THREE vicars led 100 mourners in a service to celebrate the life of an "incredible" woman who inspired her local community.

Cissie Harrison, 98, had such an impact on the parish of West Rounton, near Northallerton, North Yorkshire, that when she died, three members of the clergy wanted to lead the service.

So yesterday, Ashley Wilson, the vicar at St Oswald's Church, was joined by reverends Brian Mayne and Tim Jones for the service.

Mr Mayne met Mrs Harrison in 1986 when he became parish vicar. She was church treasurer and organist and a member of the parochial church council.

Though he left the area in 1996, he visited her each fortnight and she cooked him roast dinners.

He came back from Lancaster, where he works as a prison chaplain, for the funeral.

He said: "She was just an incredible woman.

"She had this amazing ability to bring out talents that people did not even realise they had. She was an absolute treasure. Nothing was ever too much.

"There are very few people for whom two previous clergy would come back for. That is a measure of how special Cissie was. She brought out the best in everybody.

"All of us feel she gave to us more than we ever gave to her in terms of kindness and love. She had a huge impact on our lives and had the power to make you feel loved and supported.

"She never had a disparaging or discouraging word to say about anyone, but she would always stand up for the truth.

"If she saw something that was wrong or she did not like, she was prepared to say that. She would never let anything go that she thought was wrong. She was just an amazing woman."

Mrs Harrison was one of four children and had lived in West Rounton since 1915. She leaves a daughter, Ann, and granddaughter, Sarah.

She played the church organ for the East and West Rounton churches from 1930 to 2001 and was a parochial church council member during that time. She was church treasurer from 1965 to 1997.

In recognition of her contribution to the community, she was invited to a garden party at Buckingham Palace in 1992.

Mrs Harrison was laid to rest alongside her husband, Bill, who she met in 1939.

Mrs Harrison was renowned for her ginger biscuits and would offer them to newcomers to welcome them to the village.

She had been living at Highfield Care Centre, in Yarm, since August 2003 and died on April 20.

The Northern Echo attended the funeral with the permission of Mrs Harrison's family.