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home > history resources > obituaries > hilda elizabeth gulliver |
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Obituaries - Hilda Elizabeth
Gulliver |
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As a teenager she worked "in service" at homes in Oakley Bank, Long Buckby, New Milton, Hampshire and at Bethany Homestead, Northampton. She first saw her future husband, Harold Gulliver, when their eyes met across the balconies at Weston Baptist Chapel; after a 5-year courtship, they were married at Woodend Baptist Church, when her father fainted at the service! They spent their early married years at Hill Farm Cottage, Field Way, Helmdon; they then moved to Hill Farm where they lived for 30 years and where they brought up their family - Geoffrey, Elizabeth, Andrew and Phil. When Harold retired, they moved to Abthorpe (1967) and built a home there whose outline design was based on Hilda's ideas. They returned to Helmdon, from Easdale in 1994 and Harold died on March 9th 1998. Hilda was generous in hospitality and a wonderful cook of tasty farmhouse fare. She loved going to sales and had an eye for a good bargain to furnish her home. She always ate well. She had a gentle sense of humour. Hilda had an active Christian faith and was a member of Helmdon Baptist Church where she was a regular organist (provided that she was hidden behind the organ curtain!) She was the secretary/organizer of the Women's Meeting and she had a keen interest in missionary work. She was a staunch supporter of the Temperance Movement -"the Band of Hope". A generous supporter of TEAR Fund, the Leprosy Mission and Diabetes UK. She arranged many coffee mornings and sales at Abthorpe and Helmdon to raise money for these and other charities; those events were always well supported. Following Harold's death in 1998, Elizabeth became her carer and she introduced new dimensions to Hilda's life and encouraged her in Christian service, through visiting friends, residential homes and hospitals. They travelled widely together, both locally and to many parts of the country; they enjoyed eating out and visiting friends and relatives, the ballet, gardens, Chelsea Flower Show, the zoo and county shows, etc. They were actively involved in small rural fellowships such as Whittlebury Methodist and Farthingstone Baptist. The memory of Harold was always close and precious to Hilda and she often talked to his photo and would tell him to be sure to meet her at Heaven's gate; just an hour before she died, she kissed his photo for the last time. With the assurance that her sins were forgiven through faith in Christ's sacrifice, her very final words were "Take me to Heaven"…. Hilda will be especially remembered and admired for the simple, yet profound, faith she had and its outworking in genuine humility and generosity of spirit. Andrew Gulliver - Son |
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