A pillar of the community in Cury and Gunwalloe has died suddenly at the age of just 57.

Farmer’s wife Margaret Richards had only just returned home on Monday evening last week when she began to feel unwell.

Just minutes later she had died, before her husband Jeffrey had even finished a phone call to the ambulance service.

A post-mortem has been unable to establish the cause of her death, leading to further investigations. As a result, a date has yet to be set for her funeral.

Describing her mother’s death as “a humungous shock”, daughter Kate said: “She passed away very suddenly. She had a normal day and went into Helston to drop a key off to our estate agent.

She came back to the car and managed to drive home, thankfully, got out and said to my dad, ‘I’m not feeling very well.’ He sat her on the bench, rang the ambulance, went back outside and she was gone.”

Mrs Richards, who lived with her family at Millewarne Farm, Cury Cross Lanes, was a committee member of Helston Fatstock Show and involved in its organisation.

She was also a staunch supporter of Helston and St Keverne Farmers’ Club, of which both her children, Kate and Alan, are members.

Although not an advisory member, she regularly attended the club’s events, including the annual ploughing match.

Mrs Richards was a popular and devoted member of many aspects of community life, however, including being a dual member of Cury WI and Gunwalloe WI.

She was a serving member of Cury Parish Council up until the time of her death and was also heavily involved as a member of Cury Chapel, although she was a bell ringer for Cury Church.

She also enjoyed singing and was a member of Pentire Singers.

Kate added: “She will be very much missed. We have had piles of cards come in from the community and the different WIs. It is very comforting for us.”

She described her mother as “community, positive and passionate” and someone who “just always wanted to be busy and help people.”

Mrs Richards was born in Redruth and grew up on her parents’ farm in Gunwalloe, Hendra Farm.

She married Jeffrey in September 1978 and they went to live at Millewarne Farm the same year.