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A Tribute to Commander Joan Entwistle - 30th June 1947 to 28th November '05 As many of you know, our dear friend and fellow Royal Ranger: Commander Joan Entwistle - also known to those in the Fellowship of the British Isles as Lady Joan the Friendly - was called home to be with our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ on the 28th November 2005. In tribute to Joan, this area of the website is to be left, until further notice as place where fitting tributes in remembrance of her can be left. If you feel
that you wish to contibute an item for this page, please let us know through the usual channels. Joan was the youngest of six children, four girls and two boys, and until the age of eleven lived in the small terraced house where she was born on Cocker Hill, Stalybridge. She always said she had few clear memories of her childhood, but the ones she could recall were usually very funny in hindsight but not so funny at the time. When she was about five, she was delighted to find out that Santa had brought her a dolly with real hair! She called her Brenda. Never a day passed without Brenda's flowing locks undergoing some beauty treatment or other until one of Joan's sisters decided it was time she had a go at being hairdresser and proceeded to pour a kettle of very hot water over dolly's lovely head. Joan likened the outcome to "a withered hairy walnut with one sad blue eye!" Then there was the time the rag and bone man refused her pleas for the shiny red and yellow bow and arrows she longed for and instead fobbed her off with a chunk of donkey stone because her bundle of rags was too small. Joan always liked school, beginning at the new St. George's Infants, then old St. George's Juniors and moving on until she was fifteen to the local Central Secondary School. After leaving school she worked in the cotton mill where she had many good friends and always seemed to have happy memories of that time. In 1968 Joan married her first boyfriend, Pete. They were blessed with beautiful twin girls, Julie and Victoria, but sadly Vicky only survived until she was four months old, and another baby daughter, Joanne was born 2 years later. From about the age of three Joan attended Mount Street Mission with her brothers and sisters, taken along there by a lovely neighbour, 'Aunty' Nellie Stones, who was one of the Sunday School teachers at the 'Mish' as the children fondly called it. Joan recalled when she was about eight she used to go to bible club where the child who learned the most verses was rewarded with a bag of marshmallows. Joan laughingly claimed that her ability to quote scripture in later life probably began with her liking for sweets! In 1974 Joan brought her little girls to the Mission Adventure Club which was run by Graham Lee and myself. It was at the end of one of these meetings that Graham and I prayed with Joan and so began her journey into a life committed to serving the Lord and giving her testimony to so many others over the years. Soon she became involved in young people's ministry, beginning with the Don Summers Crusade and working with the 'Good News Group' mainly in Stalybridge. Around 1988 Joan was introduced to the 'Royal Rangers' ministry and along with others from our church, she undertook the leadership training course. She was absolutely over the moon when she achieved 1005 in the counselling and bible study questions. She quickly endeared herself to the youngsters, working with them on a weekly basis, going to events and on camps where she excelled herself in the catering department! She could stretch five loaves (large sliced) and two fishes (economy boxes of Fish Fingers) to feed the whole camp and still have some slices left over for toast! If Joan ever heard of any one a bit down in the dumps, she would pray for them first them bless them wit hone of her delicious apple pies. She was known and loved for her generosity and any visitors to her home would have a struggle on their hands if they tried to leave before she'd fed them! She took on responsibility of Treasurer/Secretary for the North West Section of Royal Rangers, in time becoming treasurer of the Fellowship of the British Isles too. When she was knighted into the Fellowship, Joan was given the title 'Lady Joan the Friendly' which was well deserved as she offered true friendship to everyone she met. Although Joan became ill quite early in 2005, she continued to carry out her commitments to Royal Rangers, even on an overnight Buckaroo Camp in April.
In October 2005 is was unanimously agreed to acknowledge
her dedication by awarding Commander Joan the Richard
Earl Trophy which is given to those who continue to carry As National Commander, I had the honour of making the
award to Joan whilst she was in hospital. She wasn't a great
one for awards and used to say that she did all she did for She often said "Our acceptance by God doesn't depend on good works but simply on what Jesus did for us on the cross." She quoted Rev. Toplady 'Nothing in my hands I bring, Simply to the cross I cling'. Commander Joan had loved the Lord as her Saviour for over
31 years and always loved the verses that Graham and I had
prayed with her on the night she first received Him: Psalm As one who knew Joan as a family friend, co-worker,
fellowship member and valued Royal Ranger colleague, I have
lost my very very best pal. She was such a special person; National Commander Bob Holland -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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