In memory of Josie Lavery
Cranny Road, Bleary

loving mother of Jim and Jacqueline
and grandmother of Stephen, Julie, Shirley and Catriona

Died 16th April 2015

Josie was born on 20^th July 1926, to Thomas and Mary Toal. She was the twin of Emelda and the youngest in a family of 7 children.   She attended the Sacred Heart Primary School, Lurgan and, as was the custom for all young girls in those days, Josie gained employment in the local factory after leaving school. She retired at the age of 60 from Blacker’s Mill.

She married her husband Paddy on 20th July 1947 in Laurencetown and they started their married life in the house where Josie was born and lived until her death.

Josie lived a very quiet and unassuming life. A typical mother, she looked after her family, sewing and knitting and of course, when the 4 grandchildren and 3 great grandchildren arrived, she adored them.

She was happy to be at home, never wanting to travel. Cranny Road was one big family and with her sisters Bernie and Nanny just living down the road, family was always very important to her. She loved the craic and was always one to ‘give as good as she got’! In her advancing years, her hearing wasn’t as good but her grandchildren would say, hearing improved tremendously if she thought you were talking about her!

She was a ‘Clare woman’ through and through and in her younger days would have been very involved in committees etc. She was thrilled to be chosen to bring up one of the offertory gifts in the Clare 200 celebration – a testimony to her devotion to this church.

Josie was blessed with good health and it was only in the last couple of months that she no longer was able to come to Mass here in the Clare. At 12.20am on Wednesday Josie died as she lived – quietly and without fuss with Jim and Jacqueline at her side.

Her children and grandchildren were devoted to her. She was very much loved by them all and we extend our sympathy to them – Jim and his wife Eilish, Jacqueline and her husband Chris, grandchildren Stephen, Julie, Shirley and Catriona and her 3 great grandchildren.