Farmer Raises Money For Hospice By Auctioing Off Late Wifes Cow

Farmer Raises Money For Hospice By Auctioning Off Late Wife’s Cow

A U.K.-based farmer plans to auction off his late wife’s rare-breed cow. However, it’s all in the name of charity. According to reports, the widower, Chris Jeffrey, is raising money for hospice after the organization took care of his wife in her final days on earth.

Jeffrey added that it would be a “bittersweet” moment to auction off her Whitebred Shorthorn, whom she had named Primrose. According to the farmer, he hopes to give back to St. Leonard’s Hospice in York. Previously, his wife, Kate, spent three weeks there before she passed away on January 5th.

The animal will be auctioned later at the town’s Thirsk Cattle Market.

According to reports, experts believe there are only about 200 Whitebred Shorthorns left in existence.

Before his wife passed away, the couple farmed together for seven years. The two shared a love for the breed of cow and tried to do everything in their power to keep the cow breed in existence.

In addition, his wife named Primrose after the cow she milked as a child on her family farm.

“This was her little cow, she loved her to bits, and I know she’d be looking down on me today and saying, ‘hey, well done,’” Jeffrey noted.

Farmer and late wife shared a love of raising cows, keeping Whitebred Shorthorns in existence

He added: “St. Leonard’s Hospice so deserve this after the care they gave her and me.”

Before she passed away, doctors diagnosed his wife with breast cancer in June of 2022. During her treatment, hospice staff and her family took care of her. Later, she had to be transported to a hospice facility. Unfortunately, she passed away three weeks after she was moved to the facility. She died at 65.

“The final three weeks of her life were truly awful, but the carers from St Leonard’s were so kind, reliable, compassionate and lovely people, he added. “I just don’t know what we would have done without that place.”

Throughout his time farming, Jeffrey spent seven years breeding rare cattle, pigs, and sheep. Jeffrey said his wife’s cow also got pampered in preparation for the auction.

“Had a bit of a spa day,” he noted about getting Primrose ready for her big day. His goal is to raise at least $2,000 for the organization.

“This is a wonderful thing to do for our hospice which relies on the generosity of the public to carry out our much-needed work. We are really grateful to Chris,” said the chief executive at St Leonard’s Hospice, Emma Johnson.

She continued: “To my knowledge, we’ve never had anyone auctioning off a cow for us before, so this is a first.”