A stalwart of the women’s section of the British Legion in Kidlington has died aged 96.

Helen Farley (nee Tonge) had been president of the section for about 20 years up to her death.

She volunteered for the organisation for many years with her late husband Fred, who won the Military Medal for an act of bravery during the Second World War.

Other groups she was active with were the Red Cross, Afternoon Townswomen’s Guild, Kidlington Choral Society and Kidlington Methodist Church.

Over the years she had also assisted with playground duties at the Blenheim Road infants’ school in Kidlington, and served tea and coffee at various functions, jumble sales and raffles.

With her daughter Gill, she visited Keep Fit Association rallies around the country.

Ilma White, of the British Legion’s women’s section in Kidlington, said this week: “Helen did just about everything over the years.

“She was a good fundraiser and helped in any way she could. She still loved to make the tea, even though she was president.”

Helen Tonge was born on August 31, 1914 in a small mining village near Ferryhill, County Durham, to parents Richard and Annie.

She had two sisters, Maud and Mary, and two brothers, Thomas and Richard, all of whom have passed away.

After school she and her sisters went into house service and her brothers went to work in the mines.

She was working at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock when she met her future husband, Fred Farley, who lived in the town with his parents.

They married on August 7, 1939 in Chilton, County Durham, and bought a house in Evans Lane, Kidlington, and stayed there together for 69 years.

But for the first six years Mr Farley was away after volunteering to join the army during the Second World War.

He was serving with British troops in North Africa when his detachment came under attack from German bombers.

As they returned fire, ammunition in their Bofors gun jammed, forcing them to dive for cover. Mr Farley, the sergeant in charge of the unit, ran to the gun, removed the jammed ammunition and got the weapon back in action, earning a medal for his gallantry.

During that time Mrs Farley worked at the Morris Radiators factory in North Oxford to pay the bills, later transferring to work in a nursery.

The couple had their daughter Gill in 1946. As her daughter grew up, Mrs Farley carried on working so that the family could afford to send her to ballet and dance lessons.

She then went to work for the Burton family at the Grade II-listed Mill House, in Kidlington, and stayed with them up until the early 2000s.

By then, she had gone from looking after children and housekeeping to doing smaller jobs a few days a week.

Mrs Farley and her husband enjoyed holidays together from camping to top-class hotels, including at one point a visit to Brunei to stay with their nephew Harry.

When Mrs Farley’s husband died in April 2008, she continued to live in Evans Lane for three years before she moved into Longlands Care Home, in Cassington.

She was an active member of Kidlington Methodist Church and attended the monthly prayer sessions at Longlands.

Mrs Farley died on March 2, after a long period of illness. A funeral was held on March 11 at Oxford Crematorium.

Mrs Farley is survived by her daughter Gill, granddaughter Teresa and great-grandsons Ben and Josh.