Minna

Minna Behrens
(3 October 1893 - 7 July 1973)


Minna Behrens was born at the family home, 800 Elgar Road, Doncaster, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, on 3 October 1893. She was the seventh child, and eldest daughter of German-born Frederick William Ellis Behrens (22 June 1841 - 12 June 1907) and his Australian-born wife Alice Martha Powrie (5 Nov 1857 - 8 Nov 1933):
  • Frederick (Fred) William Behrens (29 Oct 1882 - 5 Nov 1966)
  • Ellis Behrens (16 Apr 1884 - 28 Apr 1965)
  • Kenward (Ken) Behrens (16 Mar 1886 - 20 July 1934)
  • Otto Behrens (29 Apr 1887 - 11 Nov 1963)
  • Thomas (Tom) Behrens (25 Sept 1888 - 5 Nov 1970)
  • Edmund (Ed) Behrens (20 June 1890 - 20 June 1933)
  • Minna Behrens (3 Oct 1893 - 7 July 1973)
  • Ruth Behrens (8 July 1895 - 19 Oct 1977)
  • Nettie Behrens (8 Nov 1896 - 7 Oct 1937)

When Minna was born she had six older brothers. Being the only girl she must have been doted on! 

When Minna was just three months old, the Behrens family attended the first Seventh-day Adventist Camp meeting in Australia in 1893 which was held in the coastal suburb of Brighton  from 29 December 1893 until 15 January 1894. At this camp meeting, the American Adventist pioneer, Ellen G. White, preached powerfully. The Behrens family were devout Seventh-day Adventists.


An early Seventh-day Adventist camp at Brighton, Melbourne.
Photographer and date unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

Minna's two younger sisters, Ruth Behrens and Nettie Behrens were born on 8 July 1895 and 8 November 1896 respectively. Around this time, their father began to suffer from respiratory complications. Some relatives believe he also suffered from asthma. Respiratory ailments would affect William for the rest of his life.

Minna and all her siblings did their schooling at the Doncaster State School No. 197 which was constructed c1886 at 679 Doncaster Road, to replace a previous timber structure.

The Behrens family initially attended the North Fitzroy Seventh-day Adventist Church, the first Adventist Church in Australia. Later, they transferred to the Hawthorne Church (now known as the Auburn Seventh-day Adventist Church), and still later most of the Behrens family became members of the Mont Albert Seventh-day Adventist Church.


Behrens family in early 1907 just before William passed away.
Back from left: Tom, Ken, Otto, Edmund
Middle from left: William and Alice
Front, from left: Ruth, Nettie, Minna
Absent: Fred & Ellis
(Photo courtesy of K J Bland)



Ruth, Nettie & Minna Behrens c1907
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of K J Bland)

When Minna was 13 years old her father, William, died on the morning of 12 June 1907. When he was buried at the Box Hill Cemetery, Minna's brothers carried their father's coffin from the horse-drawn hearse to his grave.



Ruth, Minna & Nettie Behrens in the buggy with Ken at the back.
Photographer and date unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)


Minna's two eldest brothers married in the early part of the 1910s. Firstly, her brother Ellis married Alice Louise (or Louisa) Scheffler (1881 - 15 March 1941) at the Behrens' family homestead, on 6 November 1911. Minna is pictured as the bridesmaid in the wedding photo below:

The wedding of Ellis Behrens & Alice Scheffler 1911.
Most of Ellis' siblings were pictured in this photo:
Back L-R: Otto Behrens, Minna Behrens, Charlie Jensen, Ken Behrens.
Front L-R Tom Behrens, Nettie Behrens, Ellis Behrens, Alice Scheffler, Ruth Behrens.
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of K J Bland)

The second brother to marry was Fred who married Elizabeth (Lizzie) Green on 16 April 1912, at the original Seventh-day Adventist Church, Warburton.



