Of Tragedy and Valor
Florence & Yvonne Rumbelow

David John Rumbelow and Florence Mabel Morgan had 3 children; 

• Florence (Fon) Lorraine Rumbelow

• Yvonne (Evie) Linnette Rumbelow

• David (Rocket) John Rumbelow.

Florence (Fon) Lorraine Rumbelow was born at Victor Harbor on 22nd June 1917. 

Fon was a member of the first Victor Harbor Women's Life Saving Club in 1935 and one of the first female lifesavers to achieve their surf bronze medals. 

She married Lawrence Edward William Rosser on 17th September 1938. Lawrie enlisted in the Australian Army on 15th April 1942 and was discharged on 8th December 1944 attached to 4 Battalion Volunteer Defence Corps.

Florence died in 2008.

Lawrie and Fon had 2 children, Kay Ewens and Glen Rosser. Both had a formidable sporting reputation. 

HAPPY 90th

• By STEVE COOK 

• Fon Rosser was thrilled to celebrate her 90th birthday in the company of her son Glen and daughter Kay Ewens. 

Florence (Fon) Rosser from Port Elliot celebrated her 90th birthday in style at Ross Robertson Memorial Care Centre, Victor Harbor, on Sunday June 24, with about 40 close friends and family members. 

She was born at Grandma Rumbelow's house on June 22, 1917, at Yilki, because Victor Harbor didn't have a hospital in those days. Fon was the first child of David and Mabel Rumbelow, whose family have lived in the Yilki district for more than 150 years.  She well-remembers her childhood, living in a house with no electricity, and having no car and certainly no telephone. Such fancy things came later in life, as did refrigerators, television and computers. 

Fon remembers her mother hand milking the two house cows they kept for milk, and attending the Victor Harbor Primary School where the current Woolworths shopping centre is now.  In her youth, Fon played hockey and tennis for Victor Harbor and was a founding member of the Victor Harbor Women's Surf Life Saving Club, which was the first such club to be qualified in the state. 

When Fon was just 15, tragedy struck her family. In 1932, her father David Rumbelow, was drowned in a boating accident at Waitpinga. At that time, Mabel was pregnant with David Junior, and also had Yvonne, who was two-years-old. 

At age 21, Fon left home to marry her sweetheart, Lawrie Rosser from Port Elliot, who she was married to for 67 years, until Lawrie passed away in 2005 at age 95. 

They had two children, Kay (who is now City of Victor Harbor councillor Kay Ewens), and Glen, who is currently the operations manager for the SANFL. Theirs was a very keen and successful sporting family. 

Fon played tennis and bowls for Port Elliot, and is a life member of the Port Elliot Bowls Club; Lawrie played more than 400 football games for Port Elliot; Kay was state country badminton champion and state country tennis champion on five occasions between 1964 and 1971, and Glen played football for Port Elliot and was recruited to Norwood where he played 182 league games including two premierships in 1975 and 1978 and one night premiership in 1973. 

Fon moved to Ross Robertson in September 2006 and in her speech on Sunday, she thanked her children, grandchildren, friends, relatives and the staff at Ross Robertson for helping make her 90th birthday such a special one. 

Surf club re-enacts its historic  beginnings 

• 01-11-2007

On October 24, 1932, a meeting was held in the Railway Hotel (now Hotel Elliot) to form the Port Elliot Royal Life Saving Club.  Last Wednesday, October 24, 2007, the meeting was re-enacted in the Hotel Elliot as part of the 75th Anniversary celebrations of the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club. 

Incredibly, their re-enactment was attended by one person who was at the original meeting 75 years ago.  Mr Ken "Nobby" Clark, still a resident in Port Elliot, was 13-years-old when he was asked to come along and hear about the idea of forming a Life Saving Club in the town. 

Also attending the re- enactment honoured guests were Mrs Fon Rosser (nee Rumbelow), Mrs Lyn Barton (nee McKenzie), and Mr Ern Willats, all of whom were part of the Victor Harbor Life Saving Club of the 1930s. 

Mrs Rosser and Mrs Barton were members of the first group of young women to qualify for the Surf Bronze Medallion, in 1935. Their families and children went on to have strong links and associations with the Port Elliot Club, with all three of Mrs Barton's sons becoming members. 

Eldest son, Gilbert, now in his sixties and still coaching and competing for the Grange Club, has won many medals in surf boat competi- tion, including an Australian Open Championship. Gilbert is a Life Member of the Port Elliot Club. 

Mrs Jean Grundy (nee Harding), and Mr Bob Bruce OAM were also honoured guests who recalled the peri- od in the 1950s when the Life Saving Club became the Port Elliot Surf Life Saving Club. 

Mr Bruce's 50 years of continuous membership and service to Surf Life Saving at local, state and national lev- els was celebrated at this year's Annual Dinner. 

The re-enactment was conducted by Mr Colin Sibly, Life Member, Club historian, and author of the Club's his- tory 'On the Wings of the Flying Fish'.  Colin interviewed guests, whose recollections of those early days were surprisingly fresh. 

Colin's father, Mr Joe Sibly, and Mr Cliff Barton (both now deceased) were members of the original club, and each twice awarded by the Royal Humane Society for bravery in surf rescue work. Cliff was Gilbert's father. 

Many current and former members of the Club, and their family members, attended the re-enactment. 

Also at the re-enactment The Times Sports Editor Sophie Wandel was present-ed with a Surf Life Saving Media Award in recognition of the support received from The Times through coverage of club news. 

In other club news, many club members re-qualified as patrolling surf lifesavers in two days of annual proficiency testing last weekend in readiness for the coming season.  Beach patrols at Horseshoe Bay begin on Saturday, November 3. 

Areas tested included a run-swim-run fitness test, first aid, advanced resuscitation, inflatable rescue boat driving and crewing, and board and tube rescue techniques. 

MEMORIES... Pictured at back is Mr Ken "Nobby" Clark, Mrs Jean Grundy and Mr Bob Bruce OAM and pictured at front is Mrs Lyn Barton and Mrs Fon Rosser at the re-enactment of the 1932 meeting to form the Port Elliot Life Saving Club, held last Wednesday, October 24 at the Hotel Elliot as part of the club's 75th anniversary celebrations.