(25. 9.14 to 27.1.07)
Kathleen Mabel Carpenter was born on the 25th September 1914 at Waterside, Kings Langley. She was the eldest child of five children born to Thomas and Mabel Carpenter. Kath’s younger years were spent in Watford and she was raised at 117 Chester Road, West Watford and she attended the old Victoria school.
As a young women, Kath worked at John Dickinson’s, Croxley Mills. During this time she went to a local dance where she met and fell in love with a young man called Fredrick Bunker, from Chipperfield. She married Fred in 1935 and together they had four sons, Alan, (the oldest, who sadly died when he was seven, but Kath never forgot him) Den, John and Richard.
Kath and Fred first lived in Dunny Lane and later moved to a bungalow in Chapel Croft which they built themselves with help from family, friends and their eldest boys.
Once their children had left home, Kath and Fred liked nothing better than to travel round Britain in their caravanett. Once packed, they would be off in their self-sufficient home and come back with all sorts of stories of their adventures.
Kath was a lady who was game for anything. When Fred passed away her thirst for travel and adventure did not diminish. Even in her eighties she was flying on her own taking 23-hour flights directly to Australia to see her son John.
As she got into her late eighties and needed assistance when the family were not available, she would call on Chipperfield Care to go to the chiropractor in Berkhamsted and always said what nice people she met through this service. When it came to shopping, Dr West would collect Kath and with a car full of other ladies, off they would go to the supermarket. She was taken to the Lunch Club and the Evergreens Club in Bovingdon. Kath always appreciated this.
Sadly Kath left this world peacefully in Hemel Hempstead Hospital on 27th January 2007 at 6:49 pm aged 92. She will be missed by all her family and friends but she has left great memories and happy times for us all to share.
Den Bunker