Mum, Sarah Elizabeth ( Lily ) was born in County Wexford on October 25, 1920. she was brought to England at two weeks old and travelled here with her Mother Sarah Jane French and older sister Kitty their transport was a cattle boat and Lily slept in a manger, they came to join Lily's Father Martin Moses French who had come to England to find work. At arround 6mths of age Lilly was very ill and not expected to live but she pulled through and although the Dr said she would not live past her 1st Birthday she celebrated another 88 yrs, she would tell us stories of sitting up on the roof of the family home down by the promenard in Rock Ferry, and watching the bombs being dropped over Liverpool, her Father built his own boat which he kept on the Mersey at Rock Ferry Lily often went out on the boat and although she could not swim she wasn't affraid of the water her Father also built his own caravan which he kept on a farm owned bt the Williams family out in Wales, I think the entire family have very fond memories of our trips out on the boat and ho;idays spent at the caravan, Lily was very much like her father and could turn her hand to anything, the word can't just did not exist in her vocabulary. Lily married James Alfred Johnson on 7th May 1945 ( the day the war ended ) and it was the only wedding that day in Birkenhead, Lily went on to have four children, Martin Alfred, 21/02/1946, Margaret Patricia, 23/07/1947 ten years later Gillian Elizabeth 05/01/1957 then me Frances Joyce 20/04/58, Lily was a special lady she did everything she could for her children, Lily worked as a dinner lady at two schools on the Woodchurch where we grew up, Arrowe Hill School and secondly St Michaels School while at St Michaels she met Marion Parry one of the teachers and she began working for Mrs Parry, through her work at Mrs Parry's Lily began working for lots of other people, Marion Parry, Ann Carter, Mary and John Godwin where her main people Lily had really fond memories of these times especially Ann Carter and Mary and John Godwin, these two families had their own children and Lily loved them almost as much as her own, if anyone had a problem they always went to Mrs Johnson, her knitting and sewing has travelled the world, as we where growing up Mum (Lily) would take us on walks and we would walk for miles, we would walk to Moreton, sit and have our lunch on the beach then we would walk to West Kirby and across to Little Eye by Hilbre, it wasn't just her own children she would take on these walks almost every child in our street came with us at one point or another, and it never worried her how many she took at one time, on some occasions there must have been 10 or 12 children, on the odd occasion we would be late home yet not one of the other parents worried about their children all they ever said was they are with Mrs Johnson they will be fine, Lily retired from her work at the age of 72, but she was never still, she continued doing her knitting, even though she suffered from arthritic pains in her hands, some of her last knitting was for her Great Grandchildren, she was always in her garden she loved having her garden to potter arround in, well not just her own she would potter about in my garden for hours at a time when she came to stay at the weekends, I knew that with my Mum I could do anything, Lily was not just this wonderful lady she was My MUM and Best Friend, I will love and miss her more than words could ever say, and I hope those of you who knew Lily will add to this Memorial your own memories of her. R.I.P Mum, God Bless You and Goodnight, your loving Daughter Frances xxxxx