Marian Grace Stevens
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Marian was born in 1932 in Torre near Washford. The family then moved to the village of Washford where she lived until her partner bought the two houses known as Atlantic Villas. The houses are on the outskirts of Watchet at the top of Cleeve Hill. Marian lived there until she became ill and found walking very difficult, she then moved to living in an extra care home.
She is the younger of the two children by Fred and Annie Stevens. Her sister Margaret was 14 years older.
Marian never married although she had a life long partner Dennis Sully. They did not have any children.
She was a keen gardener although Nigel (Nigel Adrian) did cut the top of one of her fingers off with a spade while digging a hole for a plant. Marian also liked craft-work and making things.
As an animal lover she would make dog food sandwiches for the badgers and foxes that would come every night to the orchard, and when she had her hair cut Marian would put the cut off bits up a tree for birds to use to build nests with.
She is the younger of the two children by Fred and Annie Stevens. Her sister Margaret was 14 years older.
Marian never married although she had a life long partner Dennis Sully. They did not have any children.
She was a keen gardener although Nigel (Nigel Adrian) did cut the top of one of her fingers off with a spade while digging a hole for a plant. Marian also liked craft-work and making things.
As an animal lover she would make dog food sandwiches for the badgers and foxes that would come every night to the orchard, and when she had her hair cut Marian would put the cut off bits up a tree for birds to use to build nests with.
Above are Marians two houses
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Below some of Mars carnival costumes.
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Below some of Mars carnival costumes.
This was Marian's eulogy at her funeral.
Marian Grace Stevens
Marian, or Mar as everybody called her was born in what is now part of the White Horse public house in Torre. She was born in 1932 between the two world wars, and during the second war she made knitted toys for refugee children. This love of making things continued right throughout her life.
Marian went to Washford School where she took part in the Christmas school concerts. According to an old newspaper cutting found amongst her photos in 1944 at the age of eleven she played the part of the second sunbeam the concert.
While living in Washford Marian became an expert gardener growing everything from vegetables to flowers, and after seeing it on Blue Peter made some plate gardens for the kids in the terrace. It was while removing a bush from the garden a badly aimed spade took the top of her finger off. Once a month Mar would cut flowers from the garden and walk over the hill to Old Cleeve where she lovingly tended the graves of her parents keeping them in good condition. She always used scissors to cut flowers she never just picked them.
During Marian’s time in Washford she met Dennis who moved in with her and became her lifelong companion.
One of Marian’s passions was carnivals. She entered as many carnivals as she could in the single walker class. Marian also entered as The Pied Piper of Hamlyn and included her nephew and nieces in the procession. Even Dennis made it into Watchet carnival as The Cleeve Hill Goolies and Ghosties. One year Marian made a clean sweep of winning every carnival in the Taunton Carnival Federation and took great pride in displaying all the silver cups she won. Many of the outfits Marian wore would be considered non PC now, especially her man Friday outfit, where she blacked up her face, wore a fuzzy wig and put a bone through her nose.
She was a believer in ghosts and UFOs, and maintained all her life, that while driving from Blue Anchor to Watchet, Dennis and herself was followed by a flying saucer all along the coast road. They even reported it to the police who said it was a bit early in the evening to be drinking.
Marian always bought lottery tickets even though she was certain that the lottery draw was fixed.
Marian and Dennis were some of the first people in the area to decorate outside the house at Christmas. Marian started with plans for a little sleigh and then up scaled them. She then over saw Dennis as he had to make the full size sleigh and several large reindeer. These were then arranged in her front garden and lit with coloured lights. Quite often the dummy presents that Marian put in the sleigh were stolen during the night, and after getting fed up with the parcels going missing she picked up a few things the animals had left behind in the orchard and put them in the parcels.
Although basically a fun loving person who liked to play jokes on people if anyone displeased Marian they were left in no doubt about her thoughts on the matter.
Another of her loves was animals. While living in Washford Marian only kept cats, chickens, a duck, a rabbit and an Alsatian called Nikki, but after moving to Watchet the menagerie increased to include geese, more chickens, pigs, pigeons, numerous stray cats that came and stayed and even a goat, and that was just the tame animals. A shopping trip with Marian consisted of one carrier of food for her and several carriers for the animal food.
