Edith Traill, Guide commissioner who played a large part in village life
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Obituary
EDITH Traill (Daws) has died aged 96 in The Meadows Nursing Home.
She was a prominent and active member of the Helmsdale and Sutherland community.
She was born in Hounslow, Middlesex, the youngest of four and the only girl. Summer holidays were spent on Hayling Island – long, hot days full of sand, sea and boats. At the age of 14 she rescued from drowning an eight-year-old girl when their boat capsized and they were swept under a ferry. She was awarded a testimonial from the Royal Humane Society.
After matriculating from grammar school, she became a civil servant. In 1942 she volunteered for the WAAF. She trained as a driver and was always very proud of her driving skills and mechanical knowledge. In 1946 she met her husband Francis when they were both stationed at Northwood. They married in 1948 to settle in Helmsdale, Francis’s home village.
For the first few years of her marriage she devoted herself to bringing up her four children. But then she became involved with village affairs, starting with the Red Cross. At the beginning of the sixties she became a Sunday School teacher, not giving up until well into her eighties. With Mary Davidson she helped set up the tennis club. In the mid-sixties she took over the Guides, eventually serving many years as a District Commissioner.
From 1971 she went into business with Francis and the two of them ran Highland Supply Stores together until their retirement in 1990.
She loved flowers and created three wonderful gardens, especially behind the shop. For many years she was secretary of the Helmsdale Flower Show. She was a long serving member of the Sutherland Health Board and undertook many house collections for various charities. She played a very large part in the life of the church and was an active member of the singing group and bible study.
She suffered a devastating loss when her son Tony died at 19 following a car accident. It took her many years to come to terms with this. She also survived a brain haemorrhage in 1980 making a long recovery. Dementia slowly claimed her and her last three years were happily and peacefully spent at The Meadows where she was a well loved resident. Francis predeceased her in 2015. She is survived by three daughters, four grandchildren and one great-grandson.
