Molly was born on October 5, 1921 at Bundarra to parents George and Hilda Clarke and was the youngest of seven children. They moved to Moree when Molly was three years old and she attended East Moree Catholic School until the age of 13, when she left and was employed as a cleaner and nanny for the Wilde family, who owned a shop in Alice Street.

Molly married local barber, Arthur Heffernan in 1939. They had three sons – Ian, Bob and Brian. Molly also raised her nephew Tony.

In 1949 Molly purchased a house in Morton Street where she took in boarders and did ironing for local business people.

She started her own business in 1957, using half of Arthur’s barber shop. Using the business, she obtained a Hawkers Licence and used to pack clothes into the back of her little Austin A40 car and drive on dirt roads to the Gurley Hotel and the Pallamallawa Town Hall to sell them.

The business flourished and in 1961 she built her own premises in Gosport Street. Jumbo, the pink elephant who sat at the front of her shop in Gosport Street, became as well-known as Molly and the happy memories for many children in Moree cost only 10 cents. She continued to operate her business until 2013, when ill health, at the age of 91, forced her to close the shop.

Molly was a very keen tennis player and in 1952 joined the Railway Tennis Club. She was a member for over 50 years, during which time she was president for a number of years and took on many other duties including organising and running the night tennis teams competition. In 1966 she became a life member.

Throughout her life, Molly was very involved in many charitable organisations. Her greatest love was the Catholic Women’s League, where she was a member and president.

Molly loved gardening and her ‘garden parties’ were very much looked forward to with money raised for the View Club and Catholic Women’s League.

At the age of 66 she won an over 50s 3km cross country race and in her late 70s she took up line dancing.

Molly received several business awards including Excellence in Business from Moree Chamber of Commerce and the Jean Arnott Memorial Award for her service to the community and improving the status of women, presented by the then Governor of NSW, Marie Bashir. Her greatest achievement, and proudest, was receiving medals and certificates from the Pope for her work in the Catholic Church and the Moree community.

Molly was the very much-loved mother of Ian, Bob and Brian, mother-in-law to Heather, Dawn and Lyn, grandmother of 14, great grandmother of 25 and great great grandmother of six.

The family would like to thank the people of Moree for all their support and kind wishes during their time of loss.