'An exceptional woman': Yorkshire’s oldest person and third oldest in UK dies aged 112

Margaret Cryer, the oldest person in Yorkshire and third oldest in the UK, has sadly passed away.

Margaret, of Dewsbury, died on June 24, at the age of 112.

She was born on November 25, 1913, eight months before the outbreak of the First World War, and was the daughter of Charles and Helen Lister of Caulms Terrace, Thornhill.

They lived in a semi-detached house opposite the church of St Michael and All Angels where Margaret worshipped as a child. She attended the local Church of England school and later she became a member of the youth club.

In Margaret’s words, she had a “lovely childhood.” In her teens, Margaret was diagnosed with a weak chest and it was decided to arrange a visit to Switzerland where she stayed for several weeks. Mountain air did the trick and she returned home with a definite improvement in her breathing.

In the late 1920s, Margaret met Granville Cryer at the church youth club and the two were married in Dewsbury Registry Office. After the wedding, they lived in a very comfortable house in Grasmere Road, off Leeds Road in Dewsbury.

Granville worked for an insurance company and during the Second World War was recruited by the Ministry of Defence, travelling to London at the beginning of each week and returning home for the weekend, while Margaret worked as a volunteer at the maternity unit at Dewsbury Hospital, a role she loved.

Always willing to help where she could, she agreed to assist in the cafeteria of Bicker’s, a high-class furniture store and ladies outfitters in Dewsbury, where she served afternoon tea in very attractive surroundings. Bicker’s held mannequin parades showing the outfits of the season, and Margaret introduced the fashionable clothes. She often bought her outfits at the store and she was known for her sense of style and interest in her appearance, visiting the hairdresser on a regular basis.

After wartime austerity in the 1950s, Margaret very much enjoyed dancing to a live orchestra at the annual civic ball at Dewsbury Town Hall.

After Granville died, Margaret met Philip Bentley who took her under his wing. Margaret always said she had been fortunate to have two lovely men in her life.

Living alone and now in her 80s, Margaret moved into a small cottage in Westtown. The front door had three steps leading from the yard and once inside there was a staircase to negotiate with a dog’s leg bend at the top. Margaret referred to this as her “gym.”

The sitting area and kitchen were at the top of the stairs, with comfortable chairs for callers, of which there were many. When Margaret became housebound, the Rector frequently visited her to conduct short services and holy communion, as she had been a long-time regular at Dewsbury Minster.

In her early 100s, she was unable to go out so often but mentally she was extremely alert and was always interested in current affairs. A visiting volunteer nurse commented that there was no sign of dementia and that Margaret’s memory was excellent.

Margaret’s longevity was extraordinary. As a baby, she was delivered by Doctor Petticrew from Thornhill and she remained with the same GP practice for 111 years. A practice nurse rang Margaret every Monday morning to check on her health, but Margaret always asserted that she was well, and refused to have carers in the house. She was a model patient, not having to take any medication. Her only carer was her nephew, Nigel, who travelled from Leeds several times a week, bringing her shopping and doing the cleaning.

As is the custom, Margaret received a card from the King and Queen each year after she reached 100, and these were proudly displayed in her house. She was also the proud recipient of a certificate from Macmillan Cancer Support charity for her work collecting donations in local shopping malls, accompanied later by Philip.

Margaret was the oldest person in Yorkshire and the third oldest person in the United Kingdom. She truly was an exceptional Yorkshirewoman.