| Location | High Howdon, Wallsend, Tyne And Wear |
| Age | 78 years |
| Cause of Death | Cancer |
| Date of Birth | 6/1929 |
| Date of Death | 10/2007 |
| Visitors | 2,629 since 22/12/2007 |
| Creator |
The saying that "Only a mother could love you" says a lot, I think, about mothers. It describes a
love that is totally unselfish, totally giving, totally accepting. That's the way our mother loved
us.
Every single person born has a mother, but nobody has ever had one like ours. That is why today;
despite our sadness we are also giving thanks. Our mam was precious. Our mam really was the best.
Mam was the backbone of our family. She held us together and ruled over us like a true matriarch.
We are giving thanks for a mother who always put us first. We are giving thanks for a mother who
always loved us and showed us so in many different ways. We are giving thanks for a mother who
listened to us when we needed someone to listen. More than that though we are giving thanks for a
mother who meant something different to every member of the family.
Just as each child is different, so too is the relationship a mother has with each of her children.
Some of us are born sentimental, some reserved, some out-going. Mam always knew just what way each
one of us needed to be treated. If that meant telling us off, so be it. If that meant drinking
coffee made with gravy granules, milk and sugar then that’s what we had to do and without
complaint.
Just now we cannot see how we will manage without her. Just now the world seems a lonely place.
Today we want to cry because we have lost the one person who means something good and special in our
lives.
Nobody can ever replace her and that is why we are grieving today. As a family we have memories of
family occasions and how she laughed and enjoyed the company. As individuals we each have our own
special memories of how good she has been to us. We remember today how we made her happy and,
sometimes, how we made her sad. She, though, always forgot and forgave. We remember how proud she
was of each of us and how she could go on at length to others about how her family were head and
shoulders above the rest (in her eyes anyway). We remember how fiercely defensive she was of her
family. If anyone hurt one of us she would be there to take our side, fight our battle and protect
us.
Sometime, years from now, we may get over her loss but we will never ever forget our mam. She
believed in Heaven and there is no doubt that she is now one of the favoured ones sitting on the
right hand of the Lord, because only the best go there and she was the best of the best.
We hope she'll save some places there for the rest of us.
Norah was born in Liverpool on 13 June 1929, 2nd child of Catherine and Alexander Finlay
She had three sisters and a brother: Catherine, Patricia, Monica and Alexander.
She loved her family and was extremely proud of them all, often telling stories of their childhood
together.
She moved to the North East at the age of 2 and lived in Wallsend all her life
She met her sweetheart, Thomas William Lowe and married him at St Columba’s Church, Wallsend on
15th September 1951
Tom and Norah had four children—all girls
Pat 13 Aug 52, Norah 24 Sep 53, Susan 3 June 59 and
Sandra 4 Oct 66.
What words can describe a mother
How can we ever say
How much you meant to us
How lonesome we are today?
There are no words to describe
A mother's love it is true
Certainly there never was
As loving a mother as you.
Our tears are falling because you are gone
Leaving us here to just carry on
Missing your kiss, your gentle
embrace
Trying to fill your empty place
You're with your God and we're below
Watch over us mam 'cos we miss you so.
Norah and Tom have 8 grandchildren and 9 great grandchildren.
Michelle, Denise, Thomas, Steven,
Andrew, Kris, Jonathan and Anna are her grandchildren.
Gary, Michael, Steven, Stephanie, Sam, Lucas, Caitlyn Lilia and Kianna are her great grandchildren.
She possessed dignity and pride
And truly walked in beauty.
Had a kind word for everyone she knew,
taking a genuine interest in each person she encountered.
She had many friends, but no enemies.
That was grandma.
She decorated all of our lives with her beauty,
her patience, her love.
Her presence demanded respect from those around her.
She had a sense of humour
and her laughter was a joyous sound.
Her face was like an angel,
soft and beautiful.
That was grandma.
Sadly we lost our adorable mother on Tuesday 30th October 2007
The Lord came and took her by the hand.
He said to her, “Come Norah, it is time for you to rest”.
Today and everyday we celebrate the life of Norah
Her family, friends and neighbours are gathered together to give thanks for having their lives
touched by the most loving, genuine and honest
person.
Without her life will never be the same. She leaves a sad and broken husband and a devastated
family.
Her funeral service took place at Holy Cross and St Aidan’s RC Church on Thursday 8th November
2007
She was buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, St Peter’s Road.
The final resting place for her earthly body is close to that of her beloved
Parents.
Her beautiful soul is now with God.
Letter written to Mam in July 2005 after bad news. She never read it in case it made her sad.
Dear Mam
I am writing to you instead of thinking about you. When I cant sleep I will write and when you cant sleep you can read! I thought it would make a change from listening in those headphones. I am imagining you now at your seat beside the kitchen table with your specs on and a tab and a cup of tea......and oh god those awful bloody hankies.
It has been a hard few weeks and no doubt you are wondering what lies ahead. The middle of the night is probably the worst time for letting your mind wander and worry. Through the day for the most part its probably possible just to manage to stop yourself, especially if your off to Andys to see his decking!
