Bessie Coppack passed away peacefully on the 21st January 2021 in Knutsford.
Bessie Coppack was one of Over Peover longest permanent resident at the age of 92.
Bessie was born at Rose Cottage, Peover Heath on the 4th December 1928; the eldest child of Alice and Charles Ward. Bessie had a pre-deceased brother called Ernest.
Bessie moved to Laundry Cottages at the age of five and went to school in Over Peover to the age of 14 years. During the war she helped to pick potatoes for a company called Braithwaites before taking up the position of dairy maid for Mr Griffiths at Peover Hall Farm. At the age of 17 joined the Land Army, of which she was very proud, working for Mr Huntbach at Hollins Green Farm at Cool Pilate in Nantwich. Bessie had to leave the Land Army earlier that she would have liked as her mother became ill and she was needed at home to look after her.
Bessie met her future husband Ernest Coppack at the age of 17 while in the Land Army. They married at St Lawrence’s Church in March 1948. They had four children David, Diane, Peter and Joan. Eventually having 8 grandchildren and later for Bessie 15 great-grandchildren. Ernest passed away in 1979 at the age of 60 leaving Bessie a widow for almost 42 years.
Bessie had various other jobs throughout her life including school caretaker at the local primary school, turkey farming for Mr and Mrs Stokes and lastly working in a newsagents in Knutsford retiring at the age of 67.
Bessie was a parish councillor for 25 years, secretary for the British Legion at the now disbanded Chelford Branch, remaining a member of the British Legion to the end, and was also a renowned poppy seller round the village. She was also a founder committee member of the village’s over 60s Christmas party and was on the Parochial church council for a many number of years.
Bessie was a very keen crown green bowler playing for the Dixon Arms Ladies team and also at Radbroke Hall for a short time. She had to give up bowling after suffering a bad fall which damaged her right shoulder.
