From Ireland to Australia: Winters Family History
Mary Francisca Weikert (1869-1933)
Mary Weikert was born in May 1869 at Jacob's Range in the Clare Valley South Australia, the elder daughter of Joseph and Winifred Weikert nee Monaghan.
Mary's father Joseph was the eldest child in the family of Franz and Franciska Weikert which had migrated from Silesia in Poland arriving in South Australia in 1848. This family were regarded as pioneers in the Sevenhill area of South Australia having brought with them from Poland a group of Franz's tenant farmers and the first Jesuit Priests to come to Australia.
Mary came to Western Australia from South Australia according to shipping records on board the vessel SS Kalgoorlie in September 1902 and over the next few years was recorded as working as a domestic at the home of Sir Walter James in Leake Street Peppermint Grove.
It was whilst working at Leake Street that she met Robert Winters and they married in May 1907. This marriage produced 2 children, namely John born November 1908 and Robert known as Bill in April 1910.
Around March/April 1912 Robert fell from a tree during his gardening duties and he died as a result of these injuries in May 1913 leaving Mary to care for 2 children under 5 years.
It is known from correspondence retained by the current family that Mary considered going to work in the North of Western Australia but would not do so if it meant leaving her children. At a later stage Bill did stay with Mary's relatives in South Australia for a short period.
Mary and her 2 boys moved into their home at 3 Smith Street Claremont soon after Robert's death and the family remained there until Mary's death in February 1933 following a fall in 1931 that resulted in Mary breaking her hip.
Robert and Mary married at the Registrar's Office in Claremont, no doubt because Robert was of the Protestant faith and Mary a Roman Catholic. After Robert's death Mary reverted to the Catholic faith and her two boys were raised as Catholics and attended St Thomas Catholic Primary school in Claremont. Unfortunately school records for this era of the boy's schooling are no longer available.