Tributes paid to Forres Wool Shop owner, Margaret ‘Meg’ McKenzie

A respected businesswoman and beloved great-grandmother has died.

Margaret ‘Meg’ McKenzie, known to many in the area as the owner of Forres Wool Shop on the High Street, passed away aged 92, following a happy life with adoring family and friends.

Her son James remembers a caring and loving mother, wife, and friend to all who knew her.

He said: “So many people knew mum across the generations through her shop and my father’s football connections.

“Many will remember the parties they held at our home Greenwood on North Road for Forres Thistle Football Club, of which he was president.”

Margaret was born in Altyre on May 22, 1932, to parents William and Peggy. ‘Willy’ was a forester on the estate for 43 years while mother Peggy worked in service at Altyre House.

Margaret was the oldest of four children, ahead of Gordon, Alan, and Barbara. Younger sister ‘Babs’ from Mannachie Road, Forres, survives her siblings.

Margaret was brought up in Altyre and went to Logie School before attending Forres Academy.

She left school at 16 and trained in Aberdeen as a telephonist. After qualifying, she was based at Inverness Post Office and was on-call for outlying outlets, including as far north as Tongue. During this period she stayed in digs in the Highland capital, returning home at weekends.

She was eventually employed as a telephonist back in Forres and at RAF Kinloss.

Margaret met her husband, master painter, James ‘Jimmy’ McKenzie, in 1950 before he was conscripted to fight in the war in Korea as a Bren gunner with the King’s Own Scottish Borderers.

The pair married in December 1954 at the Carlton Hotel.

Margaret returned to work and became manageress of drapery, at Manchester House, in Forres, selling everything from shirts to towels.

When the business closed, she opened Forres Wool Shop which ran for nearly 20 years at the east end of High Street until she retired.

Son James was born in 1955, followed by daughter Lynn in 1957, both in Forres, where they remain.

Grandchildren Yvonne, Graham and Carol were followed by great-grandchildren Lyla, Leigh, Miya, Neve, and Eva, all of whom she cared for deeply and spent a lot of time with.

Margaret’s favourite pastimes and interests throughout her life included listening to varied styles of music, knitting clothes for family and friends, dancing at venues across the area including in town and village halls, attending St Leonard’s Church, and singing in the Castlehill Church Choir, and volunteering for the Forres Townswomens’ Guild.

Margaret passed away on August 29. Her well-attended service was held at St Leonard’s Church with a sermon presented by Rev Stuart Finlayson.

James finished: “Everyone who has spoken to us since she died has said what a lovely person mum was.

“We were overwhelmed to hear that many people outside the family also called her ‘Nannie’.”