Obituaries I-Q
Margaret Johnstone
24/10/1925-18/05/2024
Margaret was the first child of George Hope Johnstone and Elizabeth. There followed three sisters, Jenny, Betty and Sheila, and famous brother Bobby who played football for Selkirk, Hibernian, Manchester City and Scotland.
Margaret attended Philiphaugh and Knowepark schools, and at 14 she went to the local Tweed mill, and became a weaver to earn extra money for her family. Aged 19 she embarked on a nursing career, seeing it as an extension of her Christian life and as part of her response to God’s call for her. She had permission to leave home and train as a nurse, first at Bangour Hospital, then at East Fortune hospital where she headed up the nursing team caring for TB patients.
Margaret moved to community nursing, joining the Queen's Nursing Institute Scotland. One of her favourite stories is about the day she was called to a birth just after she passed her driving test. She tried to creep out to catch the bus, but her supervisor called her back to take the car: “You have passed your test now. It’s Sunday, the roads will be quiet.” Margaret was much more worried about driving than delivering a baby.
Margaret was an active member of the Nurses’ Christian Fellowship of Scotland and the International Fellowship of Christian Nurses. Through her nursing, Margaret visited many countries, including the Soviet Union.
In time Margaret moved to Livingston and specialised in psycho-geriatric care. In Livingston she also trained as a Methodist Local Preacher, being accredited in 1985, and made pastoral visits to other Queen’s Nurses.
In her 80s Margaret got her first computer, and it enabled her to keep in better touch with friends and family. During Covid she worshiped online with Selkirk Parish Church and join Zoom meetings, not fazed by the technology, nor slow to ask for help when it failed.
In 2015, she sold her home in Livingston and moved to be near her sister and help with her care.
In the words of friend Hilary, “Margaret's faith in Jesus informed her whole life, reflected in her gentle, loving, compassionate nature, never raising her voice in anger but always supportive and kind.”
Mary Kelly (nee MacLean)
13/02/1929-27/06/2023
Mary was born on the Isle of Skye in 1929. She trained in General Nursing, Midwifery and Queen’s Nursing in Glasgow.
For some years before marrying Alfred her husband, Mary was the Queen’s Nurse in Croy. As was the policy at this time in the Highland region, Mary was required to resign her post after having her son Ewan.
Mary later held the post of Night Staff Nurse at the Hilton Hospital and then in a care home in Inverness.
Mary spent the last few years of her life in Ballifeary Care Home in Inverness. Angela, one of our volunteer visitors, recalls that on her last visit with Mary when she was using her Zimmer, she spotted a resident standing alone totally lost in the sitting room of the care home and Mary on approaching her said, “you can come with me my dear and we will soon sort you out”. Taking her hand and with her other on her Zimmer they trotted off together.
Angela’s thoughts at the time were “dear Mary, a Queen’s Nurse”.
Mary died peacefully in June 2023 in the presence of her devoted son Ewan and those who cared for her.
Dolly Anne Macarthur
22/01/40-27/01/23
Dolly Anne was born and brought up in the village of Carloway on the Isle of Lewis.
She started her general nurse training, followed by midwifery training at the Northern Infirmary Inverness in 1957. She then went to Castle Terrace in Edinburgh to commence her Queen’s Nurse training, after which she returned to Lewis to work in the district of Shader, Barvas.
She married John Macarthur from Shawbost where they settled, only a few miles from Carloway. They had seven children; five boys and two girls. In 1986, Dolly Anne returned to work having been head hunted by the Chief Area Nursing Officer. Following her return to practice, she got a job in her native district of Carloway on Lewis. This district covered six villages with a population of between 2000-3000 people. At that time the district nurse was very much a lone worker until carers were introduced. Dolly Anne’s daughter Chrissie, who is also a nurse, recalls how her mother was kept busy visiting many patients each day as well as on call each evening, but she took it all in her stride. She worked in that area until she retired in 2001.
After her retirement she worked at Crossroads, an organisation that relieves family carers to enable them to have time off. Her skills and expertise as a trained nurse were greatly appreciated in that role. Dolly Anne was always of a happy and cheerful disposition and would always go the extra mile to ensure that her patients’ best interests were being met. She is remembered with great fondness and affection.
Margaret Mackay
1934 – 2023
Born in Argyll, Margaret began her working life as a midwife in Glasgow. She moved to Lewis to become a district nurse in the 1950s, where she made her home. She left her career when she married in 1958, and they set up home in Dalbeg. Turning their hands to weaving, they later started a dairy, which eventually expanded to deliver milk from Ness to Bernera. Her nursing skills were still put to good use when the vet was unavailable, she would be called out at all hours to assist with sick animals.
