Pedigree

Birth, Death, Marriage

Doreen May Craine was born on 19 December 1912 in Geraldton, Western Australia.1 
She married Thomas Nicholas Milovitch, son of Edward Patrick Milovitch and Mary Reid, in 1932 in Geraldton, Western Australia.2,3 
She died on 17 June 1979 at age 66.1 

Family

Thomas Nicholas Milovitch b. 28 Feb 1913, d. 18 Aug 1966
Children
ChartsMilovitch, Thomas, descendant chart

Story

Marriage and Family
Thomas and Doreen married in Geraldton in Western Australia. They had eleven children, two in Western Australia, six in Victoria, then another three back in Western Australia.2
 
The two eldest children, Brian and Kevin, were born in Geraldton in Western Australia. The family of four then moved to Shepparton where Doreen would meet Thomas's parents.

Thomas, Doreen, two year old Brian and five month old Kevin were aboard the Westralia in November 1934 when it departed from Victoria Quay, Port of Fremantle for the eastern states.2,4
 
Military Service
Thomas Nicholas Milovitch VX142250 enlisted in January 1942 in Shepparton. He has a second enlistment, in June 1943 'in the field, Papua'.

He served in the 57/60th Australian Infantry Battalion in New Guinea.

He was discharged on compassionate grounds in June 1944 after a total of 798 days active service, 246 abroad.

Two daughters were born while he was serving and one son was born two months after he was discharged.

The family still has his service medals and they are worn during Anzac Day parades.5,6
Thomas Milovitch home on leave from New Guinea, with niece Pat Sloper
Image: Jeanette Henderson
Six children were born in Shepparton or Mooroopna; Raymond, Kenneth, Jeanette, June, Beverley and Bernard.2
 
The seven eldest children enrolled at St Brendan's primary school in Shepparton between 1940 and 1948. Brian and Kevin enrolled in 1940, then Ray and Ken (1942), Jeanette (1946), June (1947) and Beverley in 1948.2,7
 
In 1949, the family of ten moved back to Western Australia.2
 
The three youngest children, Cheryl, Rhonda and Catherine, were born in Geraldton.2
 
Thomas, Doreen & Brian Milovitch, Brian's wedding day, Geraldton, Jul 1953
Image: Jeanette Henderson
Back in the West
Their first place, in Glenfield, was not far from the ocean, which the children found most enjoyable.

Their next place was a rented railway house in the Geraldton township on the North West Coastal Highway.2
 
When Thomas died in 1966, Doreen was left to raise the three younger children on her own.2
 
Later Years
Doreen suffered ill health for a number of years before passing away in 1979 aged 66. She is buried at Geraldton cemetery with Thomas.8,2
 

Citations

  1. [S230] Thomas & Doreen Milovitch, family history, unpublished, c. 1998.
  2. [S229] History of our Parents, computer file, unpublished, 2004.
  3. [S124] Western Australia Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages, registry and index, 'Thomas N' Milovitch and 'Doreen M' Craine entry, marriage registration no. 46, 1932.
  4. [S311] 'Westralia for eastern states', West Australian, 1879-1954, newspaper, 15 November 1934, p. 17, viewed 1 December 2017, http://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/32822491
  5. [S447] 'Milovitch Thomas Nicholas', B883 Citizen Military Forces Personnel Dossiers, 1939-1947, control symbol VX142250, service record, 1942-1944.
  6. [S82] Jeanette Henderson, personal communication, 14 May 2012.
  7. [S165] History of St Brendan's Primary School 1891-1991, St Brendan's Centenary History Committee, 1991, pp. 71-72.
  8. [S442] 'Geraldton Cemetery F-M', Oz Burials: Lorraine's cemetery records pages, online register, Doreen May Milovitch entry, viewed 19 November 2017, http://www.ozburials.com/CemsWA/Geraldton-Greenough/…