Anne was born to a normal working family, she had 2 brothers and a sister she was the baby of the family. Like most families of the fifties they never had much in the way of money or the material things in life but there was a great deal of love to go around. During those first years she was taken at a few months old to Hospital along with Andy her oldest brother both suffering from T.B. which left her with scars on her lungs and her near death, her oldest brother who survived because of a new drug which was given to those they thought might never live. But he went on to prove them wrong and like his little sister survided.
She grew up in a normal kind of fashion after those dark days with T.B. going to school at 5 years of age, and around the corner from where she lived was some of her friends including Sarah Cunnigham with who she formed a childhood friendship that was to stand the test of time right up until she died in 2013.
She left school as most children of those years did at 15 went to work in the CO-OP first in the store then on the store van reaching out to the smaller communities in the area. She then left to take up work in a local factory which made electronic boards the "Monotype" in Dunfermline meeting new friends and enjoyed the work and the money which gave her a new sense of freedom she never had in her previous job. She met many people who a lot of them became friends including her friend Heather Thompson who later would become her bridesmaid.
Then on a night out to the Kinema Ballroom in Dunfermline to celebrate her soon to be birthday what was then her 18th and came across a young man with whom she had gone out with before, nearly a year before. This was the start of a relationship and marriage that lasted till her passing in 2013, his name was Alex McFadyean. The became inseprable over the coming months and on March 24th they became engaged this date also happend to be her mum`s birthday which made it a more memorable and special occassion. Then as Alex was serving in the Royal Navy and about to be posted the were married on the 24th August 1970 it was just a small wedding with close friends and family and typical of the day the wedding was held in Dunfermline Registery Office with Heather as her bridesmaid and Alex`s brother George the best man. Then back to her mum and dad`s with the rest of the family.They spent one night in a very posh hotel in Glasgow which they saw on their way to and from Alex`s mums place in Dalry Ayrshire and thought it would be a nice start to married life, the later part of their honeymoon was spent in the seaside town of Largs and a short time with Alex`s mum in Dalry.
They moved to Portsmouth where Alex had been posted Anne went to work making TV sets for the Thorn EMI group. She then became pregnant with their first child Steven and decided that he should be born in Scotland they returned to Cowdenbeath to live for a short time with Annes parents Bill and Lizzie. They then bought their first home together just before Alex was posted to a ship which was leaving to go to the Far East for 18 months it was then that they decided that Alex should apply to leave the navy. He left in 1973 but this was to be marred by the death of Annes father with whom Anne had a renewed relationship with her Dad as he had been a big help in things whilst Alex was away. A year later in 1974 their second son Neil was born and changes of house followed and both continued to work to provide for their young family both so very much still in love with each other and proud of their children .
Then in 1977 along came the long awaited daughter they both so very much wanted and that then made their family complete. The years flowed bye and the kids grew and they were able to share things like holidays all be it in the "Arabs Hoose " their 6 berth tent which held many long and pleasing memories for all of them. The years continued to roll on and not before to long there came their first grandchild who they both adored little did they know that this would grow to a grand total of 4 boys and 4 girls, grandchildren that stole their grandparents hearts and with whom they shared so many happy and beautiful memories as they grew. Life to had it`s share of of cruel things, the up and the downs and I am not going to be included these here as they are of a more personal thing. She showed also that love in her huge heart by working first as a carrer for the elderly and then arose to the greatest challenge in caring for her, to nurse her much loved mother together with her sister Jane and Alex cared for the lady they all loved till her passing.this leaving a gap and doubts with Anne about having cared enough for her during those dark days before she passed.
She had been off work at first, but in fact leaving work in order to devote all her time tocaring for her mother. Giving her all to the lady that bore and and gave birth to her. Such was her love for her mum a special and remarkable lady to all the family.She then returned to caring and looking after those who are less fortunate in life.Then she went onto work with those who had Adult Learning Difficulties making her mark with the many who came to know her, to love her, to see her for the most remarkable loving and caring person that went to make up and be the person we all knew as Anne. The years of married life went bye from just married, on then to 25 years, then to 30 years, all of them with the love of her life Alex and with whom she loved so much, in return he too loved her to that day when 40 years of marriage came along to them a great acheivement to the love they shared. To remind those who thought that it would hardly last 5 minutes.Such was the love they had for one another.
Little did they know that 3 years and a bit later with Anne becoming ill and not know what was wrong and after being on holiday to see their oldest son and family. On returning home she then went to see her GP later that week. Then phone wrang one dark night that would become one of the worst nights in both of their lives, the doctor personally asking if she could come to the surgery this was 5:30 at night. Fearing the worst they went to be informed that Anne had developed lung cancer, that dark cloud then descended and hanging over the both of them, wondering just how could this be true and above all how long would they have together. In the months that followed Anne became wheelchair bound she could not have any operations to her lungs as it was to dangerous and to difficult she went on to have radiotherapy treatment daily which saw her get out of the wheelchair and back on her feet, and back to being
" MY ANNE" as Alex often said to everyone, this was truly amazing and the happiness returned making up for those dark weeks of treatment. Just a few months later it was discovered that it was once again the cancer had starting to grow and that nothing could be done anymore to help her live, in those last months she came to be bedridden but still with life in her and still as chirppy as always, enjoying a laugh and a joke but stiil had her serious side of life as well. She had begun to be wondering how "Her Alex" would cope without her often saying so to her close friends and family but never to him such was her caring and love for the man she loved.
As things with the cancer progressed,and she needed more and more looking after, her daughter Lisa and Alex began looking after her every need together, promising her that she would remain at home no matter what and with the help of the local district nurses whom became know by Alex as "His Blue Angels" because of the care and devotion they gave "His Anne" also to himself and the family that love her chating with her and the family daily, and Alex making sure that they were being given all the help that was available, and that level of care they gave became for him an unmesurable thing, not only her but all of their family they were all touched by the level of care they gave.
In the last few hours and minutes of what seemed to be just a normal kind of day tending to her she was we thought asleep as she often did after the nurses had gone. Lisa was not happy at things and said so to her Dad who was in the room about her breathing Alex looked and at first all seemed ok but then he to felt that things were not right, he went to tell Steven to come into the bedroom. Alex was already there Anne`s hand in His, his eyes full of tears as the realization that the love of his life was no longer with them, gone was the love of his life his darling wife of 43 years wonderful years gone in those last few seconds. Around the bed with her, were her children there at their mothers side as she passed away with those who she loved dearly. Then all of them realizing that gone was this woman that was not just Anne, but their mother, gone forever from them and then began the heartache of a life without her around gone in those last few moments hoping she was able to take their love with her and gone with the angels.
This is only a small part of the story of "MY ANNE", MY WIFE, MY LIFE, THE MOTHER OF OUR CHILDREN, THE GRANDMOTHER OF OUR GRANDCHILDREN, GONE WAS THAT SHINNING LIGHT OF HER SMILE, GONE BUT WHO WOULD FOR EVER AND ALWAYS BE IN ALL OF HER FAMILIES HEARTS WITH THE MEMORIES OF THIS WONDERFUL LADY.
THIS IS WRITTEN IN THE WORDS AND MEMORIES OF THE MAN WHO WAS LUCKY TO BE HER HUSBAND..
JUST A VERY SMALL PART OF THE STORY OF A LIFE, THAT WILL ALWAYS BE CHERISHED BY THOSE WHO LOVED HER AND ABOVE ALL BY ME HER ALEX FOR WHOM SHE WOULD AND ALWAYS BE, AND WAS THAT LADY
" MY ANNE "
