Ayrshire cattle breeder and rose grower supreme Janet McWilliam, who died recently at the age of 87, made her mark in life not just in those two fields of expertise but in the hearts of her loved ones and friends in Wigtownshire and beyond.

Born at Barnean Farm, near Newton Stewart in 1926, Janet was educated at Penninghame and Kirkcowan primary schools, and at an early age was rushing home after class for the milking. After finishing her school days, Janet never had any dilemma about what her life's work would be - it would be farming - dairy farming. She was in her element in that world of early starts and long days regulated by the changing of the seasons.

As a young woman she became the first ever female chairman of the Machars Young Farmers Club and was delighted last year to be asked by the present club members to open the resurrected Root Show last autumn. Another great interest and talent honed by the Young Farmers organisation was stock judging. Janet had the keen eye of a first-class stockman and she judged the cream of dairy stock all over the country for the Ayrshire Cattle Society. Indeed, her proudest days were judging at the Highland Show and the Balmoral Show in Northern Ireland.

In November 1947 Janet met her future husband Hugh at a dance in Whithorn. This wasn't so much a match made in heaven as a match made in the milking parlour. They started their long married life at Skaith Farm, Newton Stewart, before moving after acquiring the tenancy of No 3 Balcary Holdings near Glenluce.

This was the beginning of the formidable H and J McWilliam Partnership. Within a year of starting up on their own they had cows good enough to show, and by 1962 Balcary was bursting at the seams, so Hugh and Janet became the tenants of the 85 acre Low Barnultoch near Stranraer.

It was there that the McWilliams' hard work paid off as over the next 20 years their herd of now pedigree Ayshires became one of the most successful in the country. Three times in the 1980s the herd won the Highest Yielding Ayrshire Herd in the UK. But the pinnacle of Janet's career was to receive The Hugh Bone Cup from Prince Charles for the highest placed Ayrshire herd in the National Milk Records. By 1993 H and J McWilliam had won the Small Ayrshire Herds competition 13 times out of 16.

In the summer days across the showfields of Galloway, prize after prize followed as their Ayrshires scooped up the best of breed awards. In 2009, the couple received a special award from the Ayrshire Cattle Society for their service to the breed.

In 1999 time was catching up with them so they sold the milking herd but retained the heifers to show and sell until 2002 when they retired to Highfield in Stranraer.

Up until that point, Janet's talent for growing flowers had been a sideline, but with her farming days behind her, she turned her formidable competitive instincts to showing roses. Indeed, it has to be noted that new homeowners don't usually begin by ploughing up, not part, but the whole lawn for rose bushes.

She always exhibited at the same flower shows every year - Leswalt, Whithorn, Garlieston, Wigtown and finally Newton Stewart. As measure of her talent, the coveted Ovenstone Trophy for the best rose exhibit at Newton Stewart was won by Janet no fewer that 34 times from 1968 to 2013.

Asked what was the secret of Janet's success, Hugh simply replied: "She just did her own thing."

Hundreds of mourners attended her funeral at the High Kirk in Stranraer where friend and neighbour from their Low Barnultoch days, Gary Mitchell, paid the following tribute:

"Janet was the true showman and a big inspiration to women in agriculture. She was the first female president in Machars YFC and the first lady to judge Ayrshires at the Highland Show.

"Some might say Janet didn't have family, but I have always thought Janet had a big family. Firstly, she had to be a strong auntie for two nephews Jack and Alan, and I feel Janet was a mother to many, with me being one of those privileged.

"I will confess I've probably had as many meals from Janet as I had from my mother! And my favourite saying that Janet used was: "It's the meat that does the work not the long day."

"At the end of the day, Janet McWilliam lived for three things in life - Ayrshire cows, roses and most of all, Hughie. You will all agree they were the Romeo and Juliet in farming, a fantastic successful partnership, not one thing did they do apart except when Hugh went curling or to football and I can assure you every decision was made jointly. They couldn't even tell a story on their own!

"I'm sure everyone here can say I'm proud to have been a friend of Janet and we give thanks for such wonderful woman."