Mrs. Mary Margaret McConkey
Editorial Department • Published 15 Dec 2011 09:30
0 Comments
Mollie McConkey, as she was fondly known, died on Monday 14 November at Gortacharn Nursing Home Lisnaskea aged 87 years. Mollie was the eldest of a family of six to William John and Gretta Coulter, Skeogue Trillick Co Tyrone. She attended Trillick and Crossan Primary schools followed by Omagh Technical College and also attended piano lessons in Trillick with Mrs V Strong. The family were members of Trillick Methodist Church.
After leaving school her first job was in Allen's drapery shop in Lisnaskea where she did office work and cashier. Later she moved to Ballybay Co Monaghan to work in Grays Auctioneer's office. It was while in Ballybay she met Mervyn McConkey of Drum Co Monaghan and they were married in June 1945 and began married life on a farm at Glen, Doohat. Their first two children Marian and Billy were born in Co Monaghan.
In 1951 the family moved to Magheraveely where they took over a grocery business with Mollie's brothers. Later they moved to other premises which had a drapery shop and filling station. Mervyn established a small haulage firm. Mollie always took a keen interest in the business and alongside bringing up the family she attended to the day to day running of the shop and kept the accounts for the business.
Mollie was essentially a devoted family woman, always kind and ready to help family and friends. She loved to keep in touch with the extended family and liked to have family to visit her home. She was a faithful member of Newtownbutler Presbyterian church where she worshipped, played the organ for many years and collected annually for the Presbyterian Orphan Society.
In 1991 Mollie and Mervyn converted Magheraveely Methodist Church into a retirement home. Unfortunately shortly after that Mervyn was diagnosed with Alzheimer's and Mollie nursed him at home until his death in 1995. In retirement, Mollie still liked to keep in touch with the business run by her son Leslie, she was an avid reader and addicted to the daily crossword. She found great joy in her grandchildren, was a great homemaker and baker, loved flowers and enjoyed tending her flowerbeds and tubs. Mollie was always blessed with good health but sadly in January 2007 she suffered a stroke and was admitted to the Erne Hospital. Her mobility, speech and swallow were impaired. She moved to Gortacharn Nursing Home in May 2007 and was cared for there until her death.
There was a large attendance at her funeral service in Lisbellaw Presbyterian Church. The service was conducted by Rev David Cupples and Rev Rodney Beacom paid tribute to Mollie and gave the address. Miss Isobel Anderson played the organ. Her granddaughter Stephanie read from 1 Corinthians13 and Mollie's son Brian, Vicar of Christ Church, Fulwood, Preston, carried out the committal at the Graveside.
Mollie is survived by her daughter Marian and sons Billy, Dessie, Leslie, Harry and Brian, son-in-law Brian, daughters-in-law Audrey, Irene, Rozy, and Susan, ten grandchildren, David and wife Ashleigh, Andrew and wife Lucy, Richard, Mark, Katie, Matthew, Stephanie, Tamara, Shannon and Chloe. She has 3 great grandchildren Oscar, Ava and Eliza.
She is also survived by her sister Florrie and husband Willie Elliott (Enniskillen) Brothers Joe (Magheraveely) Lennie and wife Mena (Trillick) and sisters-in- law Sadie McConkey(Ballynahinch) and Letitia Coulter( Lisnaskea). Brothers Wesley and Billy predeceased her in 1997 and 1999.
Funeral arrangements were by F Dowler Ltd Lisnaskea.
This article appeared in Impartial Reporter 15 Dec 11
Return to the main index, get more from this section or browse our News archives.
