"AN articulate, eloquent and discerning lady," said one of the letters received by the family after the death of Daphne Munday of Sandford.

It also described Daphne as "a wonderful person who loved her community, her countryside and surroundings and her family."

How she managed to combine looking after her family, much historical research, helping with the farm and everything else that came with being a farmer’s wife is quite amazing, especially when remembering Daphne never learned to drive.

She was born in Derbyshire. Her father, a teacher, was offered a post at Crediton Grammar School and the family moved to Kennerleigh in the 1940’s.

Daphne and her sister went to Crediton Girls’ High School. Daphne went on to work on a small farm at Chittlehamholt.

Her family say she was persuaded to go to a Young Farmers’ party at Upton Hellions. Chris Munday had also been persuaded to go. They got married at Kennerleigh in 1955, their first home being Church Cottage at Upton Hellions.

In 1959 a tenancy became available on the Creedy Estate at North Creedy Farm. By then they had the two children - Jean and David.

In 1968 they moved to Town Barton, then on the edge of Sandford. Chris became involved in the village and Daphne becoming more and more so, especially the WI.

She had become a committee member then secretary then, for several years, was treasurer. She usually walked to the meetings at Summerhayes from their North Creedy home.

She regularly exhibited at the Revel, was much involved in catering for village events.

Their farm was part of the Creedy Estate. In 1975 the whole estate was on the market when Sir Patrick Ferguson-Davie and his family decided to live in Cyprus. The estate was sold to a consortium of the remaining farming tenants and Creedy House was split into separate homes.

Her family said that Daphne’s love of history had come to the fore when she began researching the history of Town Barton.

David said: “Unfortunately the records had been in the Creedy House which had burned down in 1915.

"This didn’t stop Mum’s research and she would take herself off to Exeter on the bus to the Records library and note down anything she could find about Sandford and Upton Hellions.

"People would lend her photos and interesting articles. Mildred Glass encouraged Mum to go further and write a history book.

"After five years of research she produced ’A Parish Patchwork’, the 300-page history of Sandford and Upton Hellions.

"Until the book was printed in 1985 the family hadn’t appreciated how much work she had put into the project”.

That book won Daphne the Heritage section in the 1987 Ford Conservation Awards, a lovely glass trophy and a cash prize. Daphne designed the front cover and the line drawings are her own work. Copies might still be available if you are lucky. It was reprinted in 2000 with some additions.

The family also said: "While Mum was writing her book she still had time to make her own dresses, produce amazing patchwork quilts, learnt and then taught many people how to make corn dollies, produced lovely picnics for everyone bringing in the harvest, baked her own bread and made her famous fruit cake."

When they began to step back from farming she and Chris took many trips abroad. Everything went into Daphne’s scrapbooks, dating from when she was at school. These total 60 full of family and local news. Chris died in the spring of 2000.

David and Jean both got married and the family had formed the Snarligogs skittles team, Daphne going on to play for Margaret Phillips’ team for 25 years or so.

Her family grew with two grandsons but then Daphne then fell victim to dementia, spending the last seven years at Summerhayes. The family have been very grateful for the wonderful care given to Daphne.

After a private family service at the Exeter and Devon Crematorium a celebration of Daphne’s life was held at St Swithun’s Church, Sandford, taken be Rev Paul Fillery.

David gave a tribute to his Mum, a reading was given by her eldest grandson Jack and a poem written by Daphne was read by grandson Samuel.

Sue Read