Mildred Bertram

Born and brought up in Barnsley, Mildred has died aged 89 at her home in Ontario, Canada. By the war's end, Sister Sue, or Suzie, as she was known, had been awarded the 1939-1945 Star for wartime service in an active operational area, the France and German Star for operational service in France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany from D-Day (June 6, 1944) to May 8, 1945, Queen Alexander's Imperial Nursing Service Medal, the 21st Army Group Medal, and the British Army Medal.

Mildred Helga was one of six children, their grandfather a Cawthorne policeman and their father, Douglas Charlesworth, a poet. She went to Barnsley Girls' High School, and her first job was as Matron at a private school in Harrogate.

After that, she trained as a nurse at Harrogate District Hospital, and did her midwifery in Scotland.

In Belgium in 1945 she married Canadian John Bertram, and emigrated as a war bride to Canada. John had a farm at Snelgrove in Ontario, and here, the strength of Mildred's character came through as it had during the war years, this time equipping her for all the uncertainties of raising a family in harsh, frontier conditions.

She was a strong, independent, opinionated and highly-principled woman with a keen interest in politics and the arts.

She is survived by her children Andrew, James, Christine and Catherine, and eight grandchildren.