Anyway when our Jonathan finished his time at Holy Cross they gave him a year book. It had a poem in it, a very well known poem by a well known unknown author ha ha! I read it at the time, as I have read it many times before, and thought what a lovely story. I t has come in to my mind very very often recently and I think how apt it is and how comforting it is to me at the moment. I hope you find it comforting too:
Footprints
Last night I had a dream. I dreamed I was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from my life. For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand: one belonged to me, the other to the Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me, I looked back at the footprints in the sand. I noticed that at many times along the path of my life, especially at the very lowest and saddest times, there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it. “Lord, you said once I decided to follow you, You’d walk with me all the way. But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life, there was only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
The Lord replied, “My son, my precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of suffering, when you could see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
But I have to say when you get too heavy for him, me and our Susan and Norah and Pat and Dad will carry you to that bloody General Hospital and back!!!!
We have all lived with this cancer and no treatment for two and a half years, now is the time to blast it and shrink it. You may feel worse before you feel better but I do know for an absolute fact that this is going to make you feel better for a finite time- I mean no one lives for ever. In the time your feeling better we will live life to the full and try to enjoy something every single day even if it is just a trip to the Jolly Bowman or the pleasure of sitting in the sun watching the school come out. This is of course assuming none of us get run over by a bus or have a heart attack in the meantime!!
Our Jonathon won 'most exceptional student' award from his summer school and got prizes and free tickets to wet and wild. He said that they said he won because he was good at maths but did not brag about it and put other students down. So I am bragging about it instead!
Oh and I cant wait to tell you the story of my nightmare at work.
Well good luck for your dummy run the mora, I will probably call and see you in the morning. I hope you have been able to understand my letter in the middle of the night.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Because She is a Mother
She broke the bread in to two fragments and gave them to her children who ate with avidity.
'She hath kept none for herself' grumbled the sergeant.
'Because she is not hungry' said the soldier.
' Because she is a mother ' said the sergeant.
Lots of love, Sand.
She is gone
You can shed tears that she is gone
or you can smile because she has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that she'll come back
or you can open your eyes and see all she's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see her
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember her and only that she's gone
or you can cherish her memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back
or you can do what she'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.
Thanks Mam for giving us the strength of character to go on even though you are not here to share it with us.
We love you more than any other mother has even been loved before.
My Grandma
Grandma
I never in 27 years spilt a drop of cake on the carpet, I always ate over the sink, everyday I used to come in from school to see you & Grandad, all the sweets and chocolate you gave me was just a bonus!!
Everyday you used to measure how much I grown with a pencil mark on the wall you always deliberately moved the line up just because you knew how much it meant to me for grow.
As I got older my visits became less frequent I am so sorry for not being their often enough, I know you loved it when I took you for fish and chips yet I still never took you often enough. I never got the chance to say how much you meant to me and how much I love you so much.
You are a wonderful person a fantastic mother and grandmother and should be so proud of your wonderful daughters who adore you, their hearts and mine are breaking and you will never be out of our thoughts. I am honoured you met my daughter and she will miss you so much.
I love you grandma always and forever. Good night and god bless.
Andy
My Grandma
You never said 'I'm leaving'
You never said goodbye
You were gone before I knew it,
And only God knew why
A million times I needed you,
A million times I cried
If Love alone could have saved you,
You never would have died
In Life I loved you dearly
In death I love you still
In my heart you hold a place,
That no one could ever fill
It broke my heart to lose you,
But you didn't go alone
For part of me went with you,
The day God took you home.
so sorry
MERRY CHRISTMAS NORAH I KNOW YOU DON'T KNOW ME BUT I NEW YOR DAUGHTER, PAT, MISS GROOM FROM WHEN I WENT TO GOSFORTH WEST. SHE WAS THE BEST TEACHER EVER & I WANT TO THANK YOU THE WAY YOU BROUGHT HER UP. ITS SO SAD TO SEE HER SAD. I DON'T SEE HER VERY OFTEN NOW BUT THINK ABOUT HER ALL THE TIME. ITS JUST A SHAME YOU ARE GONE NOW BECAUSE DEEP INSIDE SHE NEEDS YOU. I KNOW PAT CAN GET THROUGH THIS BUT IT WILL TAKE A LONG TIME. JUST TO LET YOU KNOW I THINK ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME EVEN THOUGH I KNOW I DIDNT MEET YOU BUT IF YOU WERE ANYTHING LIKE PAT YOU WER E A STAR & I HOPE YOU LOOK DOWN ON PAT BECAUSE I KNOW HOW MUCH SHE LOVED, LOVES & MISSES YOU. SLEEP TIGHT ANGEL. LOVE TERI FLAMSON, LET NORAH LAY TO SLEEP
For those who suffer,
and those who cry this night,
give them repose, Lord;
a pause in their burdens.
Let there be minutes
where they experience peace,
not of man
but of angels.
Love them, Lord,
when others cannot.
Hold them, Lord,
when we fail with human arms.
Hear their prayers
and give them the ability to hear You back
in whatever language they best understand
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