John and Emmy

John Ehm and his wife Emmy live in Cairns in Queensland. They have five children-four baby boomers and one generation X.

John Ehm was born in 1931, in Brisbane during the greatdepression. He is of German descent and the youngest of
four brothers. John’s father was a builder and during the war years he worked with the Civil Construction Corporation,
John’s mother was the homebuilder. John attended school at the Coorparoo State School during World WarII. He remembers the trenches at school, the air raid shelter at home, the sirens and the large concrete shelters in Brisbane city, the American servicemen, the half days at school (because the male teachers were in the services and there weren’t enough teachers) and his high school years at State Industrial High (known as the old Smellie’s building). John remembers enjoying these carefree childhood days.

From high school, John went on to complete an apprenticeship in bricklaying, his first pay was one pound seven shillings and sixpence. At that time, brick houses in Brisbane were almost non-existent.

In 1954, John married Emmy, a Toowoomba girl and in the same year, he became self-employed.

John had enjoyed good health and in 1996 retired to an active life.

Matters of the Heart is John’s first book with two more in the planning.