A Biography of Jessie Russow

Warning to anyone who reads the following. I realise that a lot of it doesn't flow very well. That is because I haven't written a biography in the better part of ten years! If you have any suggestions on how to reword things even if its "you should write the whole thing like this" and give examples...then that would be very helpful. Otherwise enjoy!







Jessie is a truly wonderful woman, she was raised in the slums of Melbourne her father being the senior sergeant at the local police station. Nobody would mess with his girls even when he was off duty as he was a pretty solid man, broad shoulders and tall. Looked as if he could have been in the armed forces for a few years. The police training was brutal in those times but he still loved his two girls dearly and would do nearly anything for them.

Her mother was a Victorian woman, meaning that she was very proper and particular in the way she did things. An artist and an active member of the church of England, bringing her children to the church every Sunday and making sure that the girls looked perfect in their Sunday best.

Her whole family believed firmly that there was to be no drinking and no smoking in their homes. A value that Jessie still brings with her to this day. She did have a sister, but being ten years apart in age her sister was more interested in being with boys than she was being with her younger sister.

Jessie was often sick as a child, having double pneumonia didn’t make things much better for her. Made her mother and father constantly worried about her even well and truly into her adult life. This was the reason why Jessie started calisthenics and then later ballet as her parents thought that could help her with her balance.

Jessie was good at studying having been the only one that ever seemed to care about how her school work was coming along. I mean sure her parents would say to her “have you done your homework Jessica?” but ask them a question and most of the time the answer she received was “go ask your teacher” “isn’that in your text book?” “ask me later” or “I don’t know” which wasn’t very helpful so Jessie was self taught throughout her educational years.

In 1956 Jessie became a secretary in England and hopped on board a ship to go to work. Living in Australia and working in England was not a very easy thing to get into and yet Jessie managed it. Whilst she was working she was able to do quite a bit of site seeing with a girlfriend that she had met as a child. She speaks of speaking with the English Troops and the American Troops, Smiling at the Russian Troops and then RUNNING past the French Troops when in certain areas as the French had a liking for women Jessies age and older (a woman of mid 20’s).

Jessie actually hitch hiked around Europe a little bit after having completed her tasks as secretary and was able to navigate her way through Europe as she spoke both German and English fluently.

After returning from her trip she created a business where secretaries like herself could build skills and be able to go on similar adventures like she did, or at least work within an office environment. She then owned a printing business which got incorporated with her other business keeping her busy for quite a few years. Til her children were young and she chose to stay home and raise her children over working.

In 1970 she was diagnosed with Multiple Schlerosis. Things started to take a turn for the worse for Jessie. In 1985 she was put into permanent care and in 1996 when there were more options available for disabled people she went back home to live with her husband and son until what stage her husband died in 1997.

Jessie still wakes up at 6.30 in the morning a habit that she formed when she was working. No real dietry habits just doesn't like anything that's too hot.

Nowadays she spends her time watching the television, in precise detective shows and trivia shows, she watches comedy, loved the mother and son series, and detective movies. She LOVES to go out to watch classical music being performed whether as ballet or opera. She used to have a dog until it got too scared of the wheelchair that she is now confined to. She’d love to have one again maybe one day but it would have to be able to handle being around a woman with a wheel chair and the wheel chair is rather loud. She did own budgies for a few years but whilst finding them entertaining didn’t find them as much else. She loves to read, at least 2 books per month which she listens to on her radio cassette player.

Whilst she is estranged to her daughter, her daughter hasn’t gotten on with her mother since the time when she was younger and Jessie had to spend more time with her son as he was very sick and her daughter was pretty much left to her own devices as Jessie was as a child. But her close relationship with her son she still holds dear to this very day.