Jean Christina Mills
Born to John and Beatrice Watson 21st February 1934, she was the eldest of 3 daughters.
Along with her sisters Shirley and Audrey lived at 34 Pulford Road. Sale, Cheshire.
Educated at Kingston College, Brooklands.
After leaving school Jean worked in the millinery department of the Co-operative store (which was a much bigger enterprise than it is today).
Jean was often asked to model hats for potential purchasers in the shop and indeed so the story goes, she was asked to be a hat model but her Mother “Nin” (named that because her first Grandson couldn’t say “Nan”) did not approve of this idea and so it went no further.
Jean met her future husband Walter at the Presbyterian youth club that they both attended. Jean was 16 and Walter 17.
Following Walter’s 2 years of National Service they got engaged and then married on March 27th 1954. Walter joined the police force on his return from National Service. The following year, 1955 the eldest son Robert was born followed by Jackie in 1958, Michael in 1959, Susan in 1962 and Tracey in 1970
The family moved to Birstall, Leicestershire in 1966, having had homes in Crewe, Hyde, Sale and Melton Mowbray. Jean remained in Birstall until ill health prompted the move to the purpose built Granny Annexe or “shed”, as it was fondly called, at the bottom of Tracey and her husband Jons' garden in Nottingham in February of this year.
Both Jean and Walter, were confirmed into the Church of England in the mid 1970’s at Leicester Cathedral having found their spiritual home at St James the Great, Birstall. They both loved their church and were keenly involved in all aspects of church life there, until Walters untimely death in 2005. It took Jean a long time to come to terms with this loss but eventually found her way back to church until illness and frailty made this more difficult.
On her move to Nottingham she had been able, with the help of Tracey to attend services at St Aidens in Basford especially over Eastertime where she said she had again started to find her spiritual home.
Jean also had a long standing connection with St Andrews. Her Granddaughter, Gail was buried in the churchyard in 1986. Jean & Walter were closely involved during the short time Gail was alive and were both devastated by the loss. Following Gail’s death, both regularly travelled from Leicester to place flowers on the grave and often prayed in St Andrews afterwards. After Walter died in 2005, his remains were interred at the foot of Gail’s grave. Until her recent illness which only began when she was 91, Jean continued to visit the now “shared” grave, frequently travelling alone by bus/train because she never learned to drive and more recently relying on her daughter Tracey to drive her here from Nottingham.
Jean’s remains will join those of her husband Walter and Granddaughter Gail at St Andrews churchyard in Girton.
Registered Number 1082947