Tributes are paid to fruit and veg boss
TRIBUTES have been paid to one of Bank Street’s bestknown faces, Janette Bell, after she lost her battle with lung cancer.
Janette, (picturedright) who managed Country Garden greengrocers, was well loved by regulars on the Rawtenstall high street.
She had been receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but passed away at the age of 49.
Lorraine Kennedy, who owns the store with partner Tim Riley, described her as ‘irreplaceable’.
She said: “Everyone knew her and continually asked about her during her brave battle.
“She was determined to stay and said to keep her job open and we said she’d have a job for life.”
Lorraine added: “She was old school, never had time off, never refused extra work and was extremely hard working but she was so much more than a manager. She was quite simply the heart of our shop, having a great relationship with colleagues and customers alike.” Janette, who lived at Spring Garden in Crawshawbooth, leaves husband Desmond, three children, a stepson and five grandchildren.
Janette’s eldest daughter Kylie said: “She always loved being with her grandchildren. She loved them to bits.”
TRIBUTES have been paid to a greengrocer manager described as ‘one-in-amillion’.
Janette Bell, from Spring Gardens in Crawshawbooth, was a popular character with regulars on Bank Street in Rawtenstall, having worked at the Country Garden grocers for 12 years.
She passed away aged 49 on Wednesday, April 12 after a battle with lung cancer.
Lorraine Kennedy, 46, who owns the grocers with Tim Riley, her partner of over 20 years, said people would come into the shop just to see her.
She said: “Janette worked for us for almost 13 years and became the manager. She was old school, never had time off, never refused extra work and was extremely hard working, but she was so much more than a manager, she was quite simply the heart of our shop, hav- ing a great relationship with colleagues and customers alike.
“She is simply irreplaceable. Everyone knew her and continually asked about her during her brave battle. She was determined to stay and said to keep her job open and we said she’d have a job for life.
“Janette was passionate about her family, giving us regular, proud updates on her children and grandchildren. Janette was onein-a-million and we feel blessed to be able to call her our friend.”
Lorraine said the shop is a family and that Janette, who was born and grew up in Stacksteads, was ‘like a sister’ to her, having started work there shortly after Lorraine’s sister passed away.
Previously, the former Fearns High School pupil had worked at Bacup Shoe making slippers, before moving on to work at and eventually manage the canteen at Suttons Shoe factory.
Kylie Bell, 29, Janette’s eldest daughter, said her mother was ‘brave’ throughout her cancer fight. She said: “She was fighting all the way. She’d had chemotherapy and radiotherapy. She was meant to be part of a trial but her cancer was spreading too quickly.
“By the time she got to the appointment for the trial, she was too poorly.”
Bank worker Kylie, who lives in Haslingden, said her mother loved spending time with her grandchildren.
She added: “She loved them to bits. She was so caring and was always looking out for them.”
Janette leaves her husband of 17 years Desmond, 57, who she had known for 31 years and married in September 2000. She also leaves three children Damon, Kylie and Michelle, stepson Ryan, and five grandchildren Lennox, Maisie, Teddie, Becca and Lottie.
Her funeral will take place on Thursday, April 27 at 11.20am at Burnley Crematorium.
JULIE MELLING
JULIE Margaret Melling, of Bonfire Hill Road, Crawshawbooth, passed away at The Royal Blackburn Hospital after a short illness on Saturday, April 8.
She leaves her husband Robert, son Paul, daughter Gill, grandchildren Claire and Natalie and greatgrandchildren Ben, Isabelle and Amelia.
Her funeral was due to be held on Friday, April 21, at Burnley Crematorium Chapel at 2.20pm.
Family flowers only, any donations please made payable to either Cancer Research UK or Air Ambulance Northwest.
Julie will be remembered with love and affection.
All enquiries and donations to Emma Turnbull at Bridgewater Funeral Service, The Standfield Centre, Boothstown.
