In loving memory of Minnie Kathleen Kiy who passed away on Saturday 12th December 2009 and was cremated at Medway Crematorium on Wednesday 6th January 2010. The Celebration of Her Life was attended by a large number of family and friends and later in the lounge of Hanover Place.
The Eulogy read by her youngest son Jeff.
Minnie Kathleen Farries was born on 15th April 1921
Our Mum was one of 12 children.
She met our dad Bert when they were both in the army during the war.
On 25 March 1943 they got married at Tilbury.
She then became Minnie Kiy.
Our dad having grown up in a Children’s Home wanted a large family which they achieved.
Things weren’t easy after the war but mum was always there to help dad, by working whenever she could.
She loved Films, from an early age Jenni would go to the cinema with mum every week.
Jenni, Kath and Bob spent their early days in Clapham,
Then in 1954 mum and dad got a brand new flat in Wandsworth where Josie Gill and Jeff were born.
Sadly in 1971 her lovely Bert died and she was left to bring up Josie Gill and Jeff on her own, with help from Jenni Kath and Bob.
She went back to work doing various jobs.
She did a great job being mum and dad to all of us.
Mum even did the decorating after Dad died.
As Gill got older and started work she and mum had lots of holidays abroad, which mum loved.
Mum liked bingo and was a great fan of the lottery, she enjoyed playing card and board games with us all, and she joined inany social activities.
Mum loved boyband music, especially ‘Take That’.
She liked watching T.V, she was interested in almost anything, nature, thrillers, comedy even sport, especially snooker, she also liked reading novels.
Mum also enjoyed knitting and I’m sure many people here today have worn clothes made by her.
Her boys Bob and Jeff and her dog Pip, stayed at home with mum.
She was proud of Jeff her youngest, who was competing in Fencing competitions and doing well and Bob who was a great angler and won many cups and trophies.
Kath, Jenni and Jose were married.
Gill left to live in Yorkshire with Gary but spoke to mum at least once a day, and mum even went on Gill and Gary’s honeymoon!
Josie moved to Portland with Charlie.
In 1998 Bob and Jeff left home and as mum was getting older, Jenni got her a flat in Hanover Place, so she could be near her.
She saw mum almost every day.
Sadly we lost our sister Josie in 2004. It was a bad time for all of us, especially Mum; she used to say “it should have been her, not her lovely Jo”.
She liked living in Hanover Place and made many friends, going to bingo and playing on the darts team in the residents lounge.
She and her friends Janis and Rose went on holidays abroad and even went on a Mediterranean cruise. They spent Christmas in Scotland many times.
Mum broke her leg in 2006 and that was the start of her ill health she never quite got well again.
She used to visit Jeff and Jean in Southport.
Gill and Gary’s in Yorkshire was her second home and it’s where she requested her ashes to be laid.
Mum went to Spain with Kath and Terry she also visited them in Brighton and on one of those occasions Bob brought his young son Christopher, to see her, he was her youngest grandchild and mum was impressed by his politeness.
She loved all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren
She was always eager for news of them all.
When in April this year she needed more care she transferred to Bramblings Care Home and happily made friends with Albert who was in the next room to hers, they used to sit holding hands watching DVD’s in the evenings.
Ann and her staff looked after her very well.
All the family continued to visit mum and phone her.
Mum loved having her family around her and enjoyed a good laugh.
She was full of life to the end
She loved us all and she knew that we all loved her.
She will be Greatly Missed by all who knew her.
And if she’s watching us celebrating her life now, I’d like to think she would be saying “I likes that”
15/04/1921 – 12/12/2009