Ruby Brass died a few days before her 98th birthday. She was born in Bradford to Mr and Mrs Woolstom, the eldest of five siblings; her father worked in a woollen warehouse.
Ruby had just left school when the Second World War broke out and the country was in turmoil, with children being evacuated from cities and most over the age of 18 being engaged with war work.
Ruby started her working life in an office but with the political push to help the war effort including the Dig for Victory and Lend a hand on the land posters, Ruby applied to the Ministry of Agriculture to join the Land Army.
She requested horticulture in the South of England staying in a hostel; she got sheep farming on the Cumbrian fells at Wythop, near Bassenthwaite.
The farmer, Jack Hall, met her on his horse and trap, Ruby was only 4ft 10ins and she sensed the farmer’s disappointment at the sight of her.
He greeted her with “Cus tha’s’ a lil lun”, although she had no idea what he was saying. On arriving at the farm Jenny Hall greeted her with a child on her hip, a roaring fire, oil lamps burning and supper ready. Her nerves were eased.
The days were long and backbreaking and she embraced all the heavy farm work, although milking did seem very different from the artificial udder she had practised on at Newton Rigg.
One job Ruby loved was riding the horse to the smithy, although she would often say she could hardly get her little legs over the horse’s back.
She missed home and wrote to her family every evening. Once a year she had a week off and she would return to Bradford with gifts of butter and eggs from Mrs Hall.
Food was never in short supply at Wythop however there was no electric or hot running water, the water came from a fell spring, crystal clear.
Ruby loved being in the Land Army and the family she was billeted with. Mrs Hall’s brother, Jim, came home and lived in and worked at the local quarry.
A romance blossomed and after the war the pair were married — and after a time living in Cumbria returned to Bradford, where she lovingly raised two step-daughters and son.
In 1985, after Jim’s retirement, the pair returned to Appleby, where Jim died some years later. Ruby stayed in Appleby in the same house until her recent death.
She was an active member of the British Legion, and always attended chapel when fit enough. She also gave a lot of talks on her Land Army days, accompanied by her niece by marriage Sarah Parkin, who died last year age 90.
They were regular visitors at Appleby Grammar School, telling their tales with great humour of days gone by. A couple of years ago, as they left, the students said see you next year, they both looked at one another and laughed.
Ruby would say she had a happy life blessed by a loving family and friends. She was an exceptional lady, always positive with a twinkle in her eye, and never had a bad word to say about anyone.
Her family said she would give you her last penny and cared little for material wealth and was perhaps the nearest person to a saint you could meet. A life well lived.
At a meeting of Appleby Town Council, mayor Gareth Hayes paid tribute to Ruby as an “incredible citizen of the town”, before asking those present to join him in a moment’s silence for her.
“Ruby was a true saint to all who knew her,” he said.
