I never had the privilege of meeting Mrs Lily Parries, but from what I have known of Dessa, and to a lesser extent, Nan, I feel that I have known their mother in a real sense.
She was born Lily Black, in Montrose, in 1895, one of a family of five children. Her three brothers, Harry, David and George, and her sister, Nan, were called home before her, so she was the last surviving member of her family.
 

  Lily went to school in Montrose, and it's true to say that her heart was always there. After she left school she found employment as a weaver in one of the mills which were then a feature of Montrose.

  Just after the First VJorld War Lily met an ex-army man by the name of John Farries. Although he came originally from Hawick, John's schooling was done in Nairn. In 1920 the two of them were married in Dundee, and they later moved to set up their home in Kelty.
Lily was a very quiet, retiring person, but John was just the opposite, very outgoing and very involved in village matters. In all that he did in and for the village of Kelty John always had the support and encouragement of his wife. The two of them had a very happy marriage. In some senses they needed only each other, and they found great contentment together.

  That contentment increased as their family were born -Jack, Nan and Dessa, who was always known as the bairn, right up until Lily passed away.
Lily's two greatest pleasures were her family and her Church, and she was an active member of the Woman's Guild in Kelty for many years.

  She enjoyed knitting, and many were the things she knitted for her family and for others. Being brought up at a time when' money was scarce she learnt all the skills needful to a good housewife and mother, and she was adept at dressmaking and cooking. With these skills she gave a great deal of love, something which she somehow put into everything she did.

  She and John - or Jack, as everybody knew him - loved to go walking. In fact they walked together so much that the folks in Kelty called them the honeymoon couple. They were closer to the truth than they realised, for their marriage was a long honeymoon, years of blessing and contentment.

  Lily never interfered with others, but she always had a word of common sense and good advice when it was needed. She had that rare gift of imparting that advice in such a way that you couldn't help acting upon it.

  As the years passed there came grandchildren - Jackie, Kenneth, Leslie, Alan, David and Craig, and one great-granddaughter - Katie. Lily and Jack loved them all, and took great delight in spending as much time with their family as they could.
They visited their family over in Canada on a number of occasions, and left there memories of a lovely couple.

  When Jack died in 1983 part of Lily died too. They had lived out what it means for two people to become one in marriage, and it was natural that part of Lily should go with Jack. But she had great faith and a strong will, and she coped with her new situation until just a couple of years ago. That was when her health began to give cause for concern. During all these years Dessa and Alex and Craig had maintained a close relationship with Lily, always there, and always showing their love in different ways. In some ways too they stood in for Nan and Jack who were far away, and who were only able to come home from time to time.

  Even in that time, and especially when it became necessary for Dessa to spend most of her time with her mother, Lily's main concern wasn't herself. She was more concerns that all this wasn't affecting Alex and Dessa. That was her way.
Always putting others before herself.

  About three weeks ago she' suffered a stroke, followed shortly afterwards by another smaller one. She was getting over that when she took a massive stroke last Friday. Mercifully, she simply slept quietly away this week. The God whom she reflected so well in her own life called her gently home.

  Lily Farries will be missed by a great many people, but the way she was is the way she will always be in our memories. And the way her family will be too, as they live out what their mother has taught and shown them.

  She has left behind a great treasure and a wonderful store of happy memories: And, whilst we would have wished to keep her much, longer, we know that her life has reached the point where it must be continued elsewhere, in the presence of the Lord who loved her and gave Himself for her. And with those whom she loved and who went before.

  So it isn't just words when I say let us thank God for Lily Farries. And let us commend her family to the care and comfort of the loving God who has taken Lily home to be with Him