I would like to thank Margaret for her input into this tribute for her mum.
Bessie was born on the 16th September 1919.
She was one of 4 children to Robert Brown and Maggie Tannahill Blackadder. Her early years were lived in Airdrie, before the family moved to 32 Morven Street, when Bessie was three, which was to become an important place for Bessie throughout her life.
The Brown family were the first tenants in the house.
She had an older sister Chrissie and a brother Bobby and a younger brother Jack. The children all attended Craigton School opposite the family home. Bessie was very proud of her association with the school and the school send their condolences to the family today. It is heartening to see a representation from the school here today. Thanks to Miss Boyce and P7 pupils for coming along. Bessie was often invited back to the school for special events. After a school event she said her message to the school pupils was ‘Have confidence in yourself. You have much more potential than you realise. Find it and use it with the help of those around you.’
The family often holidayed ‘doon the watter’ at Gourock, Largs, Dunoon and Rothesay.
They were all brought up to share and think of others- values that Bessie remained faithful to throughout her long life.
Bessie left school at 14yrs, when her mother was ill, to help run the house. Thereafter her first jobs were in the centre of Glasgow in a factors office and then later in King Street, in what is now known as ‘the Merchant City’
There her potential was spotted by a Mr Ford of Ford and Wilson who sent her to learn shorthand. Other jobs followed in Thermotank and the Cooperative headquarters in Morrison Street. The skills built up over the years and her integrity resulted in her becoming a Director`s secretary at Howdens close to Morven Street – something she had never imagined she could do but was encouraged by others. Such was her standing, that her boss there Peter O’Neill kept in touch with her long after she had retired. In Howden’s she enjoyed the company of those of other ages and hearing about their lives.
It was on a family holiday in Girvan that Bessie met her future husband Tommy McCulloch. He was there with his fellow dance band members. Tommy loved to play the piano and accordian and transcribed all the music for the band, all this while working at Stephen`s shipyard in Govan. Bessie loved the music of the forties and of course loved to dance.
Bessie and Tommy were married in the vestry at Hillington Park Church In 1941 as there was no blackout in the church, they were led down the aisle by torchlight. The wedding feast was a steak pie served by caterers at 32 Morven Street. Steak pie was always a favourite meal!
Their first home was in furnished accommodation at 18 Barfillan Drive. A move to a home of their own presented a ‘culture shock’ as we would say today.
Bessie discovered tenement life in Govan, where everything including coal, prams with babies inside were taken up and down 3 flights of stairs. Jeelie pieces went up and down the stairs too but always in a paper bag of course, as we were more refined. Opposite the tenement flat in Crossloan Road was Macgregor Memorial church which was to play a significant part in Bessie’s life.
As you would expect family life was all important to Bessie and her pride and joy were her own children John and Margaret. John Crombie Scotland came along in 1944 and Margaret Elizabeth (named after her two Grans) in 1949.
Both babies had blond curly hair and blue eyes and in Bessie’s own words she enjoyed dressing them up.
Shipyards then as today were not always secure and when they went on strike for a time Bessie decided to go back to work although she hated leaving her children.
1957 was a bad year for Bessie and her family when her older sister Chrissie, her father and mother all died. In 1961 there was a further blow when Tommy died at 47. A short time after this Bessie, John and Margaret moved to Morven Street to live with Bessie’s brother Bobby who invited them to share the family home.
The family also acquired a caravan and enjoyed longer trips eg to Cornwall and the Highlands and Islands.
Bessie’s faith had always been important , first with her family here at Hillington Park, when Ian Burns as a wee boy sat in the pew in front. Once married, Macgregor Memorial became her church home and she served there as an elder and as session clerk during troubled times when the church amalgamated and finally closed down. This resulted in a return to her mother church of Hillington Park where Bessie was a very active member and an elder for over 30 years. The Women`s Guild played an important part in Bessie`s life too and she held office both locally and in Glasgow districts.
Apart from her family and the church Bessie’s other interests included a love of visiting other gardens and working in her own. She loved day trips around Scotland and longer trips away. Later in life she became a world traveller visiting her son in Switzerland, Cyprus and America – yes, Bessie was on Broadway!
