The death occurred on April 4, 2014 of Emily Kathleen Brooker, late of Castletown, Monea. Emily, always known as Emmie to her friends, was born at The Dairies on December 2, 1922, the eldest child of Robert and Eliza Jane Elliott. She had a younger brother Harry, and a younger sister Enid, both of whom predeceased her. As she grew up she was involved in the day to day work on the family farm, one of her daily jobs being to milk two cows by hand before going to school at Monea at 10 am.

In the latter years of World War 2 she met her future husband, Shammuah Brooker (Sham), from Sussex, who was based at Ely Lodge with his Regiment, The Royal East Kents. They married in July 1946 and made their home in Feltham, West London, where Sham worked as a draughtsman with the Iraq Petroleum Company, and Emmie for some time at the famous Kew Gardens. In 1955 they returned with their sons David and Howard to live at Castletown and had two more children, Stuart and Ruth. In the following years Emmie kept the home, and is remembered by her family as a ‘second to none’ wife and mother. With her children grown up she took on the responsible role of Cook at Derrygonnelly Primary School, a post she held for many years, and one for which she is fondly remembered to this day by many hungry pupils, and not just for her food, but for her mode of transport, a scooter.

In 1982, aged 59, she was widowed, but showed her usual determination and independence by learning to drive.

For the following three decades she filled her life in a myriad of ways. She helped each Thursday in the café of both the old and the new Ulster Farmers’ Mart, volunteered one day a week in Action Cancer, visited a wide range of friends, but above all, took great delight in her eight grandchildren, and recently, her great-grandson.

She gave a lifetime of loyal service to Devenish Parish Church, being a member of the Mothers’ Union for 58 years, and for many years a stalwart of the church choir. She also maintained long-standing family ties with Springfield Methodist Church.

In 2010 she suffered the great loss of her daughter Ruth, yet still showed great resilience by continuing to live alone for the next three years.

For the last months of her life she was resident at the Graan Abbey nursing home where she much enjoyed the company and care.

Her funeral service, conducted by the Rev. Sampson Ajuka, was attended by around 500 people, a testimony to the affection in which she was held by so many. She was interred in the adjoining graveyard.

Emmie is survived by her sons David in Belfast, Howard at The Dairies, and Stuart at Springfield, and their families.

The funeral arrangements were by Funeral Directors, W.T. Morrison, Enniskillen.