Helene Sturrock, whose Angus craft shop became a national phenomenon, has died aged 85.
She founded the outlet in Letham, Angus, in 1974 because she could not find materials for the soft toys she made for charity.
Helene reckoned if she had trouble sourcing materials, others would be in the same position.
Her instinct proved correct and the business went from strength to strength and she worked in it until the day she died.
Its drew customers from the Dundee, Angus and Aberdeen areas and many made trips from England just to find the right craft materials.
Letham Craft Shop, which is still operating after 49 years, was run as a decades-long partnership with her husband Bill, 88, believed to be the oldest Letham-born resident in the village.
He brought his baking and picture framing skills to the business, which is now headed by the couple’s son, also Bill.
Helene was born in Huntly in 1937 to railwayman James Faskin and his wife Helen (Mellis) who came from Keith. She was the eldest of three children and had sisters Edna and Patricia, both deceased
After spells living in the Edinburgh area through her father’s work, the family settled at Auldbar Station, Letham, when her father was appointed station master.
Language skill
Helene was educated at Forfar Academy where she was proficient in Latin. This led to her gaining a job in Valentine the chemist, East High Street, Forfar, where her skills were put to use reading prescriptions which doctors still wrote in Latin.
It was at a dance in Letham Feuars Hall to mark the late Queen’s coronation in 1953 that she met her future husband, William Sturrock, always known as Bill.
He was a carpenter in his father’s joinery and undertaker’s business and also the dance caller that night.
The couple married in Letham Church in December 1958 and went on to have two of a family; William (Bill) in 1960 and Nigel in 1963.
While Helene raised the family, her husband continued to work as the village carpenter and undertaker.
It was while Helene was making soft toys for the leprosy mission that she encountered the shortage of material that prompted the formation of the craft shop.
Her son, Bill said: “A lot of people thought she was foolhardy to open a specialist shop in Letham but she proved them wrong and became established as a supplier of specialist materials for crafts and hobbies and built a large customer base.
“People travelled significant distances and I recall one lady making the journey from Sunderland to buy buttons.”
A cafe was added to the shop in 1986 and when her husband sold his joinery business in 1988/89 he joined his wife in the craft shop.
He did all the baking and was known for his home-made soup, with lentil being a particular favourite.
Remarkably, the couple lived in the same house in Auldbar Road, Letham, since they were married, although they did extend it considerably.
You can read the family’s announcement here.
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