Minna Behrens c1914
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)


Nettie, Minna, Alice and Ruth Behrens.
The photo was taken at The Burlington Studios,
Burke Street, Melbourne c1914.
(Photo courtesy of K J Bland)


21 year old Minna was the third of her siblings to marry. She married 35 year old widower Charles (Charlie) Stafford (20 Feb 1878 - 4 Aug 1946) in Doncaster on 10 October 1914. Charlie was the son of Robert James Stafford (? - 1918) and his wife Jane Spencer (1844 - 1928). He had been married previously to Florence Isabel Jenkins (? - 17 June 1911) and their short marriage of just over one year (m 21 Feb 1910) had produced one son:
  • Leo Stafford (10 Aug 1910 - 19 Sep1937)
Wedding of Charles Stafford and Minna Behrens. 19 October 1914.
From left: Nettie Behrens, Tom Behrens, Charles Stafford, Minna Behrens,
 Ken Behrens, Ruth Behrens, & Fred Behren
Photo by The Burlington Studios, 294 Bourke St, Melbourne.
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

Charlie and Minna had a family of four children:
  • Calvin Ronald Stafford (15 Jan 1917 - 17 Aug 2005)
  • Carre Norma Stafford (8 Sep 1919 - 13 July 2009) known as Norma
  • Unnamed child (dates unknown)
  • William John Stafford (6 Aug 1923 - ) known as John

Minna's brother Ken married Isabella (Belle) Mary Simpson (6 Aug 1885 - 13 Oct 1963) in 1915.


Behrens family picnic near Warrandyke c1915
From left: Charlie Stafford, Belle & Ken, Ruth, Nettie, Alice, Leo Stafford (boy)
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

In 1915, Charlie and Minna went to study at Avondale College where they made the decision to go to India as self-supporting missionaries. They sailed for India in late 1915. On arrival, Charlie began selling Adventist literature. Charlie and Minna's first child, Calvin Ronald Stafford, was born in Madras, India on 15 January 1917.

Charlie found the work in India very hard and it affected his health. After three years, the family returned to Victoria, Australia where Charlie was involved in evangelistic work for several years.

Minna's brother Tom, married Lorrie Rhoda Paine (23 Oct 1887 - 5 Dec 1969) on 25 March 1918 in Auburn, Victoria. 

Charlie's father, Robert Stafford passed away in 1918.



Behrens family picnic c1918
From left: Lorrie & Tom, Ruth with Leo Stafford (boy), Alice, Nettie,
unknown woman & man, Belle & Ken (standing), four other unknown people
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

Daughter Carre Norma Stafford (known as Norma) was born on 8 September 1919. Charlie and Minna lost their next baby (date and gender unknown) and then their last child, William John Stafford (known as John) was born on 6 August 1923. During this time Charlie worked as a farmer in order to regain his health.

Charlie and Minna with their children, from left, Calvin, Leo, and Norma. c1919
Photographer unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)


There were some happy times in the late 1920s when several of Minna's siblings married. Firstly, her brother Ed married Agnes Victoria Parker (22 June 1897 - 26 July 1980) at the Mont Albert Seventh-day Adventist church, on 8 April 1925. Two years later, another brother Otto, married  Mabel Alma Thompson (1903 - 3 Mar 1959). The wedding was held in Albury, New South Wales on 26 December 1927. 

Charlie's mother Jane Stafford (nee Spencer) died in 1928.

On 1 October 1930, Minna's sister Ruth married Edmund Martin (dates unknown) at the Mont Albert Seventh-day Adventist Church, Melbourne.

Minna farewelled several family members in the 1930s. The first to pass away was her brother Ed who died unexpectedly on 21 May 1933, aged 42, after an unfortunate accident in which a horse kicked him in the head. The family buried Ed at the Box Hill Cemetery. Six months later, her mother, Alice, died on 8 November 1933 in Doncaster, Victoria, and was buried in the same grave as her husband, in Box Hill Cemetery, Baptist Section, Plot B-40. The following year, Minna's brother, Ken died on 20 July 1934 from consumption (tuberculosis), aged 48. He too was buried at Box Hill Cemetery.

Minna's sister, Nettie, married Donald Edwin Sonter (3 June 1900 - 8 Dec 1979) in Canterbury, Sydney, Australia in 1934 (date unknown). Sadly, Nettie (40) died three years later on 7 October 1937 in Moss Vale, New South Wales (near Wollongong). She had been very ill for a while. Nettie was buried at the Bowral General Cemetery (plot number unknown), in the town of Burradoo, New South Wales.

