TRIBUTES ‘We thought we’d have her forever’

THE life of one of Merthyr Tydfil’s oldest residents was celebrated after she died at the age of 102.

The funeral of Enid Elizabeth Jones took place on Wednesday, March 29, at St Tydfil’s old parish church.

Mrs Jones passed away at the end of February, and is survived by her family of eight children, 21 grandchildren, 47 great-grandchildren, and five greatgreat-grandchildren, as well as her 90-year-old brother.

Born Enid Francis in 1914 , she was raised in Dowlais with her two brothers and one sister.

“She was a very poorly child when she was a baby,” said her daughter Margaret Evans, 67.

“Her parents took her to the doctor and were told to take her home to die as there was nothing they could do for her.”

Despite this warning from doctors, Mrs Jones far exceeded expectations.

Her mother sadly died when she was only 10 months old and she was brought up by her great-aunt while her father worked.

She moved to live on Queen’s Road in Dowlais, and went to the school there when she was a child.

She later went on to work in household service for a Mr and Mrs Saunders of Pontmorlais, but finished when she married at 29 years old.

Maldwyn Jones, her husband, was a collier who worked underground before moving on to opencast mines in his later working life.

The Jones family moved to Plymouth Street, Twynrodyn, where they raised eight children together and where Mrs Jones would live for the rest of her life after her husband died aged 56 in 1972.

She was an active member of her community, attending chapel until 18 months before her death.

“She was a great chapel-goer, and she would still do recitations up until her 80s,” said her daughter.

Mrs Jones was also an avid knitter, and was well known for knitting Welsh traditional costumes for dolls.

These were so popular that many of her friends and relatives requested them from her.

Some of her knitted outfits have been sent to members of her family living in Canada and Australia.

Her funeral was well attended, with many of her neighbours and fellow chapel-goers paying their respects alongside her family.

She lived to an incredible 102, despite doctors predictions nearly a century before.

Speaking before the funeral, Mrs Evans said: “We thought we would have her forever.”