A COUNCILLOR who held the joint record for long service in Grove parish will be remembered at a memorial service on Saturday.

Sheila Cotton, former chairman of Grove Parish Council, died after a long illness at the age of 84.

Amongst her long career of public service, Mrs Cotton was the district commissioner for Girl Guiding, served on the Joint Environment Trust, the Wantage and Grove Caring Network, the Further Education Committee, the Friends of Grove Library, the Women’s Institute and the Mothers’ Union.

With four daughters, six grandchildren, six great grandchildren and two great, great grandchildren, her family described her as a woman who “fulfilled the traditional role of housewife”.

Her daughter Susan Cotton said: “She was an accomplished homemaker, though the Christmas jumpers and matching berets sometimes left a little to be desired.

“She lived with enthusiasm and commitment, she was interested in everything and devoted her time to her local community and the ideals she believed in.”

Mrs Cotton was born Sheila Husler in Birmingham on September 2, 1928. She trained as a shorthand typist and worked for the Forestry Commission. She married Percival “Val” Sydney Cotton on March 25, 1950, and they had a lifelong happy marriage.

The couple shared common passions for gardening, wildlife, history, natural history and supported each other in their separate interests until his death in 1996.

When Mr Cotton’s work moved the family to Oxfordshire, they bought a house in Grove.

Mrs Cotton campaigned tirelessly to improve the community and local services.

She started the local playgroup and the Brownies, worked as a school governor and worked with others to establish a day centre for the elderly in Grove.

When she was first elected on to Grove Parish Council in 1969 she served for seven years.

She was re-elected in 1987 and served a further 20 years until 2007, including stints as chairman from 1993-1994 and again from 1995-1999.

She served 27 years, a record only equalled by W Stevens who served from 1894-1921.

In 2007, approaching her ninth decade, Mrs Cotton decided to retire and relax with family and friends, free from what she called “the ever-growing avalanche of frustrating, time-wasting, expensive bureaucracy presently swamping local government”.

She died in November and is survived by all of her children and grandchildren.

The public are invited to attend the memorial service on Saturday at St John the Baptist Church, Grove Main Street, at 2.30pm.