A formidable Eden businesswoman who became the first chairwoman of the Carlisle area Road Haulage Association has died aged 94.
Joan Stamper, of Culgaith, was born in Skelton on August 25 1926, to Stan and Annie Wilson.
The youngest of six children, she moved with her family to Clifford Street, Appleby, where her mother took in lodgers as well as running a corner shop at the house.
She worked at home after leaving school until marrying Gordon Stamper in October 1954, when the couple moved to Ivy House, Culgaith.
Their son, John, arrived in September 1956. Three years later they bought Harcla House in the village and a daughter, Jane, was born in March, 1959.
Mrs Stamper took over the running of her husband’s successful Culgaith-based haulage business, G. A. Stamper, after he died suddenly of a heart attack, aged 47, on April 211971.
In 1982, she became the first chairwoman of the Carlisle area Road Haulage Association — following in the footsteps of her late husband who had also served as chairman of the association.
Her daughter, Jane Irving, of Carlisle, said having to take over the business made her mother a “very formidable person”.
The firm had grown from being a livestock haulage business originally to both haulage and storage, running curtain-sided wagons and fridge vans, as well as having a custom-built warehouse in Culgaith.
A notable moment was when a G. A. Stamper tanker became the first to carry milk from Appleby to London by road rather than rail.
The company had big contracts with Nestle, Kraft Foods, Border Dairy and United Biscuits and at its height in the 1980s had 14 employees.
By the time Mrs Stamper became chairwoman of the road haulage association the firm was running 11 wagons, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
“She would stand up to anybody — and she did. She was very strong,” said Mrs Irving.
She carried on being a part of the business until she was 75 when they stopped running wagons at the end of 2001.
One of her great pleasures in life, before the deterioration of her eyesight, was driving her big maroon coloured Mercedes E Class to antique fairs and the like.
When she was no longer able to drive it, her daughter took over the mantle and ferried her about to the hairdresser or the bank.
In her spare time, Mrs Stamper loved to be in her garden and would spend hours pottering around. She loved her home and would rather be there than anywhere else.
A widow for 50 years, she is survived by her son, John, of Morland; daughter, Jane, who is married to farmer Michael Irving; and three granddaughters — Louise, aged 32, who is a wealth manager in London; Georgina, aged 30, who works for Amazon and is head of Prime for Australia and New Zealand and lives in Sydney; and Charlotte, who has just finished at university and is soon to start a new job in Manchester.
She also has an older brother, Threll, at Kirkby Thore, who is an ex-fighter pilot.
A private funeral service and interment took place at All Saints’ Church, Culgaith, last week.
Donations, if desired, are for All Saints’ Church may be sent c/o Richardsons Funeral Directors, Penrith, who had charge of the arrangements.
