A much loved mother, grandmother and great grandmother, Mrs. Wilma Violet Crowe, née Fawcett, passed away peacefully on January 28, 2016, at South West Acute Hospital.

She enjoyed good health, prior to a short illness. Aged 87 years, Wilma would have celebrated her 88th birthday in March. 

Formerly Fawcett, she was the only child of Arthur and Frances Fawcett. Wilma was brought up on the family farm at Tullyavy, Ballinamallard. She was educated at Shanmullagh Primary School, Ballycassidy, and continued her education at the Technical College, Enniskillen. 

Wilma met and married her beloved husband on April 25, 1949, Mr. Stephen Crowe. The couple made their home in Belfast but shortly returned to the family home at St. Angelo, Ballycassidy to assist on the farm. The couple raised a family of four daughters, Anne, Denise, Allison and Desna. 

Wilma focused on her family, home and also supported her husband on the farm. Wilma and Steve soon became very involved in the local community holding many events such as The Annual Pheasant Shoot, ploughing competitions and their farm was used for education training by the students of the Enniskillen Agricultural College for Best Practice Techniques in Farming. Wilma was renowned for her hospitality; no-one ever left her home feeling hungry.

After selling St. Angelo farm they moved to Wilma’s parents’ farm at Tullyavy to assist her ageing parents until the demise of her beloved husband. After the loss of Steve, she sought to fill the void with continuing to become more involved within the community through new pursuits such as The British Red Cross, rising to the rank of Deputy Commandant; she enjoyed driving the ambulance at many of the events she attended. 

Wilma valued her many friends and enjoyed the deep friendships cultivated throughout her long life. She volunteered at a children’s clothes shop called Montys, which was owned by a friend and later volunteered at Jolly Tots Community Play Group which was run by one of her daughters, where she was known as ‘Nana Crowe’ to all the children. Her generous and loving presence will be sadly missed by all who knew her.

Wilma dearly loved her family and really looked forward to visits from her four daughters, nine grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. Family get togethers were a source of much joy to her. Wilma also enjoyed her weekly trips to the Killyhevlin Hotel,  Enniskillen, jokingly referred to as her ‘second home’ by her family. 

Wilma also loved to travel, having visited many countries such as America, Singapore, Australia and many Mediterranean countries with members of her family and friends; one of her favourite destinations was to visit one of her daughters in Cambridge. 

In her youth, Wilma attended Trory Parish Church and later attended Lisbellaw Free Presbyterian Church where she and Steve played an active role as founder members of building the Bethel Free Presbyterian Church, Enniskillen. At this time, Wilma and Steve had given their lives to the Lord and became born again Christians in the early 70s. Wilma’s faith sustained her through the loss of her husband and her father six months later, and her unfaltering faith was evident during her short illness in hospital.  

Her funeral service held on January 30, 2016 at Bethel Free Presbyterian Church, was conducted by the Rev. Raymond Robinson and Pastor Harry Dowds. The hymns were ‘What a friend we have in Jesus’, ‘Jesus loves me: this I know’ and ‘Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine.’ Burial was at Ardess Parish Churchyard, where her husband had been laid to rest.

Wilma is survived by her four daughters and their husbands, Anne (Frank), Denise (Mervyn), Allison (Bob) and Desna (John) and nine grandchildren: Simon (Ann-Marie); Julie (Peter); Peter (Stephanie); Gary (Karen); Susan (Paul); Louise (Lewis); Stephen; Rachel (Sam); and Rob. She leaves eight great grandchildren: Lily-Kate; Elise; Micah; Jesse; Alethea; Rosalind; Joshua and Charlotte, the wider family circle and her friends.

The Funeral Directors were Austen Stinson, W.T. Morrison, Enniskillen.