FRIENDS and family are mourning one of Teesdale's oldest residents.

Mary Walker, of Copley Lodge, South Side, near Butterknowle, died on January 14, aged 101.

Mrs Walker, who was known as Mollie, had lived in Teesdale all her life and was born at the Royal Hotel, in nearby Woodland, on January 9, 1904.

At the time, Woodland was a busy colliery village and, after leaving school, she helped her parents, Isaac and Mary Dew-hurst, who were landlords at the hotel. Mrs Walker met her late husband Elijah at a dance in Woodland and after they married they moved to a farm at Copley Lodge.

When they first worked on the farm, there was no power and the advent of electricity in the dale was one of the major changes which Mrs Walker witnessed.

The couple had four children the late Mary, Albert, June and Kenneth.

Albert Walker said: "She was one of the greatest.

"She was quite quiet and didn't say a lot, but she had a real wealth of memories."

Mrs Walker celebrated her 100th birthday last January with a small family party and always maintained she had no secret for her longevity.

When she was younger, Mrs Walker was a keen member of Butterknowle Over-60s Club and the Mothers' Union, at Woodland.

She was also a regular member of Lynesack Church and the family have requested donations to church funds in lieu of flowers at Mrs Walker's funeral.

The funeral takes place at St John's Church, Lynesack, next Tuesday, at 1.30pm and is followed by a private family cremation.