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Mr Ken Howells of Llanishen
- 13th May 12
It was a sad day when we learned of the death of Ken Howells. To many at Penterry, Ken was the man who for some years had tamed the churchyard at St. Mary’s – not to manicured perfection, but, as befits a country churchyard, he left the wildflowers to bloom and seed, before the laborious task of mowing got under way. Ken was born into a large local family, and worked for most of his life in forestry and agriculture. His brother tells many delightful tales of childhood mischief, but as a man, Ken was capable, considerate, calm and dependable. His sense of humour rarely deserted him (a true asset if you are working with animals!), and when things went wrong, he would crack a wry joke, come up with a fresh idea and see the job through. On his retirement, and following the death of his wife, Lil, Ken took on the care of both the churchyards at Penterry and Trelleck Grange churches as well as general garden work. But at his funeral, attended by many friends and family, it became obvious that he will be most remembered for his generous nature and willingness to help anyone less able than himself. The repeated theme was that he supported the housebound, aged or infirm right up until his final illness. All this he undertook in a modest and quiet manner. He was truly an example to us all.
It was a sad day when we learned of the death of Ken Howells. To many at Penterry, Ken was the man who for some years had tamed the churchyard at St. Mary’s – not to manicured perfection, but, as befits a country churchyard, he left the wildflowers to bloom and seed, before the laborious task of mowing got under way. Ken was born into a large local family, and worked for most of his life in forestry and agriculture. His brother tells many delightful tales of childhood mischief, but as a man, Ken was capable, considerate, calm and dependable. His sense of humour rarely deserted him (a true asset if you are working with animals!), and when things went wrong, he would crack a wry joke, come up with a fresh idea and see the job through. On his retirement, and following the death of his wife, Lil, Ken took on the care of both the churchyards at Penterry and Trelleck Grange churches as well as general garden work. But at his funeral, attended by many friends and family, it became obvious that he will be most remembered for his generous nature and willingness to help anyone less able than himself. The repeated theme was that he supported the housebound, aged or infirm right up until his final illness. All this he undertook in a modest and quiet manner. He was truly an example to us all.
Welcome to Penterry Online
St. Mary's Church, Penterry stands alone on a ridge above the Wye Valley to the North of Chepstow, with sweeping views across beautiful farmland and forests. Once the parish church for a community believed to have been wiped out by the plague, St. Mary's fell into disrepair before being restored in Victorian days, and was again at risk of closure until a number of local residents formed a committee in 2001 to raise funds to breathe new life into the church.
As a result of their efforts and the generous support of numerous individuals and organisations, St. Mary's is once again able to provide a focal point to the scattered community of Penterry, both through monthly communion services and through continuing fundraising activities aimed at completing the restoration of the fabric of the church building and churchyard so that it can fulfil its intended role as a hub for the community.
2009 saw exciting developments at Penterry thanks to grants received from Rural Community Action Monmouthshire and the Welsh Assembly Government's Sustainable Development Fund in the Wye Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The grants supported our efforts to raise funds through the second Penterry Photography Competition, and helped us to strengthen our community through the launch of this website.
We hope you enjoy what you find, and we look forward to hearing from you. If you would like us to keep you up-to-date with Penterry events and news, click here to register your e-mail address.