Family’s grief at loss of grandmother eased by Christmas day delivery

Dec 29 2011 by Alistair Watson, West Lothian Courier

A FAMILY’S grief at the loss of a grandmother was eased on Christmas day by the birth of a new baby.

Mother-of-eight Mary McKay (84), passed away at 7pm on Christmas Eve following a short battle with lung cancer just hours before the birth of her 19th grandchild Isla Mary Jane Campbell.

And new mum Jane (42), said the arrival of Isla has given the family something positive to focus on after the loss of Mary, who she said had devoted her whole life to her large family.

Jane said: “We felt mum was hanging on just to see Isla arrive but I didn’t want to see her in pain and told her to go and be a guardian angel for my baby.

“She passed away on Christmas Eve and Isla was born in my house on Christmas morning. It has given the whole family a lift. There wouldn’t have been many smiles around if she hadn’t come along when she did.

“My mum was delighted when she found out I was pregnant again and she said it was like history repeating itself as she had me when she was aged 42 as well.

“I already have two sons and I have always wanted a daughter and my mother was convinced it was going to be a little girl.

“We didn’t want to know the sex of the baby until it was born but when mum discovered she was ill she wanted to know.

“The midwife at my scan tried to see but Isla wasn’t playing ball so we couldn’t find out. I told my mum she would just need to hang around and find out but, unfortunately, Isla arrived just too late.

“But mum would have been so happy about me getting a daughter and her being born on Christmas day.”

Mary, who lived her whole life in Bathgate, was well known in the town and in her younger days she used to deliver milk around the area on horse back. She later went on to work in Bangour and Gogarburn hospitals as a nursing assistant.

She married husband Harry in 1949 and had eight children, 19 grandchildren, 17 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. The couple were happily married until Harry’s passing in 1981.

Mary lost daughter Alice as a baby to cot death and son John died eight years ago. She is survived by children Martha, Henry, Mary, Geraldine and Jane.

The Bathgate woman was keen to do her bit during the Second World War and was aged just 16 when she first went to work in the Woman’s Land Army hostel and then in various farms across the county.

Her efforts as a Land Girl were finally recognised in 2008 when she was presented with a badge and certificate by MP Michael Connarty at the British Legion in Bathgate.

A devout Catholic, Mary was well known for her singing and piano playing in St Mary’s Church in Bathgate and even had a private audience with Pope John Paul II in 1982 when he visited Scotland.

Jane said: “Her religion meant a lot to her and she was very active in the church. She went on pilgrimages to Lourdes and Medjugore in Croatia and was the secretary of the over-60s club.

“She loved singing and would always get a sing song going where ever she was.

“Her big love was her family. She came through a lot in her life and was a very strong and charismatic lady.

“She very much kept everyone in line as the family matriarch. She was such an important person in so many people’s lives, not just the family but friends and neighbours too, that we feel it is poignant that she left us on such an important day like Christmas Eve and will be buried on Hogmanay.”

There will be a rosary for Mary tonight (Thursday) at 7.30pm at her home in Race Road.

The funeral mass will be said on Saturday, December 31, at 9.30am at St Mary’s RC Church in Bathgate and thereafter at Bathgate Cemetery.