Published: Wednesday, 3rd March, 2010 5:00pm

The late Teresa Lynam

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For twenty years, a treat on many a Westmeath dining table was a cake, tart, or buns from Lynam's Home Bakery in Killucan. Freshly baked and truly homemade, the line of confectionery that was produced by Teresa Lynam and her family, was a big seller in Buckley's and Marshall's in Mullingar, and in other independent retailers' shops around Westmeath.

Teresa kept up the business until she was 70 years of age, rising every morning at 5 a.m. to turn the ovens on in preparation for the day's baking.

Sadly, however, this remarkable woman passed away on Friday of last week, February 19, suddenly, at her home in Porterstown, Killucan.

To use the word "remarkable" for Teresa Lynam is not to overstate things, for she is a woman who left her mark on the world in a most significant way, having reared seven children of her own, and been like a mother to a number of other young people over the years.

Born in Ballindoolin in Edenderry, Teresa Conlon, as she was then, came to Killucan to work in Cunningham's. In Killucan, she met her husband, local farmer Steven Lynam, and the couple married.

As the children arrived, Teresa gave up work to care for them, and, as mentioned, she also provided a loving environment for four other young people who were treated as kindly as lovingly as if they were her own. That was typical of Teresa's kind nature. Married at just 21, she and Steven lived in "Porterstown Village" - now gone - a small four-house conclave where everyone was related, and many were elderly. Despite her youth, Teresa took on caring for the older people now related to her by marriage.

That was Teresa living out her deep Christian faith in a practical way. While not one to "go on about" her beliefs, Teresa was in fact a deeply committed Catholic, and was, in fact, a founder member of the Lay Camillian Family.

As a farm wife, Teresa participated fully in the life of the farm, and enjoyed making butter, rearing hens and so on, and indeed, often using her own eggs and butter in her baking, which she also enjoyed.

As time went on, Teresa decided to turn what was a hobby into a business, and over the course of two decades, she built up Lynam's Home Bakery into a highly successful business that gave full-time employment to three people.

Outside of work, Teresa was involved in the ICA, and she was also a member of the Killucan Cairdeas group, taking particular delight in their outings and trips away.

Teresa's death has left a large number of people deeply saddened, not least her husband Steve, and her family.

She is survived by her sons Pat and Michael, both of whom live in Porterstown; by her daughters Deirdre Lynam, Bridget O'Brien, Camilla Gorman and Joan Hynes, who all live in Porterstown, and Noelle Leech, who lives in Legar, Kinnegad; by her grandchildren, to whom she was devoted; also by Mary, who lives in Mullingar; Anne, who lives in Killucan, and John who lives in Thailand, and who travelled home to Killucan immediately upon hearing of Teresa's death.

She is also survived by her brother, Kevin, who lives still in Edenderry, and her sisters Kathleen Murphy, Rochfortbridge, and Joan O'Keeffe, of Castleknock in Dublin.

The removal was from Mrs. Lynam's home to the St. Camillus Nursing Centre Church, Killucan, where the Mass was concelebrated by Fr. Monks, Fr. Denis Sandham, Fr. Stephen Foster, who is Provincial of the Camillian Order, Fr. Richard Matthews, Killucan, Fr. Eamon O'Brien, Rochfortbridge, and Fr. Pat, from the Camillian Order.

The remains were burried at the cemetery in Rathwire.