NORA 'Vinny' Vickers was a stalwart of village life who became a much-loved figure in The Hanneys, near Wantage.

She lived in the area for 93 of her 97 years, contributing to the community as a newsagent, fundraiser, school caretaker and more.

'Vinny' Vickers was born on July 18, 1922 in Lyford, near Wantage.

Her dad, Ernest Ballard, was a carter, while mum Louisa was a housewife.

'Vinny' was the youngest of their five children, but her older brother, Sydney, died of meningitis aged 15 and another brother, Clifford, passed away at just five days old.

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The family soon moved to North Green, West Hanney, with her father employed at the nearby Rectory Farm.

'Vinny' attended St James C of E Primary School in East Hanney, but left education aged 14 to enter domestic service at St Mary's School, Wantage.

The Second World War began not long after and she was soon busy working alongside engineers at Dandridge's Mill in East Hanney, making components to help the war effort.

During the conflict, Ms Ballard gave birth to her eldest child, Brienne, and in 1946 she married Bill Vickers, a young conscript from Milton.

The couple's son, Ian, was born in 1954 and the family moved to East Hanney, where Mrs Vickers took on cleaning jobs and delivered daily newspapers for several years - even in the icy winter of 1962/63, when both Hanneys were cut off for several weeks.

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She took on a newsagent's business, but this was overshadowed by the death of her husband from a heart attack in 1966.

Despite this considerable setback, Mrs Vickers continued to throw herself into the community, becoming a school caretaker, learning to type and passing her driving test aged 51.

This equipped her for a new job in the prison supply department at the Home Office in Steventon, near Didcot, which she began in 1973.

Mrs Vickers's outstanding work ethic saw her gain several promotions before she retired aged 65 in the late 1980s.

Outside of work, she played an active role in life in the Hanneys and helped out with fundraising at many village carnivals down the years.

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For more than 20 years, Mrs Vickers volunteered at the shop shared by the villages and also delivered meals on wheels.

Her mother helped set up the Hanney Womens Institute in the 1920s and she carried the torch for the family.

In 1991, Mrs Vickers was one of two members chosen to represent the branch at a Buckingham Palace garden party marking the organisation's 75th anniversary, hosted by The Queen.

She also loved the countryside and was often seen tending to her allotment while chatting to residents.

Her daughter died in 2014, while Mrs Vickers herself passed away peacefully at a care home in Chipping Norton on July 7. She is survived by her son.

Mrs Vickers's funeral took place at Garford Crematorium, near Abingdon, on July 18 and her ashes will be interred with her husband, at St James the Great Church, West Hanney.