A month before Nettie's death, Minna's step-son, Leo, died after a long illness. He passed away in the Alfred Hospital on 19 September 1937, aged 27. Leo was buried the following day at the Box Hill Cemetery, Baptist Section, Plot B-648 (unmarked grave) with his uncle Kenward Behrens. Leo's obituary, published in the Australasian Record Vol 41, No 40, 4 October 1937, page 7, reads:

    STAFFORD. — On September 19, after 
a lingering illness, Leo Stafford, eldest son 
of Brother and Sister C. Stafford of Coor-
anbong, N.S.W., passed away in the Alfred 
Hospital, Melbourne, at the age of 27 years. 
In the Box Hill cemetery he was laid to 
rest till the call of the Life-giver. His 
faith in his Saviour was always strong, 
and his life never failed to give testimony 
to that fact. To the sorrowing relatives 
we extend our deepest sympathy. Brother 
B. E. Hadfield assisted the writer at the 
graveside.                   E. H. GUILLIARD. 


Following Leo's death, Charlie and Minna placed the following note of appreciation in the Australasian Record Vol 41, No 50, 13 December 1937, page 7:

Thank You 
Recently God saw fit to lay our boy 
Leo to sleep until Jesus comes. We desire 
to sincerely thank the brethren and sisters 
for the many letters and telegrams of 
sympathy that came to us during Leo's ill-
ness and since he fell asleep. With the 
sorrow is the sweet hope that our chil-
dren shall come again from the land of 
the enemy; for those that sleep in Jesus 
will God bring with Him. 1 Thess. 4:14. 
Let us pray for one another that we may 
not lose our FAITH on the borders of 
the heavenly Canaan. Thank you one 
and all for your prayers. 
                       C. and M. STAFFORD. 


As their children reached maturity, Charlie and Minna desired that they receive an Adventist tertiary education. They sold their farm and moved to Avondale, Cooranbong, New South Wales.

The Stafford family
Back from left: Calvin Stafford, John Stafford, George Southwell
Front from left: Minna & Charlie Stafford, Norma Southwell
(Photographer & date unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

Charlie and Minna's daughter Norma married George Ernest John Southwell (5 June 1913 - 14 May 2009) on 22 February 1944 in Cooranbong, New South Wales. The following year, son Calvin married Beryl Jean Trood (3 June 1922 - 10 Mar 2005).Their youngest son John married Ethel Emily Wicks (23 June 1925 - 30 April 2006) at the Avondale Seventh-day Adventist Church, Cooranbong, on 10 July 1946. 

Charlie (66) died at his home in Cooranbong on 4 August 1946. His obituary appeared in the Australasian Record Vol 50, No 37. 16 September 1946, page 7: 

STAFFORD.— Aged sixty-six years, 
Brother Charles Stafford passed away 
after a short illness on August 4, 1946, at 
his home in Cooranbong. About thirty
five years ago he accepted present truth 
under the labours of Pastor A. Smart at 
Horsham, Victoria. Three years later he 
married, and in 1915 came to Avondale as 
a student. That year a call was made for 
missionary colporteurs to go to India, and 
he was one who was accepted; so late that 
year he and his wife sailed for the mission 
field. In pioneering in these regions he 
worked beyond his strength, and in three 
years, broken in health, he returned to the 
homeland. He then engaged in evangel-
istic work in the Victorian Conference, but 
after several years deemed it essential for 
his health to take up farm work. When 
his children were of an age, he sold up his 
farm and returned to Avondale, so that 
they might have the advantage of the 
higher Christian education. Brother Staf-
ford leaves his wife, his daughter, Mrs. G. 
Southwell of Geelong, and his two sons, 
Calvin of Taree and John of Wahroonga, 
to mourn their loss, all rejoicing, never-
theless, in the blessed hope. We laid him
to rest surely trusting that we shall meet 
him again on the resurrection morning. 
                                           H. B. P. Wicks. 



