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Margery “Hilma”
Flude 1904 - 2010
(The last of a generation)
On a sunny August afternoon, which so
reflected Hilma’s personality, a small group of family and friends gathered
at St Giles for her funeral and her burial in the immaculately kept
churchyard.
Hilma was born at
School House, School Lane, the youngest of three girls. Their father was
Headmaster who retired to The Uplands, Ash Green Lane. His contribution to
life in Exhall was commemorated when a road in Ash Green was named after
him.
Initially, Hilma trained as a hairdresser and had a
wonderful flair for presenting herself smartly even to the end. She was a
lady who, in many ways, was “before her time”. She learnt to drive in the
20's and continued to drive until at the age of 99 years, she underwent a
cataract operation.
Hilma was twice engaged to be married, but both Harry
and then Bill died tragically before the marriage could take place. She
found employment in Coventry and subsequently went to live there. Being
such a sociable person she quickly built a new group of friends; only
recently she commented that she had outlived them all. Whenever you met
Hilma, you could be sure of a greeting accompanied by a big smile, a hug and
a quizzing about your recent activities!
She was the last member of her family to live in
Exhall. Her nieces had married and moved away but Hilma could be regularly
seen in the churchyard with her nieces, tending the family grave until age
overtook them. They still kept up with Exhall life by regularly reading the
church magazine. Hilma last attended evensong at St Giles in 2006.
The loss of Hilma is the end of the Flude association
with Exhall.
PS. We believe Mr. Flude (Hilma’s father) was a
church warden in the early part of the last century. We can’t find anybody
to confirm this but it will be in church records.
David Allen
Inner Peace
If you can start the day without
caffeine,
If you can always be cheerful, ignoring aches and pains,
If you can resist complaining and boring people with your troubles,
If you can eat the same food every day and be grateful for it,
If you can understand when your loved ones are too busy to give you any
time,
If you can take criticism and blame without resentment ,
If you can conquer tension without medical help,
If you can relax without liquor,
If you can sleep without the aid of drugs,
… then you are probably the family dog. |