ONE of Yorkshire’s oldest citizens has died just short of her 103rd birthday. Dorothy Faller, formerly of Halifax and Bradford, moved to Settle in 2016 to be nearer to her family.

Dorothy, who died on August 19, wrote about her long life and her son John Lassey hopes to publish her memories.

Born in September 1917 to parents Herbert and Florence Parr, Dorothy moved with the family from Bradford to Liverpool when Herbert, a coppersmith, was seconded to repair the Mauretania, a sister ship of the stricken Lusitania.

In the post-war economic downturn her parents found work in Leeds and the family became involved in the Baptist Church.

Dorothy enjoyed playing netball and the Sunday School trips.

Her Library books were read in bed with a torch as gaslights were installed only on the ground floor.

Moving to Halifax in 1927 Dorothy’s new home had a garden and outside toilet, but no running hot water.

At school she learned to cook and was a choir girl and Girls’ Brigade member at Siddal Methodist Church. Dorothy met Ernest Lassey, a member of the Boys’ Brigade and YMCA and they were married in 1940.

Returning from India in 1946 Ernest trained as teacher and the young couple bought a house in Northhowram with hot water and a fridge.

Sons John and Stephen arrived and the family were active members of Heywood Congregational Church.

When Ernest was appointed headmaster of St Augustine’s Church of England School the Lasseys attended the parish church.

Tragically Ernest died of leukaemia in 1960 and Dorothy, with growing boys to feed, decided to train as a teacher herself. She commuted to college in Leeds whilst her father Herbert held the fort at home. Dorothy became a primary school teacher and her sons a headmaster and doctor respectively.

In 1974 Dorothy married Bernard Faller and they enjoyed trips to Germany after Dorothy researched Bernard’s German family tree.

Dorothy worshipped in her fifth church as Bernard was a devout Roman Catholic. Her memoirs record that being a practising Christian in five denominations was not always easy, but very rewarding.

Dorothy celebrated her centenary with three more generations of her family at Settle’s Indian restaurant where the staff presented her with a shawl.

Latterly she was cared for at Neville House, Gargrave, where the staff continue to sacrifice their social lives to keep the residents safe in the pandemic.

Her son John said: “A marathon innings has come to an end.”

Dorothy’s memory lives on in her two sons, four grandchildren and two great-grandchildren and in all their lifetimes to come.