A HEARTBROKEN husband has paid tribute to his wife after she lost her two-year battle with cancer.

Louise Cartmell, 35, died on Sunday morning surrounded by her family in Shuttleworth Hall Farm, Hapton.

The former secretary married her childhood sweetheart, Alan Rishton, earlier this year after finding out that her illness was terminal.

Alan, 38, from Accrington, called their wedding day in March — 19 years after they first started dating — the ‘highlight’ of both of their lives.

He said: “We tried to make the most of it in the last year. Louise loved socialising and going on holiday.

“We went on a cruise to Orlando in February, Cornwall in the summer, Menorca, and Berwick-upon-Tweed as well as our honeymoon in Scarborough.

“A lot of it was to help keep her mind occupied.

“She didn’t like hospitals but became too poorly to work.

“I’m devasted and relieved at the same time.

“She was always suffering and she said she wanted to enjoy what time we had left together.”

Louise, who lived with Alan and their dog Dizzy in Cemetery Road, Padiham, worked at Altham textiles firm James Dewhurst until earlier this year.

A former pupil of Hapton CE Primary School and St Christopher's CE High School, Accrington, she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in October 2011.

Her family founded Cartmell’s Greengrocers in Padiham more than 50 years ago and continue to run a farm shop and timber yard near junction eight of the M65.

Louise’s mother, Susan, 57, said: “She was a loving, caring, bubbly girl. Louise was one of those people who made friends wherever she went.

“She was well-liked, loved going out for a drink and loved her holidays.”

Mr Rishton, who works in the timber yard with Louise’s father David, 59, and her brother Ryan, 33, said he always believed Louise would beat the disease.

He said: “I always thought she’d get better and then we learned it was terminal after the first batch of chemotherapy.

“Although she was doing really well and had managed to get her readings down, the cancer spread to her lymph nodes, liver and stomach.”

Louise’s death is the second tragedy for the family inside 12 months.

Her grandmother, Joan, collapsed and died in church on December 23 last year.

Sarah North, Louise’s friend, said: “Lou was one of my absolute best friends.

“She was thoughtful, kind and the best fun.

“I am already missing her more than I can say.”