Sadly, husband Murdo passed away in a car accident only a few months after the birth of their second child.
She married Angus Mackay in 1979 and he settled with her in Dalbeg, where they spent happy years until his passing.
Margaret’s involvement in the local community extended to working with the Women’s Guild, the Girl Guides, and the Council Social Work Committee. She started a Christmas dinner for older people in Shawbost and started a Meals on Wheels service. She drove the minibus for the Sunshine Club and was affronted when the time came that she was asked to join their ranks.
She was a keen traveller, going to Israel, Europe, the U.S and Canada, forging friendships with those she met, many of whom remained in touch even when she could no longer travel. Romania, however, always held a special place for her after taking a busload of aid there in the late 80s and thereafter making multiple trips a year.
Her charitable work and community contributions led to her attending three Queen’s Garden Parties, and she was delighted to be seated beside the Queen at dinner on her last visit to the island. She was also honoured with an award from the Rotary Club that had hitherto been reserved for men.
Margaret was fearless, she was joyous, she was kind.
Chrissie Macritchie
Chrissie had wanted to be a nurse from her schooldays and started General Nurse training in Glasgow. This was followed by a year working in Kilmarock, and then Foresthill, in Aberdeen, to train as a midwife. Chrissie wanted to become a District Nurse - or Queen's Nurse as it was then known - and trained for four months in Edinburgh before being seconded for a year to Balingarry, Fife. It was an extremely busy year - a post-war baby boom meant her services were very much in demand!
Chrissie returned to Lewis in 1957 and worked in Back for the next four years. It was there she met her future husband Donald Peter (Dan), who she married in 1961. While being both a wife and district nurse was prohibited in the 1960s, Chrissie was allowed, and very much relied on, to do holiday relief covering the entire island. In 1968, a nursing position became vacant in Miavaig, and Chrissie was appointed.
At this time, the district nurse was required to always be accessible, live in the nurse's 'cottage' and would only get half a day a week off duty. Often accompanying complicated deliveries in the ambulance for the two hours it took, back then, by road to Stornoway, delivering babies into the world was to be Chrissie's privilege.
After 25 years in Uig, Chrissie retired in 1992.
Obituary kindly shared by Uig News.
Edith Margaret Esplin Moseley
09/03/1937-01/07/2024
Edith was brought up in Cathcart Glasgow. She commenced her training at The Victoria Infirmary in Glasgow, and followed this by Midwifery in Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. Edith joined the Queen’s Nursing Institute in 1962 and started district nursing in Glasgow, later becoming district nurse in Cardross, Dunbartonshire.
She met her future husband John in Glasgow and married on the 31st March 1966 in Cardross Parish Church. After their children grew up, she started part-time work for a medical company, later moving into private nursing and in her later years Edith became a carer for an agency.
Edith had a unique touch for making friends throughout her life and was still in touch with two nurses she trained with, one in Australia and one in Scotland.
Edith passed away in Mearns View Care Home, Newton Mearns on 1st July 2024. She is survived by her husband John, daughter Pamela, sons Richard and Philip, and grandsons Andrew and Stuart.
Annette Patience (nee Bremner)
18/04/1939-25/07/2023
Annette was born in April 1939 and at the age of seven she and her siblings lost their mother. Her father had to work so two of the children were rehomed with relatives whilst Annette and two of her sisters were placed in the Inverness Orphanage where they stayed for eight years.
Annette did her nurse training at Inverness Royal Infirmary, later working as a Staff Nurse in Lancaster and Edinburgh and completed her midwifery training before doing her Queen’s Nurse training at Castle Terrace in 1969.
She then became a Double Duty Nurse in Fife and Avoch on the Black Isle, and it was here she met and married her husband Eckie, in 1975. Annette, as had to be done then, resigned her post to raise their two sons, Alastair and Sinclair. Sadly, she was widowed in 1992.
Annette was a nurse of many talents, knitting, writing, baking, gardening. Annette was an Eco Warrior by conviction and practice long before the term was born. She grew her own fruit, vegetables, and flowers, and supported the local charity shops to reduce waste.
Pain however was Annette’s constant companion, and this combined with a long-term chronic chest condition meant that her physical abilities were frequently limited. However, she used her time to write letters, send cards of comfort, support, and encouragement to friends far and wide for weddings, birthdays, and new babies. Annette knitted constantly for a Romanian orphanage through Blythswood Care and no self-respecting Black Isle baby didn’t sport a jacket knitted by “Nettie”.
Annette enjoyed meeting people and supported nursing events, reunions and QNIS gatherings and holidays at Crieff and abroad when her health allowed, and she was also a gracious hostess in her own home.
On 25th July 2023 Annette died peacefully in her Christian faith surrounded by her loving family.