Horace and Lily in 1908,
In Norfolk gave birth to a flower so great,
The flower named Violet, one of six in the clan,
Started life fighting illness, which wasn’t the plan,
Rickets she had, until six years of age, so each day
Recovering under an apple tree she lay
In Norfolk she spent a great deal of her life
Where to William Caffary she lived as his wife,
3 Children she bore, Brian, Maureen and Paul,
And Grandchildren too, there are 9 in all
It doesn’t stop there, great grandmother too,
But also great great and to others she knew
Just the name ‘Gran’ would do
For she touched so many people with her charm and her smile,
That you couldn’t but help to ‘just stay for a while’
A local celebrity, Luton Daredevil too
In the papers she featured
Was there nothing she’d not do?
A somersault on the trampoline at age 89
And from a trip in a glider she felt perfectly fine
So confident she felt about the thrill inside her
That she boldly told all ‘next year A Hang Glider’
For 90 would not be the time for frowns
But a return trip for Violet to Dunstable Downs.
In June 2008 she was far from a teen,
When a recognised milestone from her majesty the queen,
In the form of a card with the royal seal of gold,
Came for young Violet, 100 years old
A party was had, a celebration, a do!
For reaching a century and then another 2!
She never gave up, always wanted the chance,
Even this year as Jackie wed, did she dance
She continued to fight day after day
Until on the 21st of October our Gran passed away
By all of us here she’ll be sorely missed,
But we know that she sleeps now at rest and in peace.
Written by Toby Eager 'for Gran'
6th November 2010