MARJORIE (Marge) Wright, 98, of Royal Wootton Bassett, was the eldest of Liza and George Titcombe’s four children, and was born at Greenhill, near Hook, on January 27, 1917.

Her father, an agricultural worker, had been a regular soldier who served with the Royal Hussars in both Boer Wars.

Mrs Wright was a pupil at Hook village school (now a restaurant) and on leaving at the age of 14 became a kitchen maid at St Mark’s Vicarage in Swindon, where she used to wave to engine drivers as trains passed nearby.

Later she worked nearer home, at Restrop Manor, before returning to St Mark’s as parlour maid.

Later she worked at Savernake vicarage, and came home for tea once a fortnight.

Life was hard in the 1930s and 1940s, and the family lived off the land.

They had a huge vegetable garden, kept chickens and pigs, and shot rabbits, pigeons and pheasants. Water was drawn from a village well, and later from a standpipe in the front garden.

Trips by pony and trap to the cinema at Wootton Bassett (now Crumps butchers shop) were thought of as a great treat.

In the Second World War, Mrs Wright worked at a munitions factory in Swindon.

As troops returned from Dunkirk she went with the Red Cross to hand out tea, cake and cigarettes at the railway station.

She was also on Fire Watch.

Later, she worked for an aviation company at Lyneham before joining the staff of the NAAFI, where she met Roy, a Welshman who became her husband.

Their first home was a sparsely furnished two-bedroom cottage at Greenhill.

There they had five children – Michael, Malcolm, Melvyn and twins Joy and Jill.

The family moved in 1950 to a new council house in Tinkers Field, Wootton Bassett.

Roy had two allotments to grow food for the family and repaired their shoes.

Marge had various cleaning jobs in homes and school, and later worked for an Old Town greengrocer, and at the Green Shield stamps shop.

Mr and Mrs Wright created a very happy home for their children, and occasionally had a holiday in Wales, with Roy’s relatives, and day trips to Weston-super-mare, by train from Wootton Bassett station.

A family tribute recalled: “Marge was never materialistic – her passion was people – her family, friends and neighbours.

She also loved animals, especially her dogs, and the birds that visited her garden.

She would always give cups of tea to gypsies and rag and bone collectors who called at her door.

She enjoyed spending time with friends, and when no longer able to go out on her own, she socialised at Lorna Doone Day Centre.

Mrs Wright also leaves 5 children, 14 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

Even at the end of her life, she knew them all, remembered their names and birthdays and was proud of each one.