and three seizures on 1 July.
Ms Watkins was born on 11 September 1936 in Lilydale Hospital and was a resident of Mount Evelyn ever since, only leaving the town for about a collective six months in her lifetime.
She was well-known as an attendant at the petrol station on the corner of the roundabout at York Road and Monbulk Road, at which she worked for the greater part of her life.
Her job allowed her to see many residents past and present, and she would help them refuel their cars, check the oil and even wash the windscreen.
When she wasn’t busy working, Ms Watkins would be found attending the Uniting Church, which her brother Allan and his wife Beverly said she was very devoted to.
“She loved her church,” Mr Watkins said.
“A lot of people knew her from the service station and from the church.”
According to her family, Ms Watkins was a people person who loved nothing better than helping others in the community.
She also enjoyed spending time with children.
“All she wanted to do was help people and she couldn’t do enough to help people,” Mr Watkins said.
“We had a lady down the street and Gwen used to take her out shopping and get her hair done, there was always some old lady getting towed around the place.
“She used to give all the neighbourhood kids lollies and Christmas cards and she had a calendar with more than 100 birthdays on it, and she’d send cards to all of them.”
Ms Watkins was also very fond of cats, and was known to have cat themed items around the house including cups, pictures and pens.
Mr Watkins said she would be sorely missed.
“It’s the end of a chapter in Mount Evelyn history.”