{"id":201036,"date":"2018-02-09T19:02:42","date_gmt":"2018-02-09T09:02:42","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=201036"},"modified":"2020-08-07T14:08:25","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T04:08:25","slug":"he-was-a-bloody-good-bloke","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2018\/02\/09\/he-was-a-bloody-good-bloke\/","title":{"rendered":"‘He Was A Bloody Good Bloke’"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Percy Iszlaub was a member of the Wondai and District Band for an amazing 74 years … his tuba, surrounded by floral tributes, was placed at the front of Wondai Memorial Hall stage<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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Percy Harold Iszlaub AM … February 3, 1926 – February 6, 2018<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 10, 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wondai Memorial Hall was filled to overflowing on Friday afternoon for the funeral service of\u00a0 the “patriarch of Wondai”, former Mayor Percy Iszlaub, AM.<\/p>\n

The service was led by Lutheran Pastor Mark Doecke, the same man who conducted the recent funeral for Lady Bjelke-Petersen in Kingaroy.<\/p>\n

Percy’s beloved Wondai and District Band filled the stage, and played hymns during the service.<\/p>\n

Sports guru Russell “Skippy” Exelby and former South Burnett mayor (and former Wondai Shire Deputy CEO) Wayne Kratzmann read obituaries which covered Percy’s sporting, council and community activities in detail.<\/p>\n

Skippy said friends like Percy were rare and described him as a “bloody good bloke”.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“We have a lost a great man and I have lost a precious friend,” Skippy said.<\/p>\n

He said Percy was ahead of his time, giving a voice to people in society who didn’t have a voice, and making a difference.<\/p>\n

Skippy recalled that Percy regarded Cherbourg rugby league player Frank Fisher as great a player as Wally Lewis, and believed it was a great injustice he never had the opportunity to play for Australia.<\/p>\n

Several close relatives of Frank Fisher were present at the service, including Cherbourg elder Aunty Lillian Gray, Frank Malone and Cherbourg mayor Arnold Murray.<\/p>\n

Wayne described Percy as a role model, a statesman and an orator, and pointed out that in the 56 years of local government in Wondai from 1948, there were only two mayors, Les Smith and Percy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

He said Percy’s legacy was around us all to see today … from Boondooma Dam, the Timber Museum, water and sewerage infrastructure, town streetscapes, the showgrounds, the racecourse. the art gallery …<\/p>\n

Percy sat on many boards including health, tourism, electricity and rail; and was either president or patron of many Wondai not-for-profit organisations.<\/p>\n

“Percy Harold Iszlaub Jnr is the greatest man I have ever known,” Wayne said.<\/p>\n

“Our job now is to all step up a notch for humanity and the common good. He has left a huge void to fill.”<\/p>\n

Opposition Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington and Deputy Mayor (and former Wondai councillor) Kathy Duff read the Bible passages.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Also in attendance was former Deputy Prime Minister (and former Kingaroy mayor) Warren Truss – who actually defeated Percy in a National Party pre-selection contest – and former Member for Callide Jeff Seeney.<\/p>\n

Pastor Doecke summed up the feelings of the hall: “Percy Iszlaub was a good man; he was an honourable man”.<\/p>\n