Frances Mary Foat (23 Apr 1926 - 17 Aug 2016)

In loving memory of Frances Mary Foat who sadly passed away on 17th August 2016, aged 90 years.
Grannie Mary 23rd April 1926 - 17th August 2016
Our Grannie was born in Sutton on Trent a little village in Nottinghamshire. She had two siblings, an older sister Betty, who sadly died some years ago, and a younger brother Gerald who lives with his family on the Isle of Wight.
She used to tell us how she had bright red hair- but not much of it -until she was about five years old and when she went for her first haircut she was very upset! She lived on the Great North Road and was used to lots of lorries and traffic going past her house – that's why she wasn't bothered by the traffic going past Home Leigh - she was used to it.
When she was a little girl her family used to come to Mablethorpe for day trips and Grannie loved the beach and had to be bribed with a ride on the model train, which used to be somewhere near where the Coop is now, before she would come away from the sand.
She went to the local school in Sutton on Trent and when she was a teenager she became a pupil teacher at that school  as well as going to Nottingham one day a week for art classes -she was recommended for an art scholarship as she was so talented but her parents encouraged her to opt for teacher training instead.
It was on one of these trips back from Nottingham during the War years that her bus came under fire from a german plane. The bus had to quickly swerve off the road down a lane and switch off all lights and they had to get down under the seats. Luckily the plane did not find them and they continued on their journey.
When she was 18 she went to Sheffield City College to train to be a teacher. Her main subject was art and it was here she met her future husband, Grandad Ken, who was also an art student there. Their first meeting took place when they were at an art class and Grandad kept asking if he could borrow her rubber - eventually she took some notice of him and said 'Why do you need a rubber when you are painting?'
That was the start of their relationship and they went on to marry in 1950 in a double wedding with Grannie's sister at Sutton on Trent Church. 
Whilst she was single Grannie worked at Hallcroft School for girls as a teacher but gave this up when she married Grandad.
They started married life in Sheffield and their first three children, Frances, Isabel and David were all born there. In 1957 the family moved to Home Leigh in Trusthorpe to be near Grandad's elderly parents. 
This was when they first began to attend St Peter's church - the story goes that Frances said she wanted to go to the 'castle' across the road so they did! 
Grannie was a good, loving  mum and there were many family trips out and holidays, at first in England or Wales - always accompanied by a bag full of plastic macs- just in case - and unfortunately often needed. In 1963 the family bought a tent and set off on one of many holidays abroad. Grannie and Grandad particularly liked Switzerland and would camp their way across France every summer holiday.
In 1965, Alison, the last of their children was born.
Grannie worked as a teacher in various schools in the area  - Mablethorpe, Sutton on Sea, Alford, North Summercotes Secondary, where she was first head of art at the school when it opened - sometimes teaching primary and sometimes secondary aged pupils. She enjoyed teaching the whole age range and her favourite subject was art of course, but also needlework and science. She was known to be a bit strict as a teacher!
In 1970 Grannie and Grandad and their two youngest children moved to Chatteris in Cambridgeshire but kept their Trusthorpe house as a holiday home. 
Grannie worked in Chatteris at the local primary school until in 1986 she and Grandad retired from teaching and moved back to live in Trusthorpe. They became very involved with St Peter's Church. Grannie was a churchwarden for many years and she and Grandad (he was secretary ) did much work to keep the church, church hall and annex in good shape.
Every year for the Garden Fete they would produce a Pluck-a-Duck which involved many hours of Granny going round the village collecting donations which could be used on the stall, or for the raffle, and even more hours of sticking the tissues on to the wire frame to make the 'Duck'.
Grannie and Grandad eventually retired from official church duties a few years ago.They both loved their garden and having trips around the Lincolnshire wolds and coastal resorts to have lunch or afternoon tea. As Grannie's arthritis became worse she couldn't walk so far and they would drive round in the car.
Grannie was devastated when Grandad died in 2013. Although he had cancer and told her it would happen she 'didn't believe him'.
She was determined to stay at Home Leigh and was able to do so thanks to regular visits by her family, very good neighbours and by the Age UK ladies who all helped Grannie to stay happy and in her own home.
She loved seeing and hearing all about her grandchildren and great grandchildren who all loved her very much. She was popularly known as Grannie Mary by all of us.
Only a month before her death, Grannie went to Scott's View at South Farm Care Home, near Sutton On Sea, for respite care as she was becoming increasingly unable to cope at Home Leigh. There she was welcomed as one of the small family of people at the home. 'I'll have a coffee' was one of her favourite sayings .
She loved everyone and appreciated what was done for her - 'All right. Thankyou very much!' she would say.
Our Grannie was a lovely lady who was well liked by all and she was lucky to be able to enjoy life fully right to the end and often with that gorgeous, beaming smile on her face. 
We shall all miss her very much.ing wife of the late Ken Foat. Much loved Mum, Grannie and Great Grannie.