Former Chesterfield teacher celebrates her 100th birthday

Jeanne Higgins, of Dukes Drive, Newbold, marked the milestone on May 29 with a socially-distanced celebration.

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Jeanne was born in Ypres, Belgium, on May 29, 1920.

She was the daughter of John Thomas Lomas, from Tideswell, and Celina Desramault, from Ypres.

Jeanne’s father was a colour sergeant in the Sherwood Foresters in France and Belgium during the First World War.

He returned to Tideswell in 1929 with Jeanne’s two younger brothers, George and Frank, and was joined by Jeanne and her mother in 1930. They subsequently moved to Chesterfield.

Jeanne started her English education at Violet Markham School in Chesterfield and then at Netherthorpe Grammar School in Staveley.

In 1939, Jeanne qualified to study at Sheffield Teacher Training College and it was there she met John, her husband to be for 50 years.

John went on to work as a meteorological officer in the RAF in West Africa.

They married when he returned to England in 1944 and moved down to RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall until the end of the Second World War.

They returned to Chesterfield in 1946 for the birth of their eldest son Mawgan and then second son Paul in 1951.

Jeanne taught the reception class at St Mary’s Catholic Primary and Infant School in Cross Street for 21 years from 1956.

She retired from teaching in 1977 as did John, who was head of science at Chesterfield Grammar School.

Jeanne and John loved travelling and spending time with their family.

The couple celebrated their golden wedding anniversary in 1994. Sadly, John died the following year.

Jeanne’s son Mawgan said: “Jeanne is a very skillful communicator and keen to learn new skills.

“As such has she recently used FaceTime and WhatsApp to talk to and ‘see’ family both in the UK and the USA, thanks to help from her carer Jayne.

“At the moment Jeanne also very much enjoys daily phone calls from her family and very supportive neighbours, friends and carers.

“Jeanne is naturally optimistic and as such is very much looking forward to life being ‘back to normal’ in the near future for her 101st year and beyond.”

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