A mother of eight whose family was the focal point of her life, Florence “Flo” Peart has died at the age of 96.
Florence passed away at Grisedale Croft residential care home, Alston, where she had been a resident for three years.
Flo was born in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and first came to Nenthead on holiday.
While there, she met Stan Peart and they were married in 1947.
They celebrated their diamond wedding anniversary, with a big family party, before Stan died in 2008.
Flo and Stan were blessed with a large family of seven sons and one daughter, 15 grandchildren and 20 great-grandchildren.
A letter written by Flo and found by her daughter following her death, tells of how Flo and Stan set up home together in a house at Nenthead, relying on family and friends giving them whatever they could.
She made rag proddy mats for the floor, cooked on an open fire and in the coal oven which Flo said was grand for baking and cooking. She washed clothes by hand and ironed with a flat iron heated in the open fire.
Flo recalled the winter of 1963, when the family were blocked in by snow, the roads had to be dug out by hand, they had no running water for 10 weeks and had to melt snow until the council finally brought them water, carried in milk churns.
In better times, Flo and Stan enjoyed coach holidays and family trips to Blackpool.
Flo was a member of Nenthead WI, she enjoyed village dances, whist drives and bingo.
She suffered a stroke, then in 1999 went to live in Alston.
She was a very strong determined lady and recovered well, attending the day unit at Alston cottage hospital. She had many friends and enjoyed attending coffee mornings.
Her family was her life and she always welcomed any new addition to the family, saying “what a fine bairn”.
Owing to the present COVID restrictions, Flo’s funeral was attended by her immediate family only, four of her sons acting as bearers.
A cascade of roses, the colours of the rainbow, were placed around her final resting place.
