Mrs Margaret Newlands

“Margaret was born on the 21st July 1939 in Hillington Glasgow to John & Minnie Laing. She had an older sister, Edith and a younger brother John.

She attended Hillington Primary and then Bellahouston Academy in Glasgow where she later taught life saving techniques to younger pupils as she was a competitive swimmer.

 In her teenage years Margaret joined the Youth Fellowship Club at the local Church, where she went on to meet her future husband Ian, whom she later married in 1963.

 Margaret worked in a Printing Office for a short time, then went on to work for the Railway at Buchanan House in Glasgow before giving birth to her son, David in 1966.

 In 1970, she moved with her family to Whitley Bay near Newcastle and a year or two later down to Essex where she spent most of her adult life. She worked for a short time at Charrington’s coal merchants in Chelmsford as a secretary but her time was primarily taken up as a devoted mother and wife. Ian often worked abroad, so she found herself as a single parent during these times. She was a great mother for whom nothing was too much trouble.

 Margaret was grandmother to Michael and Claire whom she loved dearly.

 For almost 40 years of her later life she enjoyed living in the village of Hatfield Broad Oak where she took great pleasure in tending to her garden which has been admired by many over the years. Before losing her hearing she enjoyed the company of many villagers at the weekly meetings of the Friday club in the Village Hall and attended trips out with them.

 Margaret passed away peacefully on February 22nd aged 86 and will be sadly missed by her family, friends and neighbours”.