ALMOST 80 years ago a group of young Sisters wearing the brown habit of the Franciscan Servants of Jesus and Mary came to live near Crediton.

They included a young girl, Sister Hilary who had joined the group not long before. She became Mother Hilary, leading the Sisters from 1964.

Mother Hilary died this month aged 92. She was born on June 12, 1926 at Cowes on the Isle of Wight.

When she was 15 she went to the Sisters for a holiday. They were then living on the Island. From then on she made her life with the Sisters.

This was the early part of World War Two. The Sisters were advised to leave the Island and they came to Devon, first to a house at St Thomas in Exeter with Mother Teresa.

Then a property came up for sale near Crediton - Posbury. The group of a dozen women bought the house in 1942. It was not at all unusual to see one of the Sisters driving their tractor in the fields, tending to their animals or driving to shop in Crediton, always wearing their brown habits.

Sister Mary would even drive the tractor into Crediton collecting sacks of seed potatoes and other necessities, carrying them in the tractor and small trailer.

Mother Teresa retired in 1964 and Mother Hilary was elected in her place. Mother Teresa died in 1979 and is buried there in their own graveyard, as are all the nuns of Posbury and their beloved pets.

They would work from dawn to dusk, pausing for prayer in the fields as

necessary. Trying to be as self-sufficient as they could using the produce of their fields and greenhouses.

At one stage they had pigs and chickens.

Sister Giovanna, the last woman to join them, looked after the bees which produced copious amounts of honey for them.

When they held Retreats at Posbury, the nuns would vacate their bedrooms for their visitors and move into a small extension of individual cells.

The visitors used the main staircase and the nuns always used the back staircase. All cooking was done by the sisters who ate their meals first, then served the meals up for the Retreatants.

Mother Hilary loved cooking and always made masses of marmalade and jam from their own fruit for the annual Open Day at Posbury.

They have a cottage in Cornwall and would take it in turns to go there for a holiday, something Mother Hilary enjoyed very much.

One person who has been much involved with the Nuns for a long time said that so many people in Crediton and surrounding area have been touched by Posbury.

The funeral service for Mother Hilary is to be held at Crediton Parish Church on Tuesday, March 12 at 11am, afterwards at the Boniface Centre.

There will be a private burial at Posbury where Mother Hilary will be laid to rest with her fellow sisters.

There will be a retiring collection in lieu of flowers for Hospiscare or donations can be made direct via A White and Sons, Albert Road, Crediton EX17 2BZ.