WELL-KNOWN Mirfield woman Mrs Nellie Sykes, of Oddfellows Street, died at Dewsbury District Hospital.

Mrs Sykes, 93, was a founder member of Mirfield Afternoon Townswomen's Guild and a past president and chairman.

She was also a founder member of Mirfield Age Concern, along with her late husband, Mr Joe Denton Sykes, who was founder-secretary. Mr Sykes died in 1999.

The couple met at the former Mirfield Northorpe Methodist Sunday School and were married at Hopton URC, then Hopton Congregational Church.

After their marriage they lived in Battyeford and were active at the Methodist Church, where they helped to produce many children's shows.

Mrs Sykes helped at the Sunday School where her husband was Sunday School superintendent.

Later they lived on Nab Lane near the Co-op store, before moving to Oddfellows Street some 30 years ago when the flats there were newly built.

Although they had no children of their own they were aunt and uncle to many nephews and nieces.

As a child, Mrs Sykes, her late brother George and her younger sister Doris, who survives her, lived at Mirfield dockyard where her father, the late Mr William Hennell, was in charge of building and repairing the canal barges.

Nellie was well-known in Mirfield and Dewsbury, where she worked for 27 years in the millinery and haberdashery departments of the former J & B's store.

During the war years she was an inspector in the bomb department at an aircraft factory at Wellington Mills, Mirfield.

Mr and Mrs Sykes enjoyed dancing and helped to organise dances at Trinity Church and various church halls in the town.

In their later years the couple became members of Mirfield Salvation Army.

Mrs Sykes also attended Mirfield Day Centre on Oddfellows Street and was a member of the Society for the Blind of Dewsbury, Batley and District.

She attended activities at Ings Grove organised by Age Concern and enjoyed crafts such as card-making and painting.

Mrs Sykes's funeral was held last Friday at Mirfield Salvation Army Hall, followed by committal at Dewsbury Crematorium.