Bessie’s family extended in 1971 with the birth of her granddaughter Elaine- a great delight. She was also close to her nephew Robert and to his children – Her older sister Chrissie died young leaving her two boys. Bessie acted as a surrogate Granny for them all. Also Bessie`s god daughter Alison said about Bessie, ‘ she will always be a big influence in my life. I don’t know anyone else who cares about my very soul’.
In her sixties Bessie developed angina and then in 1997 had a heart attack. The years that followed had their ups and downs health wise but no matter what came at her Bessie’s characteristic determination came to the fore and as one of the consultants said- anyone else with these conditions would be in a nursing home but not Bessie- she battled on.
Making a tentative request of her heart consultant one day, Bessie asked if he thought she might live to see her granddaughter Elaine married in 2002. Yes indeed- Bessie lived to see three great grandchildren. Until relatively recently Bessie was driving her wee red micra, having learned to drive in her 60′s, and shopping locally using the buggies. Independence was her motto.
What would Bessie say if she were here today?
For those who hear her story-’ live your lives believing in God and doing the right, and being content.
One day we will meet in heaven.’
As her minister, for over 9 years it has been a great privilege to have known Bessie personally. I would like to pay tribute to Bessie as a person.
Bessie had a tremendous depth of character. She had a deep faith in her Lord and Saviour. Nothing was ever taken at face value but Bessie wrestled with her faith and thought deeply about it.
In a recent visit to her, she asked me the profound question, John, how do we know that our interpretation of the Bible is right. Now that is a deep question and one which the reformation was partly about! That`s how Bessie thought. But with this depth of faith came wisdom and that’s a characteristic that all who knew Bessie saw in her.
Wisdom that had been developed over years of experience, years of thinking and years of living out her faith. She spoke with a quiet confidence and it was not difficult to see in Bessie – one who loved her Lord. It simply shone from her.
Up until recent years, she was a regular attender at the Ladies Bible Study Group – now known as Girl`s alive and in this group they all looked up to Bessie for her wise words. Not gushy, not superficial words but when she spoke she spoke with a quiet authority.
Another quality of Bessie was her humility. She didn`t recognise these qualities in herself. She would say to me, so they say John. She was modest and humble in her walk with the Lord.
There are so many good qualities, that we could mention to describe Bessie…her love for her family, her values of not wasting anything and her contentment with her life but arguably her greatest was her steely determination.
This was evidenced in her last few years of her life. The way that she clung to life.
Over the last years, Bessie has been an inspiration – her determination to stay in her own home, her determination to maintain her own independence, was absolutely incredible.
But of course, this could not have been achieved without the support and encouragement of her daughter Margaret and Bessie`s son-in-law Stewart – who dedicated themselves to this task.
Latterly they were ably supported by a team of committed and loving people. Amongst them were the trio of carers – Mandy, Carol and Charlotte who went above the call of duty on many occasions to give Bessie the quality of life that she deserved. Bessie has left a huge impression in their hearts. . There were the doctors, the heart failure nurses and especially the district nurses and Marie Curie nurses in recent times. There were also her friends and neighbours and members from the church, who all worked together with Margaret to make sure that Bessie`s final days were lived out in the place that was her home for so many years.
During this time, Bessie also had the recent heartbreak of losing her son John, which we now pray, that she knows the joy of being reunited.
Time does not permit us to go into all the stories and reflections that we have of Bessie – That will happen over the refreshments that we have together after the committal.
But we have a Christian service today because one of the Lord`s children has gone home. We celebrate her life – thanking God for all that made her special but we also celebrate Bessie`s homecoming in heaven. For her, the struggles and the pain that she endured in her last days have all gone and for her now she knows the peace of Jesus. She knows the peace, the deep peace of her Lord.
I spoke to Bessie on several occasions about grace and about acceptance and that the Lord has already done it all for us on a cross called Calvary. Our topic of conversation would always come back to this…there is nothing that we can do to make God love us any more…nothing we can do to make him love us less. Faith is accepting this wonderful grace. It`s into that faith that we entrust Bessie today.
For those who grieve, you have the consolation of the memories that Bessie has left behind. You have the hope, that through Christ, you will meet again. You have the assurance that God will walk with you in your time of sorrow. Bessie would want you now to go forward with your lives and to continue your walk with God.
Amen.