A FAMILY’S connections to Holsworthy , which date back to the 1800s, and maybe even earlier, have ended, as the last surviving member has passed away.

Joyce Goodey, long time resident of Holsworthy, recently passed away. The family will miss her but Holsworthy will remain a home from home for Joyce’s four grandchildren.

Chris Medland, Joyce’s grandson, spoke to the Post about his family’s connections with Holsworthy. He said: “Our mother, Christine Goodey (later Medland) was Holsworthy born and raised and her mother, Joyce Goodey, our gran, before that also.

“As far as we can work out from the family tree the Edwards side (my gran’s maiden name) have been around Holsworthy since at least as far back as the 1800s, probably much longer.”

Delving into the past Mr Medland has discovered that not only is the family deeply connected with Holsworthy but they are also related to a famous British inventor.

Richard Trevithick, a well-known British inventor born 1771 and the co-inventor of the first working railway steam locomotive, is a distant relation of Mr Medland’s on his mother’s side of the family.

However, all previous members who once lived in the Holsworthy area on Mr Medland’s mothers side of the family have passed away, he said: “Our mum died tragically young some twenty years ago, our grandfather, Frank, three years ago, our eldest sister was tragically taken also last year and now, with great sadness, our much loved gran died, bringing to an end our families ties to the town.”

Mr Medland’s grandmother, Joyce (Una) Goodey, will soon be resting in peace on the corner of North Road and Canal Road at Holsworthy Cemetery.

She will join her husband, Frank (Cyril) Goodey, her daughter, Christine Mary Goodey, and her brother Ken and parents Lewis and Mable Edwards (nee Skinner) in the cemetery.

This brings to an end the family’s living connections with Holsworthy.

Mr Medland said he has many fond memories of his own of Holsworthy and that his family feel they will always have an affinity with the place no matter where they go, he said: “For over 40 years Holsworthy has been a home from home for me and my brother and sisters.

“We have great childhood memories of playing in Stanhope Park, getting toys at the bazaar and our grandfathers garden vegetable patches off Chapel Street and later at Pins Park.

“Our family’s living relationship with Holsworthy may now have ended but we will be back to visit the graves and will always have an affinity with the place that has helped shape our lives.”

Mr Medland said that he looks back on his early memories of Holsworthy with fondness. He told the Post about his grandparents, Frank and Joyce Goodey (nee Edwards) and of his visits to their home in Holsworthy, he said: “Frank and Joyce were proper grandparents.

“I have early memories of helping gran clean offices and the floor of the Methodist Chapel as a four year old — no doubt more in the way than of help. They worked hard all their lives.

“They were always patient, they cared for us and we all enjoyed simple pleasures together — we all loved them both very much and they were a large part of what was a great childhood.

“As we grew older they were there for advice and unconditional love and would always set an extra space at dinner for us and friends, despite sometimes humble resources.

“Generous, caring and fun, if I ever have the honour of becoming a grandparent I hope that I can be like them.”

With the death of his grandmother comes the end to the families living connections with the town but Mr Medland has said he will always have an affinity with the place.

Mr Medland said that although the family are saddened by the death of Joyce, he and his siblings will be proud to tell their children about the families connections to the Devon town, he said: “We felt it is important that when people visit the cemetery that they understand that, despite the collection of surnames, many people there are related to each other, loved each other, and have a story to tell.

“Joyce has left three grandchildren and three great grandchildren and we are all deeply saddened by her death.

“I will tell my children about her and our other relatives who are at peace in Holsworthy not with sadness but with a feeling of good fortune that they all lived and we had a share of their lives.”