Well-known Letham woman Ishbel Kidd, who immersed herself in village life and taught at the Angus village primary school, has died at the age of 89.
Mrs Kidd was a dedicated member of the community council, feuars committee, hall committee, drama group and the local church.
Her valuable contribution to village life was recognised when she was presented with the Jim Cosgrove Award for service to the community.
Born at Camelon, outside Falkirk, her father was a policeman, which meant moving to different stations within Stirling and Clackmannan.
Ishbel therefore went to a variety of primary schools, finishing at Stirling High School.
She had hoped to go on to study medicine but found most of the places were given to servicemen returning from the war.
She attended Jordanhill Teacher Training College in Glasgow and her first teaching post was as infant mistress at Kilsyth Academy.
She then moved to Menstrie Primary School where she met Scott Kidd, a peripatetic art teacher, and the couple married on December 26 1957 in Tillicoultry Baptist Church.
They started married life in Rothesay, on the Isle of Bute, where Ishbel taught at Port Bannantyne school and Scott at Rothesay Academy.
Their first child, Janey, was born in 1960, followed by Margaret in 1962.
Scott was made head of the art department at the newly built Arbroath Academy in 1962 and the family moved to Carnoustie and then Arbroath.
Ishbel returned to teaching in 1964 and this meant a move to the schoolhouse at Craichie. She resigned from teaching in 1968 and the family move to Aberliston House in Letham. There was a final addition to the family in 1969 when Andrew was born.
Ishbel returned to work in 1971 taking up a couple of short term posts at Friockheim and Auchmithie before settling at Letham Primary School where she remained until her retirement in 1987.
Ishbel had a great interest in the history of Letham, writing a book in conjunction with Peter Gill highlighting the role of the Feuars Committee in the village, followed by a book outlining the history of the churches in the Dunnichen area.
She was instrumental in setting up the popular Victorian Markets and also campaigned to save Dunnichen Hill from quarry plans.
Ishbel is survived by her three children and five grandchildren.
Her funeral takes place in Letham Church on Wednesday April 10 at 1.30pm with donations accepted for the Letham Feuars Committee.
