Friendship lasting a lifetime, from school kids to Resthaven residents

This story was contributed by Helen Randell. 

Resthaven Murray Bridge residents Maureen Green and Doris Klenke at 89 and 87, have had a childhood friendship that has spanned more than 80 years.

Growing up in Monarto, the pair lived close to each other, meeting up most days as they rode their bikes to and from Monarto South Primary School.

"We would meet at the five-ways crossroad," Ms Green said.

"Doris was on the western side, and I was on the eastern side."

"I remember we had to walk past a corner where paddocks from two different farmers met.

"Each paddock had a bull in it, and we had to be careful as sometimes the bulls would fight through the fence!" Ms Green said.

Ms Green grew up on land where the Monarto Zoo is now located.

"My tennis court used to be where the entrance to the lions’ area is now... we used to hunt rabbits and collect mushrooms out there," she said.

Both women lived on mixed-use properties, where wheat was grown and animals were farmed.

"We had cows that needed to be milked by hand before school," Doris Klenke said.

"My dad would then separate the milk and the cream, we sold the cream and also made our own butter."

"It was a job and a half to do in the summer!" she said.

Both families would make their own fresh bread, utilising the local flour that included their own milled wheat.

"We made do with what we had," she said.

"It was the depression years, and the end of the war, so we ate what was put in front of us and didn’t argue."

School days

Ms Green and Ms Klenke started school on the same day in 1943.

"The school bell would go at 8.50am each day, and we would line up outside with our classmates in three lines," Ms Green said.  

"One of the students would play ‘God Save the King’ on the recorder as we marched into the school."

The school lessons often included daily spelling, sums and puzzles.

Ms Klenke said there was only one teacher, looking after multiple year levels, with around 11-20 students in total.

"It worked pretty well, and the older students would help to teach the younger ones," she said.

It was white chalk on the blackboards and ink wells in the desks.

"We behaved ourselves!" Ms Green said.

"We wouldn’t do anything wrong!" Ms Klenke said.

In addition to school days together, the pair also attended the same church on Sundays, both receiving confirmation from the local pastor.

Growing up

When the girls were teenagers, Ms Green would help Ms Klenke out on the farm when her parents were away.

"Mum and dad didn’t always know what we did," Ms Klenke said.

An example of this was when the girls took Ms Klenkes' parent’s Dodge Buckboard ute for a trip into Callington.

"The brakes were not very good and there was one time when we were out of control, heading down from the top of Callington Hill," Ms Klenke said.

They ended up at the bottom after shooting through the creek.

"We were all okay but we never told our parents about it!" she said.

Every Saturday night the two would go to the local dance, often dancing with the soldiers from the nearby army range.

"We could do every dance in the book," Ms Klenke said.

Through husbands and children (Ms Klenke had six children in seven years), new homes and farms, both have kept in touch.

"We did everything together," Ms Klenke said.

"We even landed in here together," Ms Green said.

Ms Klenkes’ husband Max Klenke is also a resident at Resthaven and Ms Green recognises a few others from the home from the 'old days'.

"It was many years ago, but it feels like only yesterday," Ms Green says.

"We’ve laughed about so many things over the years."

Ms Klenke and Ms Green are happy to be living together at Resthaven Murray Bridge, much like they did when they were teenagers helping each other out on the farm.

"It’s a lovely place to live, and we often seek each other out during church services and concerts," Ms Klenke said.