TRIBUTES have been paid to a courageous and well-known former Wrexham market stall holder.

Eileen Jones, of Borras Park, died peacefully at home surrounded by her family on December 30. She was 95.

Mrs Jones was originally from Norris Green in Liverpool and joined the Women’s Land Army when she was 19.

During her time in the Land Army she met farmer William Herbert Jones (known as Bert), who lived on Cae Glas Farm in Bronwylfa, and they married in Liverpool in 1946.

They had three children named Les, Val and Linda.

Bert Jones died in 1968 and after leaving the farm in Bronwylfa, where the family lived, Mrs Jones bought a stall in the Butchers Market where she told toys.

The Leader:

Her daughter Val Shone, who now lives in Stratford upon Avon, told the Leader: “Mum started working at 14 in Liverpool, eventually working in the Liver Building.

“She was employed there taking a job that men had vacated because they’d been called up.

“After the war she couldn’t return to that job because the men had been promised their jobs back.

“She had a house built in Coedpoeth after she was widowed.

“She was very strong and courageous to take that on with three children still at school. This was at the same time that she took over the toy stall.

“We sold all kinds of toys there - everything you could think of from jewellery sets on cards to prams and tractors and all kinds of things.

“It was a lot busier in the market then than it is now.

“Lots of people my age would have bought toys from her and we have had some people saying they remember buying cars from her since she passed away.

“She did enjoy it, and really liked going to the toy fairs in Manchester before Christmas to look at all of the toys.

“Me and my sister helped as well. We used to work there every Saturday when we were at school.

“My brother would be working at home, mowing the lawn or putting shelves up.

“She retired when she was about 58, which was around about 1982. By then she had a few grandchildren, so she started to help looking after them too.”

Mrs Jones’ son Les, a builder based in Wrexham, sadly died in 1999 at the age of 48.

Val added: “She loved gardening and watching the snooker when she retired, and she used to like going out dancing too.”