Betty Farr (23 May 1930 - 27 Dec 2017)

In loving memory of Betty Farr who sadly passed away on 27th December 2017, suddenly at her home in Cleckheaton formerly of Hunsworth, aged 87 years.

Betty, loving and much loved mum of Timothy and his partner Denise and the late Jonathan,
adored friend of Margaret Mortimer and Claire Wilkinson.

Betty was born on 29 May 1930 and was one of two children, born to James Frederick and Edith Senior, her sister being Edna. At the time of her birth the family lived in Mirfield.

It was a difficult time as you can imagine, as she was growing up the war was to start and all the problems that came with it, but it was a happy and loving family. Her dad was a chauffeur for a very wealthy family and Betty recalled that they got to live in the gate house in the grounds of a big mansion, so as a family they were quite well off compared to some.

She attended schools locally, ending up at Mirfield Grammar, where like all girls at the time she was to leave school at 14. She attended a secretarial school, but her dad wasn’t very happy at this, but she persevered with it and was to become a secretary and accounts clerk.

Betty had several jobs over her lifetime and she worked hard all her life to provide the best she could for the family, which is very much a credit to the type of lady that she was. We know that she initially worked at John Cottons, she knew the owner and his sister, and she would tell the story of how she had to take the payroll money to the bank each week and sometimes this was over hundred thousand pounds, she would have it in a little plastic bag in the back of the car.

She was now to go on and meet Norman, they started courting and eventually went on to get married and have two sons Johnathon and Tim. The family were now living Cleckheaton in the house that was to remain her family home until she eventually moved into a social housing bungalow.

As a mum, Betty was wonderful, children were always very important to her. She was loving and caring, she loved to join in their games and this wasn’t limited to her own children. She just loved all children and she became throughout her life a surrogate, mum, aunt and grandmother to many of her friend’s children too.

Betty was very much the family matriarch, the glue that held it all together, she kept a lovely home, was always very house proud and she did her best to provide a stable and comforting home for her family.

Sadly, tragedy was to strike the family when Jonathon was to take his own life, Betty was devastated, and the truth was she was never the same again. His loss had a terrible impact on her and she never got over it.

Approximately, ten years ago Betty was to fall ill, she had retired, but her illness was to be ongoing and steadily her health was to decline. She was suffering with the debilitating illness of Parkinson’s. This is a debilitating disease that is horrible for all concerned.

As time went on there was a steady decline and it resulted in her having several falls. Eventually she had to move into a little bungalow in Cleckheaton. However, numerous falls resulted in frequent hospital stays, a very difficult time for her. But she was brave in how she handled her situation, eventually as we know, in the early hours of the morning on 27 December Betty was to quietly pass away.