ELSIE Battersby died peacefully at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely, on December 6, following a long illness. She leaves three sons, Richard, Alan and Philip, and four grandchildren. Elsie was born in Stockport in 1920 where she was raised with four

ELSIE Battersby died peacefully at the Princess of Wales Hospital in Ely, on December 6, following a long illness. She leaves three sons, Richard, Alan and Philip, and four grandchildren.

Elsie was born in Stockport in 1920 where she was raised with four siblings. She met her future husband, Frank, at an ARP post in Stockport during the blitz and Frank's war service meant they could not marry until 1947.

After the war, Frank qualified as a pharmacist and with Elsie's help he managed a pharmacy at Greefield, in Lancashire. In 1954, they moved to Cambridgeshire with their young family where Frank took over the running of the Haddenham Pharmacy. Elsie devoted her life to assisting Frank with the business and raising her family. She became well-known around the neighbouring villages as the pharmacy van lady.

Elsie also took an active part in village life and became a member of the Mothers' Union and Women's Institute. As Frank's health declined in his later years, it was Elsie who took over much of the responsibility for running the pharmacy.

After retirement in 1984, Elsie and Frank stayed in Haddenham and were able to enjoy an active 15 years in which they travelled widely and spent holidays on the Norfolk coast. They both became involved with running the Haddenham Day Centre for retired people and attended regular WEA courses and Elsie was able to pursue her hobby of porcelain painting, jewellery making and cookery.

Frank's health began to deteriorate and they had to curtail some of their activities, but still enjoyed the company and support of their family who lived locally. After Frank's death in 2003, Elsie's health began to decline and she was admitted to the Princess of Wales Hospital in 2004.

The family would like to thank all the nursing and care staff at the hospital for the consistently high standard of treatment that Elsie received.

The funeral will be conducted by the Rev Stephen Watts at the East Chapel at Cambridge Crematorium today (Thursday) at 1.45pm. The family has requested donations instead of flowers and these should be given to the Princess of Wales Hospital and the Welney Ward Patients' Trust Fund.