Prayers for murdered Mary Logie will be said on Sunday in the Fife church she attended almost without fail.
Stunned friends and fellow parishioners will remember the friendly, kind and outgoing 82-year-old at the weekly service in Leven Parish Church, five days after she was battered to death with a rolling pin in her own home.
Mrs Logie, known affectionately as Rae, was found dead in her house in Green Gates flat on Tuesday evening by a neighbour who became worried when she failed to answer her phone.
Police have launched a major investigation into her death, believed to have been motivated by theft, and today are continuing door-to-door inquiries and high-visibility patrols in the town’s Broom area.
Leven minister the Reverend Gilbert Nisbet said Mrs Logie would be in the congregation’s thoughts and prayers on Sunday.
He said: “She was a regular attendee, she was at church virtually every Sunday and she came to our lunches on Tuesdays and Fridays.
“She will be included in our prayers.”
Mrs Logie was also an active member of the local Guild and The Guild of the Church of Scotland paid tribute to her, tweeting: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Leven Guild and all the friends and loved ones of Mary Logie.”
Mr Nisbet said people in Leven were absolutely stunned at the news of her death and many church members would be alarmed that such a thing could happen in their midst.
He said: “This is a very difficult time and we now know more than we did yesterday.
“People are very, very shocked.
“There are a lot of ladies like her who live on their own in this area as in every community and they must be really concerned.”
Police only revealed a killer was on the loose a day and a half after the widowed grandmother was found dead.
Officers were called to the scene between 8pm and 8.30pm on Tuesday.
Detective Chief Inspector Keith Hardie said at a press conference yesterday it was clear from the outset she had been murdered.
However when police confirmed they were investigating her death following an approach from the press it was initially described as unexplained.
It was late yesterday morning before they announced they were hunting a murderer.
It is understood officers waited for the results of a post mortem before confirming publicly it was a murder investigation.
Police Scotland refused to comment on the reason for the delay.
Local area commander Chief Inspector Adrian Annandale offered assurance yesterday to worried residents in the town, pledging high-visibility patrols in the Green Gates area.
He said: “This incident will undoubtedly leave the local community within Leven both shocked and deeply angry and I want to assure the public that we are doing everything we can to identify whoever is responsible.
“Crimes of this nature are extremely rare, both within Leven and across Fife, however, we recognise the impact this will have on local residents and we are utilising all resources at our disposal to bring Mary’s killer to justice.”
The force also declined to comment on the murder weapon or whether a rolling pin was found at the scene, only confirming that inquiries were continuing.
Mrs Logie’s granddaughter Ceollaidh Logie wrote on Facebook: “I still can’t believe nan is gone. It hasn’t sank in yet. I miss nan so much but she’s with Grandad now RIP.”
One of Mrs Logie’s sons, Ronald, travelled to Fife from Yorkshire to help police as they try to establish when she died. Her other son Derek lives in Berkshire and her daughter Caryl in Australia.
Mrs Logie was seen alive and well at 8am on Tuesday, 12 hours before her death was discovered, and failed to make a planned visit to a friend in hospital.