THE Lindsay House Care Village community was saddened with the death of brother and sister, Jim and Margaret Legge, in the space of three days, from coronavirus.

Jim, 82, died on Friday April 24, and Margaret passed away the following Monday, April 27 at the Lumphinnans facility.

Jim, was a long time member of the church community at the Union Gospel Hall, Broad Street, Cowdenbeath, and only returned to Scotland last year after spending 50 years working with communities in Botswana along with his late wife from Lochore, Irene.

Irene, who married Jim at the Union Hall in 1966, died in December 2018 from injuries sustained in a car accident in Africa.

Immediately after the wedding Jim went to learn the language of the Central African states, Setswana, and Irene also became very proficient in it and soon after they went to Botswana and as missionaries were also able to offer medical help to the local community.

Being able to speak Setswana they went into the villages and held mobile clinics for people living in outlying communities and at the same time they told of their faith in the Lord Jesus and many were blest not only physically but spiritually.

After 25 years of voluntary medical work, Irene retired from nursing because of a heart condition, but then devoted her remaining energies with Jim to literature work printing many thousands of Bible lessons which were sent all over Botswana.

The work of Irene and Jim was recognised by the Botswana Government when they were grateful to be honoured when the country's President Khama presented them with the Presidential Order of Meritorious Service.

Robert Muir, of the Union Hall, knew Jim and Irene all their lives and described them as 'remarkable people who became part of the Botswana family'.

He said: "They worked in many remote villages and were able to combine medical help with their missionary work and helped so many thousands of people.

"Jim and Irene spent many important years taking their bible lessons around communities and were warmly welcomed everywhere they went.

"Two remarkable people who became recognised as part of the community in Botswana, as was shown by the Presidential Order for Meritorious Service."

After Irene's death Jim came back to Scotland and lived with his daughter Judith, in Lundin Links, and was a regular visitor to the Sunday services at the Union Hall, in Cowdenbeath.

Jim had been at Lindsay House for a couple of months and Margaret had been a resident there for around 18 months.