PETER BROWN
MR Peter Brown, of Thorn Crescent, Bacup, died peacefully at home on Wednesday, April 12, aged 73.
A service will be held at the Chapel of Rest on Wednesday, April 26, at 12.40pm, followed by cremation at Rochdale at 1.40pm, conducted by Mr Peter Cox.
He was born in Bacup where he lived all of his life. He was employed at Rossendale Combining Co for 32 years and then worked at J&J Ormerod for five years.
He enjoyed watching football, especially Bacup Borough, reading and holidays to Benidorm and Malta. He leaves his wife Kathleen, sons Stuart and Philip, daughter Sandra, grandchildren, greatgrandchildren, brother Tommy, sister Pat, nephews, nieces and many friends.
Funeral director: Anthony Johnson Funeral Services, Bacup.
JAMES NUTTALL
MR James Nuttall, of Newline, Britannia, died on Friday, April 7, aged 79.
He was a retired HGV driver.
James enjoyed cars and motor racing.
He leaves daughter Jill and son-in-law Richard and grandsons Michael and Christopher.
His funeral was due to take place on Thursday, April 20, at Burnley Crematorium at 12noon, conducted by the minister David Ireland.
Family flowers welcome and donations are requested to the MS Society.
Funeral director: Dawn Johnson at Fred Hamer.
PATRICIA WOLSTENHOLME
FORMER Rossendale school teacher Patricia Anne Wolstenholme, of Summerseat Lane, Holcombe Brook, died peacefully at the Royal Blackburn Hospital on Monday, April 10, aged 85.
Patsy, as she was known, was born in the West Lancashire town of Ormskirk, the first child of a school headmaster, Sam Jowett and his wife Alice.
She was educated at Ormskirk Grammar School where she excelled, particularly at gymnastics and hockey, and furthered her education by attending the Leeds College of Housecraft where she qualified to become a teacher of home economics.
She acquired a teaching post at Whitewell Bottom School in the early fifties and remained on the staff there until the school’s closure in about 1960 when she transferred to the newly built Fearns School in Stacksteads.
In her younger days she travelled weekly back home to West Lancashire to play hockey for the Magull Ladies Team and, nearer to home, played badminton for Hawkshaw.
She was a regular driver of the WRVS meals on wheels van serving the Ramsbottom area, a founder member of the Hawkshaw and District Flower Club and a keen and valuable member of the Bury Parish Church flower arrangers who decorated the church and its window sills on special occasions such as weddings and celebratory events.
Patsy’s specialities were pedestal arrangements.
Whilst at Fearns she changed the course in her teaching and transferred from the domestic science department and joined the physical education staff.
About the same time, her late husband Harry, who was a keen all round sportsman and dedicated member of Rossendale Golf Club, persuaded her to join the golf club.
She joined the club in 1970 and golf became a major part of her life.
She soon became an active member of the Ladies’ Committee as well as becoming a very proficient lady golfer, winning many ladies’ competitions and becoming the Club Lady Champion of 1973.
The club elected her as Lady Captain in 1979 and made her an honorary life member of the club in 2002.
She also had a successful golfing career as a member of the Manchester Golf Club during the 1970s and 80s where her name appears on the ladies’ honours boards.
After she was widowed in 1992, Patsy became even more heavily involved in golf but more on the administrative side of the sport, not only at a local level, but involved in committee work at district, county and at national level.
She was the member of the English Ladies’ Golf Association committee responsible for the development of girls’ golf from 1992 and then she became the chairman of its northern division in 1998.
She was elected captain of the Lancashire Ladies Golf Association for its centenary year of 2000, and in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 she held the office of the Lancashire Ladies County Golf Association President.
She leaves her partner Terry, nieces Gill, and her husband Jon, Julie, and her partner Frank, a great-niece Nancy and nephews Mark and Tim who reside in Vancouver, Canada with their families.
A private cremation will take place at the East Lancashire Crematorium, Radcliffe, at 2.30pm on Thursday, April 27 followed by a service of thanksgiving at Bury Parish Church at 3pm. Family flowers only please.
