When war veteran “Frankie” Kearns died, he had no family to consider how he would be remembered at Kelvin Grove Cemetery.
A cross was fixed to his grave, but remained without a headstone.
But someone remembered him, and Elizabeth Lawn, a carer at Mr Kearn’s former rest home, made it a routine to stop by with flowers for his grave every Anzac Day.
Mr Kearns, born Francis Thomas Kearns, died in October 2004, and Ms Lawn had visited every year since.
In time, the cross disappeared, and now the grave site is unmarked.
Ms Lawn is sometimes joined by her friend, rest home manager Barbara Moore, on Anzac Day. Together the women sought action on the headstone.
“He was one of those guys who touched my heart, I suppose,” Ms Lawn said. “Every year I think `poor Frankie’. This year I thought, we really need to do something.”
The women approached the RSA to discuss the possibility of a headstone and the wheels were quickly set in motion.