MEMORIES of Penola community man Preston Wyly have been shared among residents following the news of his passing.
The community stalwart was renowned for his efforts to lend a helping hand when needed.
Born in Adelaide, Mr Wyly moved to the Limestone Coast in 1945 and has been a part of the Penola community since 1950.
Mr Wyly completed Year 10 at Naracoorte High School as a boarder, returning home to work on the weekends.
In 1959 he met his wife-to-be Janeen at a Saturday night dance.
“I was a school teacher when I first came here and worked at Nangwarry Primary School,” Ms Wyly said.
“None of us had a car back in those days so we all made sure we had a ride to the dances.
“That is how Preston and I met because we both loved dancing and we went to them every weekend.”
The loving relationship between the two soon blossomed, spanning more than six decades.
“I was brought up on a farm, but was not a farmer and eventually we built a property on his parents farm,” she said.
“I was working all the time, playing and teaching music so I barely knew where the open gates were on the farm, or how to milk cows, but Preston would have to milk them before we could go to the dance so I would be there waiting for him to finish.”
Mr Wyly travelled to Queensland to work and earn money to send home to his parents to develop their land.
Despite the long distance, the love birds continued their blooming relationship and communicated through letters which Ms Wyly has kept.
“He had gone up to Queensland for shearing to earn some money and stayed up there for some years,” she said.
“We communicated to each other through letters because in those days it was really the only means of communication.”
Ms Wyly said many of the letters included a weather report of the day, which made her smile when reading them after her husbands passing.
“I did go up there to see him one school holidays and although I cannot remember the proposal I did ask him if he was ever planning on coming back,” she said.
“We came back from Queensland together and got married.”
The young couple married on January 26, 1963 and settled in Coonawarra, before moving to Maaoupe while they built their family home across the paddock on the farm.
The newlyweds travelled to Lorne in Victoria for their honeymoon.
“Back then that was quite the adventure,” Ms Wyly said.
“Going down the Great Ocean Road and seeing those sights was just fabulous.”
Upon returning, the two quickly jumped back into their regular routines.
The couple welcomed their eldest child Tracey in 1965, soon followed by Helen in 1967 and Dean in 1969.
“We had our own interests throughout the years, but we were always together,” she said.
“He was still doing his community work almost right up until the end, but around a year ago I did tell him that he would have to slow down and that he could not do it forever.”
Mr Wyly was involved in the creation of the Maaoupe Country Fire Service, Rural Watch, Coonwarra Rural Youth and the Penola Bendigo Bank branch.
He tended to sheep owned by the Penola Lion’s Club, which are used to help the service club raise funds each year.
“He then trained someone else to take care of the Lion’s Club’s sheep, but of course he would still have to go down there and watch,” Ms Wyly said.
As well as being an avid community member, Mr Wyly was also an enthusiastic music lover and sports player.
In 1957 he played football for Penola and was an active member of both the baseball and tennis club.
He joined the Naracoorte Caledonian Pipe Band and was an accomplished piper before transferring to the Penola Pipe Band in the early 60’s.
“He was always the one that would help other people and was a part of many community groups,” Ms Wyly said.
“He had been helping people since he was young and he would always go and tinker with farmers’ equipment for them.
“He was very hands on and very good with fixing things.”
Due to Federal Government restrictions on funerals, Mr Wyly’s service was restricted to close family members.
However, Penola and Coonawarra community members were able to view the service through a live-stream on social media.
“My daughters have said there were a lot of people who watched it and with everything that is going on in the world at the moment it was lovely that others could still join in on remembering Preston,” Ms Wyly said.
“One of our granddaughters from Adelaide sang for the service and I have received a lot of comments from the community saying it was a highlight.”
Ms Wyly said her late husband’s legacy will live on and will tend to Mr Wyly’s rose garden which sweeps their property.
