Emotional second re-dedication service for war memorial

A SECOND, emotional service of re-dedication has been held for the Trinity War Memorial at Frodsham Methodist Church.
It was held to mark the completion of the restoration project and also the 100th anniversary of the death of the only woman listed on the memorial – Staff Nurse Ethel Saxon.
The service was led by the Rev Andrew Emison and attended by a large congregation including Weaver Wale MP Mike Amesbury, Mayor of Frodsham Cllr Alan Oulton, deputy Mayor Cllr Frank Pennington, Junior Mayor Jack Dewhurst, Royal British Legion branch chairman Len Rugen, and Cheshire West and Chester councillor Lynn Riley.
Also present were Lynn Lynch, great niece of Ethel Saxon, who had travelled from Cardiff with her husband, Nigel.
The memorial was originally re-dedicated in October 2015 following restoration by Frodsham’s World War One Commemoration Working Group, in partnership with Frodsham Methodist Church and with funding from the Town Council.
At that time, it was not possible to read one of the names on the badly weathered memorial, to a space was left blank.
But research by two members of the working group, Heather Powling and Ken Crouch, led not only to identifying the “missing” person as Staff Nurse Saxon, but also to tracing her relatives.
It was thought appropriate to hold a second service to coincide with the 100th anniversary of Ethel Saxon’s death.
Lynn Lynch laid flowers at the memorial, working group members Allen Wales and Pammi Taylor read Ethel’s story and the Roll of Honour. Len Rugen read the exhortation and the Rev Emison re-dedicated the memorial.
Afterwards, Pammi Taylor said: “It was a momentous day for us – very emotional. Members worked hard to get this right and it is satisfying to see the project come to a successful end.
“We are grateful to Lynn and Nigel for coming up from Cardiff. They had not known about their great-aunt being so honoured in Frodsham before we made contact with them. It was wonderful after all this time to see what Ethel looked like – Lynn had brought a picture with her. It was also gratifying to see such a large congregation inspite of the wet and
windy weather.
“We are now working to have the memorial at St Laurence Parish Church renovated next year – ready for the Remembrance Sunday, marking the end of the War.'”
For further details about the working group contact Pammi Taylor on 01928 731932.

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