Winifred Jones (17 Apr 1930 - 24 Oct 2024)

Obituary

Winifred Iris Jones Nee Yeo 17.04.1930- 24.10.2024

Mum was very clear in her wishes when discussing her funeral, that she did not want a eulogy during the funeral mass. This is an indication of the private, modest and reserved side of her character where she would show acute discomfort when receiving praise for her many skills and attributes. She said that those who knew her in life would know everything they needed to know about her and those who didn’t know her would have little need of the information. We are happy, of course, to support her wish for a simple religious ceremony but wanted, none the less to express our pride and wonder at her very many skills. Messages from our wider family have recollected her kindness, her strength and her smile.

Mum was born in Romford Essex but was living in London during the Blitz, losing her home when the property was bombed. She coped with the heart-rending anxiety when her beloved brother was posted missing in action, thankfully later “found” and supported both her parents and little sister whilst only a young teenager herself.
She was an exceptionally talented woman with a keen intellect and an enquiring mind. Her love of literature, particularly the classics, made her a fascinating person in conversation. She also loved learning languages, recently watching Gaelic Television to improve her Scots! In her younger days she loved a fox-trot, occasional forays into country dancing and enjoyed jazz. She was a skilled cook whose baking and catering prowess was legendary.
Her working life spanned careers in service, originally undertaking teacher training, then as a police officer in Peckham and Brixton before her marriage. After a break to raise the three of us and keeping Dad fed and watered, she returned to the workplace joining the Greater London Council’s Housing department in the early 70’s until 1986.She took early retirement when the GLC was disbanded and moved to Suffolk in 1987. Both Mum and Dad had a strong Christian faith attending the church in Fressingfield for some years before joining the community at SS Peter and Paul in Eye where they found their spiritual home and were very happy.
Mum embraced rural living to the full, working all the available daylight hours, enjoying her large flower and vegetable garden. She also raised chickens and a flock of very scary geese .
We all have resounding memories of our Mum. Amongst many, her ability to make home furnishings, re-upholstery, tents(!!) and our clothes as children and wedding dresses as adults. This included knitting complex patterned Fair Isle and Aran jumpers which helped us to cope with the varied weather conditions during our annual summer camping holidays. Initially these started in support of Dad’s involvement in scouting, where Mum assisted in catering and first aid for hordes of teenage boys. Later these family holidays were main events for us and enabled us to see most of mainland Great Britain. Mum cooked for five producing lovely food on two camping gas rings and, for dessert, we invariably had a slice of ‘cut and come again’ cake which was rich in fruit and remarkably tasty, not dissimilar in flavour to her Christmas puddings which were made year on year for the whole family. We can all remember making a wish when stirring the ingredients as part of the Christmas rituals which included making elaborate Christmas decorations.
Her crafting skills were many and varied and always put to practical use as well as being beautiful to look at.
Having started this obituary saying how modest and reserved she was, she also had a very witty sense of humour and we all have memories of giggling bouts and of Mum and her sister and sisters in law exchanging quick-fire banter with huge naughty grins on their faces.
Mum was stoic, dependable, generous and disciplined and we were all remarkably lucky to have her love and support. We are proud of our multi-talented Mum.
Last of her generation