Donations in lieu are requested to Dementia Friendly Rossendale (cheques payable to Friends Reminisce) c/o funeral directors Booth and Wolstenholme, Peel Chapel, Crow Lane, Ramsbottom.
ROY SMITH
MR Roy Smith, of Cherry Tree Lodge Residential Care Home, died on Wednesday, April 12, aged 101.
For many years he worked in the shoe and slipper industry.
He then worked as a caretaker at Mount School before moving on to Blackthorn School.
For about 25 years he was a member of Bacup Cricket Club.
At one time he was director of Bacup Borough, and was also known for playing the piano at functions in Bacup.
His pride and joy was his Yamaha organ.
Husband of the late Susan, he leaves son Kevin and his wife Rita, grandchildren Mark, Christopher and Julie. He had great-grandchildren Shannon, Aaron, Lewis, Chloe, Shane, Lisa and Laura and also Tom who passed away in 2006, aged 14. His funeral will take place on Tuesday, April 25 at 11.20am, at Burnley Crematorium, officiated by the minister David Ireland.
Family flowers only please. Donations are requested to Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary.
Funeral director: Graham Holt for Knight and Boys, Stacksteads.
JANETTE BELL
MRS Janette Bell, of Spring Gardens, Crawshawbooth, died on Wednesday, April 12, aged 49.
Janette was the manageress at Country Garden greengrocers on Bank Street.
She enjoyed holidays and spending time with her family and grandchildren. She leaves her husband Desmond, children Damon, Kylie and Michelle, step-son Ryan and grandchildren Lennox, Maisie, Teddie, Becca and Lottie.
Her funeral will take place on Thursday, April 27, at Burnley Crematorium at 11.20am, conducted by the minister David Ireland.
Family flowers welcome, donations in lieu of flowers to Rossendale Hospice.
Funeral director: Dawn Johnson at Fred Hamer Funeral Service, James Street, Rawtenstall.
JACK ROSE
MR Jack Rose, of Bonfire Hill Road, Crawshawbooth, died on Friday, April 14, aged 81.
He was a retired bricklayer and had built his own house.
He enjoyed swimming and athletics and was well-known in the Crawshawbooth area. He was also a keen dancer and enjoyed going dancing with his wife Jean who passed away in 2008.
A family man, he adored spending time with his grandchildren and enjoyed going in the Black Dog.
He was also a member of Spring Terrace, Conservative Club and Crawshawbooth Progressive Club.
Husband of the late Jean, he leaves sons Jack and Duncan, daughter-inlaw Barbara, seven grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. He also leaves brother George, and was also the brother of the late Sheila and Fred.
His funeral service will take place on Thursday, April 27, with a meeting at the Chapel of Rest at 1pm followed by a service and cremation at Burnley Crematorium at 1.40pm. Flowers are welcome. Funeral director: Dawn Johnson, Fred Hamers.
FREDERICK SHARPLES
MR Frederick Sharples, of Rydal Road, Haslingden, died on Sunday, April 16 at Royal Blackburn, aged 82.
Formerly of Houghton, he moved to Rossendale in 1978 when he became the landlord and proprietor of the Horse and Jockey Pub at Edenfield, later the Clarence, Haslingden, and Highcroft Hotel, Rawtenstall.
His National Service was served in Germany where he was in the Military Police.
A former mason with Peaceful Valley Masonic Lodge, Darwen he was a member of the Shire Horse Association and a member of Haslingden Cricket Club.
Husband of the late Laura and father of the late George, he leaves his family Stephen, Mark, Betty, Rose, Arthur, Kate, Waynne, Justin and Simon, grandchildren and great-grandchildren, sisters Margaret, Joan, Bessie and Marian.
Family flowers only, with donations in memory of Fred for The British Heart Foundation.
Donations and funeral enquiries to Josephine Durning for Johnson, Durning and Woods Funeral Service, Haslingden.