Marian also fed the wild animals. Her garden was always alive with birdsong and when Barbra, Dennis’s niece, came and cut her hair she would put the clippings up in a tree for the birds to use for their nests. At about midnight Marian would make dog food sandwiches for the foxes and badgers that came every night. Marian would go into the orchard and call them, they all had names and one, Billy the fox would come right up to her. If Marian had been watching television and was a bit late with the feeding Billy the fox would scrape on the back door. There was also a Billy the badger, Marian said it made it easier to call them if they had the same name.
After Dennis and her sister Margaret passed away Marian resolutely carried on living on her own until the inevitable happened and she was taken to hospital. On discharge from the hospital Marian moved to an extra care home in Watchet. Despite falling out with some of the staff there she was quite happy there, she made new friends and enjoyed the craft sessions making Christmas cards, Easter bonnets and other items.
Finally one cannot mention Marian without thinking of the dog food sandwiches and the care she had for all animals...and I feel that is the best way to remember her.
Marian, or Mar as everybody called her was born in what is now part of the White Horse public house in Torre. She was born in 1932 between the two world wars, and during the second war she made knitted toys for refugee children. This love of making things continued right throughout her life.
Marian went to Washford School where she took part in the Christmas school concerts. According to an old newspaper cutting found amongst her photos in 1944 at the age of eleven she played the part of the second sunbeam the concert.
While living in Washford Marian became an expert gardener growing everything from vegetables to flowers, and after seeing it on Blue Peter made some plate gardens for the kids in the terrace. It was while removing a bush from the garden a badly aimed spade took the top of her finger off. Once a month Mar would cut flowers from the garden and walk over the hill to Old Cleeve where she lovingly tended the graves of her parents keeping them in good condition. She always used scissors to cut flowers she never just picked them.
During Marian’s time in Washford she met Dennis who moved in with her and became her lifelong companion.
One of Marian’s passions was carnivals. She entered as many carnivals as she could in the single walker class. Marian also entered as The Pied Piper of Hamlyn and included her nephew and nieces in the procession. Even Dennis made it into Watchet carnival as The Cleeve Hill Goolies and Ghosties. One year Marian made a clean sweep of winning every carnival in the Taunton Carnival Federation and took great pride in displaying all the silver cups she won. Many of the outfits Marian wore would be considered non PC now, especially her man Friday outfit, where she blacked up her face, wore a fuzzy wig and put a bone through her nose.
She was a believer in ghosts and UFOs, and maintained all her life, that while driving from Blue Anchor to Watchet, Dennis and herself was followed by a flying saucer all along the coast road. They even reported it to the police who said it was a bit early in the evening to be drinking.
Marian always bought lottery tickets even though she was certain that the lottery draw was fixed.
Marian and Dennis were some of the first people in the area to decorate outside the house at Christmas. Marian started with plans for a little sleigh and then up scaled them. She then over saw Dennis as he had to make the full size sleigh and several large reindeer. These were then arranged in her front garden and lit with coloured lights. Quite often the dummy presents that Marian put in the sleigh were stolen during the night, and after getting fed up with the parcels going missing she picked up a few things the animals had left behind in the orchard and put them in the parcels.
Although basically a fun loving person who liked to play jokes on people if anyone displeased Marian they were left in no doubt about her thoughts on the matter.
Another of her loves was animals. While living in Washford Marian only kept cats, chickens, a duck, a rabbit and an Alsatian called Nikki, but after moving to Watchet the menagerie increased to include geese, more chickens, pigs, pigeons, numerous stray cats that came and stayed and even a goat, and that was just the tame animals. A shopping trip with Marian consisted of one carrier of food for her and several carriers for the animal food.
Marian also fed the wild animals. Her garden was always alive with birdsong and when Barbra, Dennis’s niece, came and cut her hair she would put the clippings up in a tree for the birds to use for their nests. At about midnight Marian would make dog food sandwiches for the foxes and badgers that came every night. Marian would go into the orchard and call them, they all had names and one, Billy the fox would come right up to her. If Marian had been watching television and was a bit late with the feeding Billy the fox would scrape on the back door. There was also a Billy the badger, Marian said it made it easier to call them if they had the same name.
After Dennis and her sister Margaret passed away Marian resolutely carried on living on her own until the inevitable happened and she was taken to hospital. On discharge from the hospital Marian moved to an extra care home in Watchet. Despite falling out with some of the staff there she was quite happy there, she made new friends and enjoyed the craft sessions making Christmas cards, Easter bonnets and other items.
Finally one cannot mention Marian without thinking of the dog food sandwiches and the care she had for all animals...and I feel that is the best way to remember her.