Those gorgeous 'Benoit' girls – and one guy!

Our mother, Hazel, with her five gorgeous granddaughters: Zoe (red cardigan), Anica (purple headband), and Letty, Raina and Ariel.

And here is the only pix I can find of Mum with we three daughters (Doreen, Carol and Nancy).

Does anyone have photos of Hazel with her great-granddaughters?

Here is the final photo taken of Hazel with Viola, the last of her six sisters still then living. The occasion was an afternoon tea at which the sisters enjoyed chocolates, cake and Aunty Vi's favourite Dunkin Donuts, just two days before Hazel's departure for Australia in March 2006. It was during Vi's visit that we received the special-delivery letter from the Australian Embassy, telling us that Hazel's one-year visa to Australia had been approved. Aunty Vi died while Mum was in Australia, so this was the last time the sisters saw each other. But it was a happy occasion, full of fun and laughter, only tinged with a bit of sadness during the last goodbye hugs. 

OK, I have to admit: there should be one guy in the picture – our brother, Paul. And here he is, with Doreen (far left), farewelling Mum and me as we leave for Australia in March 2006.

Mum had been very ill for some months previously, and she was still a bit weak-looking here. But she soon gained a bit of weight and some good colour in the Aussie sun. One of her favourite pastimes while with us was feeding meat scraps to a family of butcher birds every day.

These are just a few of my favourite photos from the final years of Mum's long life.