A church-goer marked her 100th birthday last month and to celebrate provided the Bible reading for her church. By the wonders of modern technology, Mary Beck read and recorded the lesson from her care home in Poynton, which was then projected on to a screen for the congregation of St Philip and St James Church, Alderley Edge, to see.
Although Mary couldn’t be there in person, present at the memorable church service, were Mary’s daughter, Catherine, and son in law, Peter, together with Mary’s two grandsons and their wives, and three great-grandchildren.
Mary celebrating her 100th birthday at her care home in Poynton
Mary was born in 1919, just after the end of the First World War, and grew up in Berkshire. She moved to Wilmslow, Cheshire, in 1963 with her husband and daughter.
Mary had an active involvement with church life in the parish of St Philip and St James. She organised the church Bible reading rota and would train readers in their expression and voice projection. She also enjoyed giving the Bible reading herself as well as leading prayers during church services. She and her husband George were sidesmen and sometimes acted as vergers too. Mary also led the Sunday School at the old St James's Church from 1965 to 1985, a “tin tabernacle” at the bottom of Heyes Lane, Alderley Edge.
Mary worshipped at St Philip and St James until 2018 when she suffered a broken hip and could no longer make the journey to church. However, local priest the Revd Loveday Alexander takes Holy Communion to Mary in her care home once a month, something which Mary looks forward to.
After the family settled in Wilmslow, Mary joined the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service (WRVS) progressing from office jobs to taking round the meals on wheels as an assistant and then as the driver and finally being put in charge of the maintenance of the various WRVS vehicles. She was given a service medal in 1991 marking over 27 years of service. Through the WRVS she got to know people who were lonely and in need of a visit and very often on a Sunday afternoon she would visit an elderly person and take them out for a drive. She continued doing this well into her 80s.
Mary during her days working for the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force
As well as her voluntary work, Mary’s interests were her garden, and music and opera. She taught herself German from the Linguaphone course that was very popular in the late 1960s.
The Revd Robin Pye, Vicar of St Philip and St James said: “It is a real privilege for members of our church to be able to get to know Mary and converse with somebody who has played such an important role in our church for decades.
"Having a direct link to the past like this greatly enriches our lives and gives us a useful perspective on ourselves.
"Many people in this community will have their own memories of Mary, especially from her time as Sunday School teacher, and when they visit her they can relive these memories together with her; a rare and wonderful thing”.