During recent months, a number of Chediston and Linstead residents have sadly passed away. A few notes and memories from friends and family are shared below. They were all part of the Chediston and Linstead rich tapestry and will be sadly missed.
If you have a friend or family member who you would like mentioned here, please email your thoughts to chedlinweb@gmail.com
Nesta Wilson
Nesta Wilson, of The Almshouses, died peacefully on 2nd September after a short illness. Nesta lived in Chediston for many years, and loved the village. She taught at Halesworth Middle School for some years, and in more recent times she worked as a caregiver in the community. She was also active as a volunteer at Halesworth Volunteer Centre.
Nesta leaves behind her daughter (Robbie), son (Andrew) and two grandsons. She loved cats, and some of you may have seen her on her daily walk round the Community Field with Moki, a feral stray who with Nesta’s love and patience became her companion. She will be missed by all who knew her.
Valona Boreham
Richard and Valona (Lona) moved to Chediston 54 years ago, and brought up their children, Andrew and Helen, at Thornton House Farm. Lona loved the outdoors and gardening, planting and nurturing the garden throughout her life. Guiding was part of her life and she became a Queen's guide. She worked in a pathology lab where she specialised in bacteriology and haematology and loved the cross matching and blood grouping. She liked knowing she was helping people. She also had a love of music and played Irish Folk music, with family and other musicians at fairs in East Anglia and in Ireland.
Her funeral, with a woodland burial, took place on 27th July. Lona was buried in a willow coffin under a Rowan Tree with an insect hotel close by all of which was in keeping with her love of the natural world.
Moira Lesley Morton (nee Thorp)
Born in 1931, Moira moved to Chediston with her daughter Ann and son-in-law Graeme. She was a committed Christian and member of the church, and faith was her guiding light.
Moira was an avid reader and a published author of fiction, letters, plays, short stories, poems and articles. One of her articles, on cures for warts, even found its way into ‘The Lancet’! Moira was also a member of Halesworth Bridge Club and the Chediston & Linstead W.I. She was well known in the community, joining in with as many village activities as were offered: table-tennis, carpet bowls and craft afternoons. Everyone soon learned to stand well back when it was her turn to throw the bowls! Her great annual treat was watching Wimbledon, both live and on TV, and had it been played this year she might even have hung on for another fortnight.
Barry Curtis
The funeral of Barry Curtis took place on Monday 27th April in the churchyard of Chediston St Mary’s. While lockdown meant that only his wife Sam was able to attend the funeral, a number of villagers attended to pay their respects (while appropriately socially distancing of course)!
Barry and Sam moved into Chediston in 1973. An accomplished artist, Barry illustrated Doug Cady’s book on the history of Chediston and also created a cartoon village map with humour depictions of some villagers and their homes. He also set up the village table tennis club and was still playing when almost 90.
Ruth Downing
Mrs Ruth Downing of Chediston died suddenly on February 29th 2020, aged 91. Born in Suffolk, she moved to Chediston following her marriage to Peter Downing. She was an active member of the local community, running Chediston’s Poppy Day appeal, writing a book on the genealogy of some local families and a volume of information entitled “Halesworth an ecological society”.
She was an active participant in Halesworth's first environmental appraisal and was a founding member of its Millennium Green initiative. She was also a regular member of Halesworth Tennis Club's team for many years and afterwards carried on playing up until a few years ago.