Leonard George JONES [7]

  General Notes:

Leonard's occupations were PMG linesman, baker and farmer. He suffered many years of ill health and retired in the 1970's.

The family moved around quite a bit, Red Cliffs, Melbourne, Swan Hill / Woorineen, Myrtleford & Bright, Korumburra, Bena, and back to Korumburra.

He was referred to as Pop by all his grandchildren.

from the South Gippsland Sentinel Times Newspaper 23 April 2003 page 11

FAMOUS BAKER

A Bena Football and Netball Club volunteer and famous Korumburra baker has died.

Leonard George Jones (Pop or Poppy, as he is known to many) was born on December 13 1925 at Bendigo, the second of three children to George and Kath Jones.

Len started school at Red Cliffs primary, then St. Joseph's Catholic school in Red Cliffs until the family moved to Swan Hill.

In his youth, Len was a cub Scout, a roller skater, motorbike and sidecar racer as well as playing harmonica for a regional radio station.

He was even a ballroom dance instructor at a prestigious Melbourne dance academy.

Len left school around the age of 14 and took up an apprenticeship as a baker in Swan Hill.

He continued his apprenticeship in Nhill before finishing up at Kew.

During his apprenticeship year, World War 2 broke out Len enlisted in the Navy.

Len was not taken in, however, as his baker's apprenticeship didn't allow for such under the terms of the Essential Services Act, so he had to stay home and bake bread.

Employment opportunities after the war led Len to Yenda (NSW) where he started his own business as a baker.

He gave this away and followed his father's footsteps, joining the PMG where he worked as a linesman, cable joiner, and jackhammer operator.

It was around this time he met Margaret Sullivan.

Len and Margaret had nine children, Michael, Kathleen, Patricia, Gregory, Susan, Maxwell, David, Fiona and Kellie; then 21 grandchildren, a number which is still increasing.

Len gave away his PMG job in the late 1950's and joined his brother-in-law working on a fruit block at Woorineen, near Swan Hill.

When the block was sold returned his hand back to baking and the family moved to Myrtleford before moving to Korumburra 43 years ago.

Len soon earned fame as the baker at LeGross's in Korumburra, along with his home delivered bread run.

Len left the bakehouse and took up farmhand work, milking cows in the district for Walkers (Korumburra), Castles (Bena), Prossers (Loch), and Lupis (Bass Valley) before being forced onto an invalid pension 24 years ago.

At this juncture (1980) the family settled at Korumburra into what at the time was a rather plain housing commission house.

Len's love of gardening saw him transform the appearance with a very well groomed garden.

But it was not only the front garden that was Len's showpiece, he toiled equally hard in the backyard with his veggie patch, fruit trees and orchids.

As his children grew, Len's interest in life followed them.

For many years he helped coach at the Bena Netball Club and was a team manager thirds and fourths teams for the Bena Football Club.

Len also served on the Bena Football Club Committee.

He was also involved in the cricket club at Bena, playing key roles in coaching and team management.

Yet despite all these involvements in things for the kids, Len still managed a bit of time for fishing, cards, a bet or two on the horses, and time to watch the cricket and footy on TV.

After an illness, Len passed away peacefully at Korumburra hospital on April 9, aged 77 years.

  Noted events in his life were:

1. Occupation: baker, 1949.

2. Residence: c/- C Gibson, 1949, Woorineen, Vic, Australia.

3. Occupation: linesman, 1954.

4. Residence: 48 Albion Street, 1954, Brunswick, Vic, Australia.

5. Residence: Swan Hill / Woorineen, 1955 to 1958.

6. Residence: Myrtleford where he worked as a baker, 1959.

7. Occupation: baker, 1963.

8. Residence: 1 Swanson Street, 1963, Korumburra, Vic, Australia.

9. Occupation: farmhand, 1968-1977.

10. Residence: 11 Guys Road, 1968, Korumburra, Vic, Australia.

11. Residence: Bass Valley Road, 1972, Bena, Vic, Australia.

12. Residence: Bass Valley Road, 1977, Bena, Vic, Australia.

13. Residence: 21 Swanson Street, 1980, Korumburra, Vic, Australia.

Leonard married Margaret Ann SULLIVAN [867] [MRIN: 262], daughter of Daniel James SULLIVAN [818] and Annie COLLIHOLE [28].