Come dine with Marj: home's tribute to much-loved resident

Marjorie Evans only spent six months living at Jubilee Care Home — but made a big impression on staff before her death last year, aged 95.

And the home in Greasbrough officially opened Marj’s Diner in her honour last Tuesday (5) on what would have been her 96th birthday.

Daughter Linda Beresford said: “They contacted me and said they wanted to make an American-themed diner for residents and visitors, and they wanted to name it after Mum.

“I thought that was incredibly flattering just a really, really nice thing to do.

“She was only a resident there for less than six months, so she must have made a big impression.”

Linda and sister Julie Reading (63) would visit with signs to hold up from outside when lockdown restrictions meant no visitors inside.

“Mum had been staying with me during lockdown until it got to the stage where I couldn’t cope on my own looking after her,” said Linda (59).

“It was on the recommendation of friends that we picked Jubilee, and the staff have been really amazing.

“They made quite a challenging time a lot better than it could have been.

“It really is a lovely place, and that makes such a difference from the devastation of your mum having to go into a care home.”

Linda added: “I think it was her sense of humour. Her memory was fading but she still loved chair dancing.

“During the restrictions, I would write her a letter every day.

“The staff would read it and Mum would ask: ‘Is there a fiver in there?’

“On her 95th birthday last year, we were able to go out with masks on, so we were wheeling her down to the park with balloons on her chair.

“She was shouting ‘I’m 95’ to everyone and we had drivers pulling over, winding car windows down and wishing her happy birthday.”

Activities co-ordinator Debbie Jones said: “This was just a nondescript room before with a couple of chairs but Marjorie used to call it the library.

“When her sisters visited, she would say: ‘We’ll go to the library.’

“After she died, which was very upsetting for the staff, we had already made the decision to do something with the room, and I asked the home manager and then Marjorie’s family if we could name it after her.

“We went with an American theme because it felt more up-to-date and modern than a regular tea room.

“Marjorie made a big impression on us here.

“We all remember her dancing in her chair, moving her arms and feet, when we had concert nights.”