Pakenham Village Tributes : Violet Foreman

Violet was born in 1917, just a year before the end of the 1st World war. As with all her generation, what changes she saw in her life time, and what history she had lived through! She was born at the Fen, the 2nd of 4 children and apart from a few years at Stowlangtoft after her marriage, lived in Pakenham for the whole of her life - mostly in the same house too. She attended school in the village and went on into service, working in many of the big houses in the area - sometimes travelling up to Scotland with the families she worked for.

In 1951 she married local lad Laurence Foreman, whom she must have already known very well, as he also grew up at the Fen. After their marriage they moved to a little cottage near the church in Stowlangtoft, where Violet had a job at the Vicarage. By the time Violet and Laurence moved back into Pakenham they had the four children, Daphne & Brian, Lily & Malcolm. They moved into 7 Church Cottages, and that was Violet's home until just December last year.

Violet carried on working for local families while the children were young, and in the summer this included fruit picking in the fields, sometimes taking the children along with her. She was a 24/7 mum, looking after everyone and keeping everything in the home going.

Laurence took care of the vegetable garden, but Violet loved to grow flowers, and she was good at it too. Her flower garden was a source of joy to her throughout her life, and she found it very frustrating when it became too much for her. But in her younger days she did everything in the home, alongside her cleaning, and she was highly thought of by all her employers. She was a regular sight in the village as she cycled to and fro from work, working for a long time at Maulkins Hall, and with Mr Rankin being the last person she worked for. She worked a long time past retirement age, simply because people didn't want to let her go. Outside work she enjoyed the occasional night out at Bingo in the village hall, but really the focus of her life was her home and family.

Violet loved to have the family round for meals, and looking after the grandchildren, often having them to stay overnight. Right to the end she loved being involved with the lives of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren - it was part of what kept her going, and her greatest joy was to hear about new babies being born in the family.

Violet had a few health scares in later life, but she kept going, enjoyed living in her cottage where she belonged, so close to all those she loved, and being part of this community too. She never complained or worried about anything for herself. Even in her last few weeks, if she did have the occasional grumble she always apologised afterwards. I think that shows us something of her own attitude towards her life - that actually she was profoundly grateful for all the love she had, and she knew just what were the real treasures in life.

It was last December she moved into Stowlangtoft Hall, after a spell in hospital. She wasn't expected to live very long, but the wonderful care she received at Stowlangtoft nursed her back to health! While at Stowlangtoft, as well as receiving wonderful care, she became well enough to take part in the activities there, including a memorable day trip to Felixstowe, enjoying the sea air and seeing the sea once again. That meant such a great deal to her and the family. All the staff at Stowlangtoft Hall are to be thanked for their care of Violet - and it seems right that she should have had the best of care there after a long life of hard work in just such grand houses.

Violet died peacefully and was never left alone, and she is not alone now.

PV&CN - Sept 2016