Little Stella Margaret Pryce was only eight years old when she was tragically killed on her way to school in Welshpool.
But more than 78 years later, a “beautiful” piece of memorial artwork that hung inside Gungrog Infants School before it closed in 2017 has been reunited with her brother Tony in Somerset.
Former Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School headteacher Justine Baldwin said it was her mission before she left her role to track down the family after learning more about the touching story.
Stella died from her injuries on September 5, 1944 after she was accidently knocked down by a lorry at the entrance to Church Street. In memory of their little girl, Stella's heartbroken parents Mr and Mrs Thomas Herbert-Pryce, of Maes-y-garreg, Welshpool placed £150 – worth more than £5,000 today – in a trust fund to buy Christmas treats for Gungrog School children.
OTHER NEWS:
- Powys carnival organisers hit back at 'very hurtful' comments after cancellation
- Drink driver sentenced after crashing while on way to buy alcohol
- No speed limit reduction for Powys village due to "budget constraints"
Dr Baldwin said: “It seems that the money lasted for about four decades, well into the 1980s. The children of the school were still benefitting from the trust fund that came as a result of the tragic death of this little girl.
“I wanted to take care of this [artwork] because I thought it was so special. I’ve been trying to find the family members because I really feel that this should go back to any surviving members of Stella’s family.
"It’s so beautiful and touching and I think it belongs to them.
“They were very touched and delighted to be given this back. Posting it with love from Welshpool Church in Wales Primary School so it goes back to where it belongs.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here