Bunty was born Rachel Batton on the 13^th  June 1940, but she soon got the nickname Bunty, which was a name of endearment given to her by her family and friends.

Wee Bunty Batton was a Minniboler through and through, born at Welltrees Street with two sisters and two brothers. Bunty attended Cairn Primary and then Carrick Academy.

She was brought up during the war years and she always said they had nothing but  they had everything. They had no money but they always  had enough food, and clean clothes.

Bunty was a quiet timid wee girl. She worked on the farm and she loved, just loved, animals. She especially loved horses and Bunty was good with them, she could even handle the big shire horses. She just loved the farm.

In 1956 at the age of 16 Bunty was at the dancing at Maybole Town Hall, and there was a ladies choice dance and she asked this young lad called Hugh McNair up for a dance. Now Hugh couldn't dance, but he got up anyway and Bunty whirled him around the dance floor. Love blossomed and they were married on the 18th  December 1959.

What of Bunty’s working life? Well, after school Bunty worked at Templeton’s the grocers in Maybole. She worked for a while at the wool mill in Ayr, and then she went into silver service which she enjoyed very much; working at Culzean, Turnberry  the Caledonian in Ayr where she was manageress, returning to Culzean before retiring to look after her mum Katie.

And in all of this Bunty and Hugh still found time for a family, and her family meant the world to Bunty. However, tragedy struck on 22nd November 1963 when Billy their son died; Bunty was absolutely devastated and I don't think she ever got over Billy’s death.

But happier times lay ahead for Bunty, and I know she just loved and adored her children and grandchildren.

In 1990 Bunty took her stroke but she was determined that it was not going to get her down. Bunty was a woman who always thrived on being out and about. Before her stroke she just loved dancing - all types of dancing - but Latin American was her forte, she was so graceful on the dance floor.

She was very frustrated at not being able to dance, she longed to put on her skirt and of course her high heel shoes and dance again. Bunty loved her high heels, and Granny Batton used to complain they made holes in the lino.

Bunty loved dancing, she also loved weans and they loved her. When she got her scooter the weans called it her Bunty mobile. And they used to beg her for a ride. She went everywhere on the Bunty mobile, heaven help you if you got in her way.

When Bunty came down the path it was stomach in, feet out of the way, let Bunty past.

She loved reading, from Mills and Boon to cowboy books, she knew everything about the Oregon trail.. Bunty dreamed of going to America and one day she got her dream when she visited Joy in Kentucky and she thoroughly enjoyed her time there. Joy phoned yesterday to say how sorry she is that she can not be here, Bunty meant the world to her.

Bunty loved her church, she was a woman of deep faith, she was a regular attender both on a Sunday and at the coffee club on a Wednesday., Bunty got a lot of strength from her church and her faith, the flowers at the front are from her friends at the coffee club. And I know she will be sadly missed.

Bunty had a keen mind, she loved the Discovery and History channels on telly and she was always up to date with world affairs. She had an amazing memory for everything, times, dates, events, people. Bunty was something of a walking encyclopaedia.

She enjoyed the OiR, the Cabin, her lunch each week here at the Baptist Church,  she loved swimming regularly at the pool - she couldn't swim but she loved floating on her back.

She loved anything to do with the weans, sometimes taking as many as 30 weans to the pictures, and a bag of chips afterwards - and Bunty’s single fish.

Bunty loved cooking and baking, she was wonderful  in the kitchen; pancakes and scones., It’s said that Bunty could make a feast out of nothing, she hated washing up though, the greatest invention for Bunty was the dish washer. A disaster for Bunty was when the dishwasher broke down.

Bunty was easy going. But she called a spade a spade, she spoke her mind; she was kind hearted and she never complained. Whenever you asked Bunty how she was, she always said “Fine”  and she always asked about the children.

She was so interested in children. She treated everyone the same and was neither up nor down. And of course Bunty could talk for Scotland - I gave her many a good listening to.

She was big hearted, bubbly  Bunty Batton. The greatest gift that Bunty gave the world was her love and she had an abundance for everyone.