Alwin Claude Mengel

Alwin Claude Mengel was born on the 19th November 1943 in Toowoomba QLD, the youngest child of Herbert & Alvine Mengel. Little brother to Cyril, Joyce, Linda & Edwin, Russell & Alvin who predeceased him.

Dad, or Alby as he was known around the district, grew up on the family farm at Groomsville, later moving to Crows Nest. Dad attended the Douglas & Groomsville school.

Dad started his work life in carpentry but thought that was boring, so he went into blacksmithing & welding. In the early '60s, Dad first started welding in a shed in Jones St. Then in 1968, he bought the mechanic & welding business from Herb Vietheer at 30 Creek St, where Dingers is now. For the next 26 years, Mengel's Welding Works stood. Dad built & fixed a variety of things from brands to Ute trays, cattle crushes, too many to name. There was pretty much nothing he couldn't fix. If you look at the businesses around town, most of the steelwork was most likely done by Dad. In 1994, Dad sold the shed but continued to work from home until he was diagnosed with leukemia & prostate cancer in 2015.

Not only was Dad talented at fixing & making things, he was also a talented singer & guitarist, playing around the district at dances & parties. Dad was even known to play with the Golden Nuggets & even stood in for the bass guitarist for Slim Dusty's daughter Anne Kirkpatrick. But it was when he was playing at a 21st birthday party that he met his future bride Beverly Land, the birthday girl's sister.

After courting for a while, on a very hot summer's day on the 24th January 1970, Dad & Mum married at Trinity Lutheran Church, Toowoomba.

Just over a year later, on the 5th February 1971, their first son was born, Shane Richard. When Dad would be recording his singing at home, Shane, around 3 or 4, would sneak in there & end up singing with Dad.

Followed by son number 2, Paul Andrew, on the 30th April 1973. We probably shouldn't mention the time the dog wouldn't stop barking, so Dad told Paul to put a sheet over him & go out & scare the dog, thinking that would stop it from barking. Except I think Paul got more of a scare than the dog.

But it was on the 13th March 1981 that their favorite child & Daddy's little girl, Karen Leonie, was born. "I remember book club time would come by & I would have what I wanted to buy circled & when Dad would get home from work, I'd sit on his lap & as Mum would say, grease up to your father and ask him for money, but when he'd say no, I'd storm off but can guarantee the next morning the correct money would be on the table. Some might say I was a little spoiled because I reckon if you looked hard enough there may be some money under the house where I threw Dad's wallet when I didn't get my own way."

Dad. you are a part of my life, heart & soul forever. Thank you for being my father.

Dad was good at scaring us kids along with his nieces & nephews over the years with the scratching on the bed & telling us not to let our legs hang out of the bed or the will-o-the-wisp or as also known, the dub da dub, will get us or bribing us with either a piece of chocolate or 5 cents to tickle his back for what seemed like ages... But we still did it.

He was also good at stitching himself up with one of Mum's sewing needles & thread. Except for the time the grinder did a number on his hand, that's definitely one he couldn't stitch up.

Over the years, Dad enjoyed playing table tennis, squash, tennis, darts & golf where he won many trophies & even scored a hole-in-one where he was involved with the golf club for many years.

Dad gave his hand at breeding birds from budgies, ring necks, peach faces, canaries & there were probably others too.

In 2007, Dad welcomed his first grandchild Joseph Graham or Joey as Dad called him, then in 2009 Jorja Ruby his other little girl, 2012 his angel Chelsea Hunter, and last but not least 2016 Harrison Marcus his little comedian. I think he loved his grandchildren more than us kids.

At the end of 2023, Dad was admitted to hospital & diagnosed with dementia & a low functioning heart. He was still sharp as a tack right till the end. If you asked him if he was right & he said "yeah I'm a little bit left too." And could hear a joke on the radio and remember it to be able to write it down so he could tell us later.

He loved getting visits from family & friends, but never ask him how he was or you'd get the "none of your business" answer. He even had the postie trained to bring the mail up to him.

On the 13th February 2025, Dad peacefully passed away at home in his sleep. He will forever be missed by his wife Beverly, sons Shane & Paul, son-in-law Darcy, grandkids Joey, Jorja, Harry & myself.

"Mend anything but a broken heart" And as Dad would say "be safe & put your lights on."

 

GRANDFATHERS

The love we have for grandfather
Will never fade away.
We'll think of him, our special friend
Throughout each passing day.

We'll walk into the room
And see his empty chair,
Although we know he's resting,
We'll feel his presence there.

The memories of his laughter,
His warm and loving smile,
His eyes so full of happiness,
His heart that of a child.

Memories are forever
Be they laughter or of tears,
Memories we will treasure
Through all the forthcoming years.