TRIBUTES have been paid to one of the founder members of a Derby church who has died at the age of 101.
Great-grandmother Mary Williams, known as Mother May to friends and family, was a founder member of the Assemblies of the First Born at the Holy Trinity Church on London Road, as well as being a nurse in the city.
Mary came to Derby from Jamaica in 1956 on her own and began sending money back home to help support her family. She worked at the Manor Hospital before retiring in 1971.
Her home was in Normanton, initially in Lowerdale Road before she moved to Hastings Street, where she lived until her death from heart failure at the Royal Derby Hospital.
Grandson Paul Shippey, 42, said his grandmother had a huge influence on the whole Jamaican community in the city.
Paul, of Lyttleton Street, Derby, said: "Everyone knew my grandmother. You used to dread going shopping with her as it would take all day.
"Everyone wanted to speak to her. She always had a huge amount of love for everyone that she spoke to and would do absolutely anything for you."
Last year, 400 people attended a huge party in honour of Mary's 100th birthday and the Derby Telegraph interviewed her about her experience travelling to England.
She said: "It was on a boat and it took a very long time. I remember seeing the White Cliffs of Dover and thought it was so beautiful."
She initially came to Derby because she had friends in the city. She then went to London but only stayed for six months as she missed the friendliness of the Midlands.
She said: "I really liked it here, everyone was so friendly and nice to me – everyone was nice to everyone. They would say 'hi' in the streets, it was really friendly and wasn't like that in London at all."
A devoted Christian, Mary put her own money and time into the creation of the Assemblies of the First Born, which began on Upper Dale Road, close to her home.
Her granddaughter, Maria Dodson, 43, said: "She used to run the choir and was even on Songs Of Praise years ago. She always made sure that there were fresh flowers for all the events, from baptisms to weddings and funerals.
"And she baked cakes for everybody. She would make them all at home in her little kitchen and she had a shelves of dried fruit all soaking in rum and other spirits.
"You would never dare drive after one of her cakes, that's for sure.
"She made my wedding cake as well. It was five tiers and traditionally you keep the top tier. But people loved it so much that it all went. But they were all secret recipes that she never passed on, so they have all disappeared now."
A keen organiser, Mary put together trips away to the seaside for coach loads of people and even supplied food for everyone as well.
Paul said: "I particularly remember that when Prince Charles came to Normanton, she made me and Maria take out cups of tea and cake to the police and the people waiting outside. She was just that type of person.
"We are expecting hundreds of people at her funeral. We want to it to be a real celebration of her life."
Mary's funeral will be held on Thursday, October 9, at 10am at Holy Trinity Church before a burial at Nottingham Road Cemetery and then a wake at Metro Inns, Macklin Street.
