ERNEST JAMES OVENDEN on Friday, 24th May. He died at St. Martin's
Hospital after a long illness.
Em was born on Boxing Day 1913 at Brook Place, Bridge. He was the
seventh child in a family of four boys and four girls. Their father was Head-
Gardener for Mr Anderson at Bridge Hill House. The family moved to a lovely
house called ‘The Gardens’ and lived there until the second world war.
Em attended Bridge School and started work as a gardener. Later he
became a lorry driver for Yeomans of Canterbury which became part of British
Road Services. He travelled to many parts of the country as a result of his work
and was always glad to get back to his home and family at Bridge.
Em and Emma Julia were married at Bridge Church in October 1937 and
they lived in the same house in Dering Road, Bridge until his death. He will be
"early missed by all his family and many old friends.
Those at The New Close are naturally accustomed to deaths among the residents
but the passing of DOROTHY MAY WHITCOMBE on 3rd June was greated
with particular sadness by all who knew her. Her only local contact was as a New
Close resident but in her time there she became much loved as a pleasant, appreci-
ative, quiet lady. A simple cremation sen/ice took place at Barham on llth June,
at which the vicar officiated.
Older residents of Bekesboume well remember Mrs KATHLEEN DEEBANK as
the life and soul of the village's social scene, most notably in the now defunct
Bekesboume Women's Institute, of which she was treasurer and a leading light.
Known to everybody as Mrs Deebank she first came to live at Bekes-
boume with her husband in 1943. Before the war and from their marriage in 1932
the Deebanks ran a small-holding at Knutsfield in Surrey. When the war came
they rnoved to Wingham (Mrs Deebank had lived there as a child) before coming
to Bekesboume to run yet another small-holding at St. Quentin in Bekesboume
Lane. When Mr Deebank died the small-holding was broken up but Mrs Deebank
carried on living in the house and spent the rest of her life there. She would have
;en 96 next month.
The vicar officiated at a funeral service in Bekesboume Church on 18th
June and at the interment in the churchyard afterwards.
Mrs Thea Carr has asked me to pass on to all concemed her most grateful thanks
for the very many tokens of affection and support sent on the sad occasion of her
husband William's death. She and William greatly appreciated the warmth and
friendship shown to them by so many throughout their 15 years in Bridge.
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