Minna Stafford
Photographer and date unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)

Minna passed away in Cooranbong, New South Wales, on 7 July 1973. The following death notice was printed in the Australasian Record, Vol 77, No 35, 27 August 1973, page 14: 

STAFFORD. Minna Stafford (nee Behrens) 
passed to her rest on July 7, 1973. Born on 
October 3, 1893, she was united in marriage to 
Charles Stafford in 1914. After a period at the 
Australasian Missionary (Avondale) College, as
a young couple the Staffords laboured as self
supporting missionaries in India. Her husband 
predeceased her in 1946. Left to mourn their 
loss are Norma (Mrs. G. Southwell), Pastor 
Calvin (Papua New Guinea) and John (Cooran-
bong). A sister, Ruth, residing in Adelaide, 
also sorrows at the parting. We laid our late 
sister to rest in the Avondale Cemetery where 
Pastor F. Breaden offered words of comfort and 
hope to relatives and friends.       
                                                   J. H. D. Miller. 

Minna was buried in Cooranbong. 


The children of Charlie & Minna Stafford

Charlie and his first wife had one son:
  • Leo Stafford (10 Aug 1910 - 19 Sep 1937)
    • Leo's mother died when he was just six months old. His father married his step-mother, Minna Behrens, when he was four years old.
    • Leo never married. He was ill towards the end of his life and died aged 27, in 1937.
Leo Stafford (back row, 3rd from the right) in a Primary School photo.
Photographer and date unknown
(Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)


Charlie and Minna had four children:
  • Calvin Ronald Stafford (15 Jan 1917 - 17 Aug 2005)
    • Calvin was born in Madras, India, while his parents were self-supporting missionaries there. 
    Calvin & his step-brother Leo c1919
    Photographer unknown
    (Photo courtesy of A & N Holman)
    • Calvin became a Seventh-day Adventist pastor.
    • Calvin married Beryl Jean Trood (3 June 1922 - 10 Mar 2005) in 1945. They were missionaries for 40 years in Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.
    • Calvin and Beryl had four children:
      • R. Stafford
      • M. Stafford
      • L. N. Stafford
      • G. Stafford
    • Both Calvin and Beryl died in 2005 and were buried in Cooranbong, New South Wales. Beryl's obituary was printed in the Record on 9 April 2005, page 6:
        Stafford, Beryl Jean (nee Trood), born 
3.6.1922 at Enfield, NSW; died 10.3.05 in 
the Wyong Hospital. She is survived by her 
husband, Pastor Calvin Stafford; her 
daughters, Ruth, Margaret and Nancy; 
and her son, Pastor Gordon Stafford. Beryl 
and her husband were involved in pastoral 
work in NSW for a few years before going 
out as missionaries for the rest of their 
working life, ministering in Papua New 
Guinea and the Solomon Islands. 
                   Lester Hawkes, Max Mulligan


          Stafford, Pastor Calvin Ronald, born 
15.1.1917 in Madras, India; died 17.8.05 in 
the Charles Harrison nursing home, 
Cooranbong, NSW. In 1945 he married 
Beryl Trood, who predeceased him on 
10.3.05. He is survived by his children, Ruth 
Cregan (Coffs Harbour), Pastor Gordon 
Stafford (who heads a training school for 
indigenous workers in WA), Margaret 
Duffin and Nancy Stafford (both of Qld). 
Calvin served the church in pastoral work in
the North New South Wales Conference in 
1946 and 1947; then in 1948 they began mis-
sionary work in various parts of Papua New 
Guinea and the Solomon Islands. He stayed 
in mission service until retirement some 40 
years later. Calvin now awaits the call of his 
Lord and Friend. 
                      Lester Hawkes, Max Mulligan

  • Carre Norma Southwell (8 Sep 1919 - 13 July 2009)
    • Carre, known as Norma, was born in Swan Hill, Victoria. 
    • She was a nurse.
    • Norma married George Ernest John Southwell (5 June 1913 - 14 May 2009), a Seventh-day Adventist Church minister. They had a daughter and a son:
      • P. D. Southwell
      • R. Southwell
    • George and Norma both died in 2009. Their death notices appeared together in the Record, 15 August 2009, page 14:

