Harold & Ivy Weller

Ivy Weller died in January 1980. An obituary was published by Ted Janes in Hallmark as follows :-

Mrs Ivy Weller. Here we have a 'real friend of the people'. Always ready to help in any emergency, or with her family, raise money for any deserving charity, even at times when I am sure she could well have had a perfectly good excuse for putting her feet up, as her health was at times not too good.

A native of Loosley Row, her youth was spent at Well Cottage, opposite The Foundry.

Her father became blind at an early age, which no doubt had a great influence on the way all the family worked to raise funds for the Bucks Blind.

I had the pleasure, on a number of occasions, to help with what became a yearly event looked forward to by many people, namely the Whist Drive, Sale and Draw for the blind.

This always raised a considerable sum of money, as Ivy who was a wonderful organiser, prevailed on local tradesmen to give some wonderful prizes for the draw and Sale. In fact on one occasion she won the silver cup awarded for the best effort by The Bucks Association for the Blind.

It was sad when owing to her failing health this event had to be discontinued.

Put 'obituary' in Search for other family histories, and put 'charity' in Search for other fundraisers.

Harold Weller died in 1988. Ted Janes published the following tribute in Hallmark :-

Throughout my 27 years as Chairman of the Parish Council, Harold Weller was Vice Chairman, therefore I got to Know him very well.

His sudden death sees almost the last of the small band of Lacey Green and Loosley Row Socialists who so successfully campaigned during the 40's and 50's for much-needed social improvements for the villages. He lived all his life in the area (a rare breed) and his only concern was for the betterment of the villages.

As a master builder he was very proud of the fact that he was a founder member and at one time President of the Buckinghamshire Association of General Foreman and Clerk of Works. For his firm, Wright's of Great Missenden, he was Clerk of he Works on many large public buildings throughout Bucks.

During 30 years as a school manager of both Lacey Green and Speen Church of England Schools the then Chairman of the Managers, the Rev. Bernard Houghton, leaned heavily on him for advice re. maintenance and rebuilding of both schools. They bear the Harold stamp.

He also served 20 years on the Village Hall committee but here his expertise was disregarded, being a building traditionist he wanted a new, brick Hall. How often, as I see a fresh hole in the plastic cladding of the building, do I realise how right Harold was.

In his retirement years the decline of the Labour Party and in his view the materialistic and selfish way society was moving depressed him, also the decline in the standard of house building. When, recently, houses were being built at the bottom of his garden on Woodway he had difficulty in watching what he regarded as slip-shod practices.

Loosley Row has lost a great friend, Betty and David a father, we send them both our deepest sympathy.