Doreen’s life has not always been easy, but it has been positive and full of love. She was born and brought up in Preston. The eldest of the family with two brothers Norman and Geoffrey who have pre-deceased her. Her parents, and her mum in particular, were quite strict, but also supportive of her education and making her way in life. They lived on Romford Road, close to the Rawlinson family, who have had long links with this church and Doreen would always say she first came here when she was 9; the family later moving nearer here on Cromwell Road. Although she lived a little way a way, she went to Fulwood & Cadley primary school on Victoria Road and then, helped by a rich Uncle from Sheffield, she attended the Park School, where she went on to take the school certificate, although she often struggled with exams. Doreen was very proud of her time at the school and has been a keen member of the old girls association ever since.

As she came to the end of her schooling war had broken out and when she left, Doreen got a job as an uncertificated (ie untrained) teacher at the blind Home in Preston and then at a school in Salford (travelling each day with Ernest Walters, a member of this church). So it was 1946 when she eventually got her opportunity to train as a teacher at Kingston upon Hull. Her teaching career was all around Preston at St Paul’s Farrington, Trinity (where she taught alongside her husband Cyril) and Farringdon Park school (where another member of this church Enid Singleton was the head). Alongside all this, Doreen became a mum, as Michael, Jean and Cathy came along. After separation from her husband, Doreen has had two long partnerships with Len and more recently George, whom many of you knew.

Elsie Hastwell, (who has done so much for Doreen) chose a reading from Isiaah with her very much in mind. It was the last verse in particular: those who trust in the Lord for help will find their strength renewed. They will rise on wings like eagles; they will run and not get weary; they will walk and not grow weak.

Through her life Doreen has had times of mental and latterly physical weakness. She found comfort and strength in her faith; during worship here twice on a Sunday and at the Women’s Fellowship on a Tuesday.

Despite her problems she has continued to enjoy life right to the end. She enjoyed going on the Theatre trips from here and also getting out and about as much as possible. On her last day she had been to Ribbleton Hospital for day care and then went out again to Booths, her second home, probably to get something for her cat Dinky, who was the focus of her life. I recounted in church last week the circumstances of Doreen’s collapse and time in hospital, when God made sure she was accompanied by friends and family. Doreen has felt weaker in recent weeks and found that a trouble to her because she so wanted to be doing things, going places and meeting people. I hope she knew she was surrounded with love to the end.

MURIEL RAWSTRONE

Muriel was born in Rossendale and moved at the age of 10 to Freckleton where her parents ran a confectioners business.

She had two much older sisters and after her schooling she returned to Rossendale as Auntie Moo, to help with the next generation of children.

It was in those early years that she first met Ted and they got to know each other through the church and community. As she grew older he "had his eye on her" and they became better acquainted through mutual family friends. He was 20 and she 16 going on 17 (as the song tells it!). They became engaged, but by then Ted had signed up for the RAF and he was soon off to train as an electrician. The first 18 months were spent at various camps around Britain and they saw each other whenever he could get leave. But that was soon to change as Ted was sent overseas to serve in the Middle East and was away for the best part of the next four years. A brief month’s leave in the middle allowed them to be married, and they snatched a short honeymoon in Southport before war service called him away again.

At first they lived in Ted’s family home, but soon Muriel’s Dad died and they moved into her home to help care for her mother and to assist with the family business. Before the first son, Peter, was born, they had their own home, one of the first new, post-war houses in Freckleton. 8 years later they moved again to Deepdale, as daughter Lin was born, and where Muriel took on her own shop. Just over 50 years ago the family moved into this house and have remained settled here ever since.

The extended family has been Muriel’s great love, and aside from work, her main occupation. Muriel enjoyed knitting, providing jumpers for each new generation in great quantities.

Together with Ted they have found their spiritual home in a number of Methodist Churches, Freckleton, where they were very active members, then here in Preston at Guttridge, Ribbleton and Fulwood, where as well as regularly at Sunday worship they were members of the Wednesday Club, a fellowship and friendship group.

RICHARD FELL WATSON

Richard’s early life was somewhat troubled; born in Liverpool, along with 3 sisters, his mother died when Richard was just 7 and he was looked after by his father’s sister. Aged 13 he moved with her to Torquay; where he took on his first job in a library. The war years interrupted that career and through the Territorials, Richard joined the Royal Medical Crops, evacuated from Dunkirk he then served in the Middle East and across through Italy.

This was followed by 2 years study at Manchester & Leeds library schools, leading to Richard becoming a Fellow of the Library Association. His main work has been in Preston, at the Harris Reference Library and after government re-organisation, the District Librarian for this area.

It was here that he met Jean, through mutual friends and they were married in Ashton Methodist Church 55 years ago. Soon after they moved to Hurstway Close which has been the family home ever since; as Simon and Rosalind were added to the family. That moved also brought them to Fulwood Methodist Church where Richard’s professional expertise was used in the editorship of the church magazine. Richard loved his home so much that when asked in hospital why he wanted to go home so much his reply was "to do my tax return"! Alongside that his main interests were reading, especially Shakespeare, and classical music.

Click here to see an obituary to Bill Huddleston