    Southwell, Pastor George Ernest John, 
born 5.6.1914; died 14.5.09 at Cooran-
bong, NSW. George was survived by his 
wife, Norma, (now deceased), his daugh-
ter, Pam, and her husband, Max; his son, 
Bob, and wife, Rosalie; his six grandchil-
dren and six great-grandchildren. George 
felt called to the ministry and graduated 
from Avondale College in 1942. He was 
first appointed to the Victorian confer-
ence, where he was later ordained. In 
1952, he was appointed assistant Youth 
director under the leadership of Pastor
Claude Judd and, later, Pastor Ken Mead. 
Together, they introduced the new Path-
finder program and developed a strong 
Guide and Master Guide program. 
George was a specialist in nature study 
and held the youth spellbound with his 
intimate knowledge of bird and animal 
life. He was an expert at mimicking the 
sounds of scores of birds. In retirement, he 
spent seven years caring for Yarrahapinni 
Youth and Ecology Centre. He helped 
to establish the first Spanish church in 
Sydney and learned their language. He 
regularly preached at the Spanish church 
in Newcastle. Pastor Ricardo Olivares 
preached the funeral service and the large 
number of Spanish people present showed 
their love and respect. He died cherishing 
the blessed hope. 
              Ricardo Olivares, Claude D Judd


Southwell, Carre Norma (nee Stafford), 
born 8.9.1919; died 13.7.09 at Cooran-
bong, NSW. She was predeceased by her 
husband, Pastor George Southwell. She is 
survived by her children—her daughter, 
Pam, and husband, Max; her son, Bob, 
and wife, Rosalie; and her six grandchil-
dren and six great-grandchildren. Norma 
loyally supported her husband in pastor-
ing churches in the Victorian Conference 
Youth Department and at Carmel Col-
lege. Both were lovers of nature and gave 
seven years of their retirement looking
after Yarrahapinni Youth and Ecology 
Centre in NSW. Norma was an accom-
plished artist, as her paintings testify. She 
had a firm faith in Jesus and now sleeps as 
she waits for our Lord’s return. 
                                            Claude D Judd.   

  • Unknown child (dates unknown)
  • William John Stafford (6 Aug 1923 - 8 July 2009) known as John
    • John was born in Bairnsdale, Victoria.
    • He trained as an accountant.
    • John married Ethel Emily Wicks (23 June 1925 - 30 April 2006) at the Avondale Seventh-day Adventist Church, Cooranbong, on 10 July 1946.
    • John and Ethel had two sons and a daughter:
      • D. Stafford
      • K. W. Stafford
      • B. L. Stafford
    • Ethel died in Cooranbong, New South Wales in 2006, and John died three years later, on 8 July 2009. John's obituary appeared in the Record 3 April 2010, page 23:
      Stafford, William John, born 
6.8.1923; died 8.7.09. He was 
predeceased by his wife Ethel 
(nee Wicks). He is survived by 
his children, David (Martinsville, 
NSW), Kevin (Carmel) and Bettie 
(Martinsville), their spouses; six 
grandchildren; and three great
grandchildren. He served the 
church at Wahroonga (Division), 
Townsville (Conference) and 
Cooranbong (SHF and Avondale 
College). 
            Lyell Heise, Lyn Keating


The grave of John Stafford.
(Photo courtesy of G J Bland)


References

Guilliard, E. H. (1937, 4 October). Obituary. Australasian Record. 7. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19371004-V41-40.pdf

Hawkes, L. & Mulligan, M. (2005, 9 April). Obituaries. Record. 6. Retrieved from http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR20050409-V110-13.pdf

Hawkes, L. & Mulligan, M. (2005, 29 October). Obituaries. Record. 14. Retrieved from http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR20051129-V109-42.pdf

Heise, L. & Keeting, L. (2010, 3 April). Obituaries. Record. 23. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR20110430-V116-08.pdf

Judd, C. D. (2007, 15 August). Obituaries. Record. 14. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR20090815-V114-31.pdf

Miller, J. H. D. (1973, 27 August) Till He Comes. Australasian Record. 14. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19730827-V77-35.pdf

Olivares, R. & Judd, C. D. (2007, 15 August). Obituaries. Record. 14. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR20090815-V114-31.pdf

Stafford, C & M. (1937, 13 December). Thank you. Australasian Record. 7. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19371213-V41-50.pdf


Wicks, H. B. P. Until the Day Break. Australasian Record. 7. Retrieved from  http://documents.adventistarchives.org/Periodicals/AAR/AAR19460916-V50-37.pdf


Acknowledgements

I would like to thank K J Bland for supplying family records, and photographs for this project, and also for sharing his recollections about his grandparents.

Many thanks goes to A and N Holman for sharing their years of research, and for allowing me to use many photographs from their family collection.



Last updated on 21 April 2019

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