Remembering Peggy

Remembering Peggy

Margaret Rose (Peggy) Treloar was born in Plymouth in 1933 during the time of the Great Depression.  Peggy’s mother Gertrude sought work where she could, usually in service or domestic work. These were difficult times for a single mother with four children to support. Eventually they returned to the Falmouth area where, in the early days of WW2, Peggy remembered the town around the area of Jacob’s Ladder being bombed, as well as the Methodist Church.

The family moved to Mawnan Smith where Peggy attended school for the first time. Being an ‘outsider’, Peggy’s life was made far from easy by some of her classmates. Happier times came when she started attending Sunday School, which probably sowed the seeds of her Christian faith. Here too she met and made new friends, one of whom, June, she remained in contact with until the end of her life.

After the war the new Welfare State promoted the development of social housing such as the ‘new buildings’ built at the top of Porthkerris. Gertrude and Peggy settled into one of the worker’s cottages with Peggy’s sister and her husband, with her brother and other sister living close by with their families. These were happy times for them all and they often went to Godrevy beach, to enjoy their time off and where Peggy learnt to swim. In later life, with fading memory, Peggy often referred to the ‘new buildings’, which must have been a reminder of cheerful times.

   Peggy now went to Porthallow School, and on Sundays managed to go to Sunday School in Porthallow in the morning and Porthoustock in the afternoon. After leaving school, Peggy began work picking and packing at Trenoweth Flower Farm where she made new friends and was well-liked. Shortly after this, Peggy took a job in the Rule’s village shop. She remembered being told off only once, for being shy!

Around this time, Peggy began seeing Denis and after their marriage in St Keverne Church, they began life in Denis’s family home at Coronation Cottages and then moved to Lemon Street.  They had four children: Nigel, Rachel, Peter and Ruth. Tragically both Rachel and Ruth were to pre-decease Peggy. Soon after Nigel’s birth in 1956, Peggy’s faith was tested when Denis became unwell with TB, and underwent major surgery and convalescence at Tehidy, where he stayed for over two years.  Until he was allowed home Peggy went to see him as often as she could, by bus or a lift from family or friends,

In 1965/66 Peggy started a new chapter of her life when she moved to a new house at Treskewes, which was part of the new Social Housing Plan.  About this time Penmenner was built, part of which was sheltered housing for older people. With this came the opportunity of a job with the council as one of the wardens. Peggy loved this job. It was more a vacation than work. She shopped in the village for various residents and would be seen coming up from the village armed with shopping; emergency alarms in the middle of the night were never met with annoyance, and all received birthday and Christmas cards.

   But, as in her early life, Peggy still had tough times ahead. Her daughter Ruth was seriously ill as a baby; Gertrude died not long after, and a car accident in which Denis was badly injured put paid to his new career as electronics engineer at Culdrose. Despite these challenges Peggy was a loving wife and mother, supporting her husband and children in all they did. They enjoyed long summer days at the beach at Godrevy as well as taking trips farther afield in the UK and abroad.

Another sadness came in 1994 when Denis passed away after developing pneumonia in hospital whilst waiting for an angiogram that had been delayed for some days.  

Peggy retired in 1998, although beyond retirement age and she was able to buy her home. With more free time and her bus pass Peggy loved visiting her friends and family, many of whom lived in Helston. Flora Day became an important event for her and she watched with pride as her grandchildren took part in the dancing.

 Towards the end of her life Peggy became one of the first members at Forget-Me-Not Memory Café, where she enjoyed her Thursday afternoons, having a chat and some tea and cake often in the company of her niece, Joyce. There were also trips out to The Flicka Donkey Sanctuary, Trevassack Lake and Roskilly’s for a cream tea (she liked her food!).

Just after Christmas 2023 Peggy gradually became physically weaker. She had spent six or seven weeks in hospital and when she returned home she developed sepsis. Although she fought hard to recover she sadly began to steadily decline, passing away in hospital with her son, Peter and Hayley, her granddaughter, on either side of her.

Life was often hard for Peggy, but there were joyful times too. She was always caring, gentle and sweet natured, and loved by all who knew her.

We will remember her with lasting affection.