Mrs Vera Cruse - 1915 - 2014

Vera (Schofield) was born in Thornbury, Bradford on the 17th November 1915.

She started her primary education, at the age of 5, in the local primary school, which however, she didn’t like, so transferred to a small private school adjacent to Thornbury tram shed. Here she was taught reading, the geography of the English counties and ‘used a proper slate to do her sums’.

In the same year that Vera started school, her father bought a shop at Thornbury roundabout; this was Vera’s first home with electricity & she continued to live there until she got married. As a child she joined her parents on Sundays at Sunfield Methodist Church, which started her love of singing. At age 9 she transferred to Pudsey Grammar School (tram ride from Thornbury to Stanningley Bottom then a walk up Richardshaw lane to save the extra 1d tram fare).

In 1931 Vera left school , initially working at English Electric, but after a few months switching to work at Scott’s photographic shop in Bradford, where she stayed until the beginning of World War 2 when she started work in Bradford Council’s Finance Department. The employment at Scott’s was the start of her lifelong interest in photography.

The war years provided Vera a few milestone events;

• 26^th March 1942 – Vera was called up & enlisted in the Army, joining the Tank Corps.
• 28^th March 1942 – Richard Cruse & Vera got engaged.
• 16^th June 1943 – Richard (Pudsey Town Clerk) & Vera got married. They rented 199 Old Road, Farsley for the next three years.
• 6^th January 1944 – Sergeant Vera Cruse was discharged from the army, due to pregnancy. John was born later that year.

In 1946 Richard & Vera purchased No 1 Radcliffe Gardens and second son Alan was born in 1947.

In the 1950’s, family holidays at Flamborough, were instrumental in her appreciation of the importance of the lifeboat to local fishermen. This led her to organise her friends into the Pudsey Ladies Lifeboat Guild, which staged various fundraising events. In recognition of her sustained contributions, in 1995, she was awarded the RNLI Gold Badge.

Vera’s love of the east coast had started earlier, with a holiday with work colleagues to Cober Hill, Cloughton in 1936. These visits continued with Richard until 2008 with regular summer & Christmas visits.

Together with her participation with Pudsey Allotments & Cottage Gardeners’ Association (see below), she was also an active member of the Pudsey NSPCC Committee for forty years & served a similar term with the Pudsey Ladies Luncheon Club.

Her love of sport included active membership of Pudsey Lawn Tennis Club, the local Badminton Club & most of Pudsey’s Bowling Clubs plus involvement in the Keep Fit Club.

Her keen interest in crafts involved joining classes to learn woodworking & jewellery making.

Following Richard’s death in 1996, Vera lived contentedly in Crawshaw Road until 2009, by which time she felt the need for more help and was fortunate to find a welcoming environment at Larchfield Manor in Harrogate.

Vera was much loved by her 2 sons, 4 grandchildren & 4 great grandchildren.

Vera Cruse:

President of Pudsey Allotments & Cottage Gardeners’ Association 1992 to 2010

Vera was a regular exhibitor & supporter of PACGA from the 1960’s onwards. Despite her busy schedule she would always manage to display some worthy exhibits.

Vera loved the spring flowers and with the advent of our spring shows she regularly exhibited Hyacinths and a beautiful pot of Fritillaria Meleagris, which returned regularly for many years. She was joint first winner of the inaugural Jack Brotherhead Memorial trophy in 1994 and won it outright in 1997, 2000 & 2005 (just a couple of months short of her 90^th birthday). She was also the first person to exhibit orchids in our shows.

Vera was elected President in 1992 & continued in that role until she moved into Larchfield Manor in 2009/10. She did offer to retire just after her 86^th birthday, and continued to do so at each subsequent AGM, but such was her standing within the Association that we managed on each occasion, with a little gentle arm twisting, to retain her services and benefit from her undoubted talents.

Vera was a Lady in the true sense of the word; always well-dressed for the task in hand, she exhibited poise and personality with a cheerful countenance. She had an indomitable spirit, proven by the success of her charitable roles. To the end, such was Vera’s positive outlook on life that after spending a few minutes in her company the world seemed a better place.

Pudsey owes a debt of gratitude to Vera Cruse - she will be sorely missed.

Terry Wetherald

President,

Pudsey Allotments & Cottage Gardeners' Association

I am indebted to John & Alan Cruse for the information on Vera’s early life