Mama Yaremla Magdalene was laid to rest on the 29th of December, 2021 at Presbyterian Church PC Upstation in Bamenda in a funeral ceremony that assembled thousands of mourners to bid her farewell. The final respects paid to her were a reflection of the person that she was while she lived. She was full of love not only for her immediate family members but for everyone she came in contact with. Reason why the moments she passed with people remained crafted in their memories like indelible marks.
As last respects were paid to Mama Magdalene by the throngs of people that turned out for the occasion, this reporter attempted to talk to a couple of people who’d come in contact with her while she lived. Quintessentially all of them had a story to tell about her warm, open and welcoming nature. They always felt like revisiting her over and over again.
Small
wonder why thousands thronged the Banquet Plaza of the Blue Pearl Hotel in
Bamenda to bid her farewell. The dirges which were dominantly traditional songs
and dance depicted the beauty of the Nso Culture and was the most appropriate
way to say goodbye to “a mother with a large soul.”
She was born in 1930 in Tatum, Nkum Sub Division, to the family of Pa Tani and Yaah Nyaah Elizabeth, both of blessed memory. She was the second child in a family of four which was made up of two males and two females, all of blessed memory.
Her siblings: Mami Ghaila and Pa Ngayong
Inousa were all Moslems while she and Pa Fai Johnson Banadzem were Christians
of the Presbyterian Church in Cameroon. All of them were raised in Nseh by
their mother who later moved with them to Tatum and settled at Wip (Vifurm)
compound.
Schools
were very far from their settlement and at the time the privilege of going to
school was reserved for the boys. As a result, Mami Magdalene stayed at home
and assisted her mother with house chores and Corn Beer Business, which was
their source of income.
She
grew up and got married to Pa Ngando Solomon from Run compound, and they
settled in C.D.C Ndu. Mama Magdalene
went through the pain of seeing her first four fruits of the womb passing away
at very tender ages. She kept the faith despite all and God proved His worth by
blessing her with five children (four boys and a girl) who are living till date.
These children are Baninla Elizabeth, Njifon Oliver, Peter Ndzewiyi, Julius
Bongkiyoiy, and Johnson Banadzem respectively.
Mama
Magdalene was a faithful and devoted Basel Mission Christian who was baptized
and confirmed. She used to trek very long distances from Ndu to Tatum only to
attend church services and meetings of the Christian Women Fellowship (C.W.F)
She
was a full time Housewife and dedicated her time to take care of her children,
her farm work and selling of Corn Beer in the morning to plantation workers of
the Cameroon Development Corporation CDC.
In
early 2008, her health started failing. She started experiencing breathe
related crisis and was referred to the Cardiac
Center at Shisong where she became a regular patient. She was eventually moved
to Bamenda to meet her children for proper medical attention. Despite the care
that was showered by her children on her she gave up on the 14th of December
2021.
On
that day she got up not feeling well but when they tried to take her to the
hospital she said "I don't want to be transferred from the hospital bed to
the morgue". She further said "Shey Peter and wife will take me
directly from the house to the morgue." As if aware that her time was up,
she also indicated where her church contribution cards were and reprimanded the
church elders for their lateness in
giving her the Holy Communion on Sunday. She made sure she sent all her
children on errands before peacefully passing onto Glory.
She
died at the age of 91, leaving behind her loving husband of about 100years ,five
children, twenty-one grandchildren, twenty great grandchildren and a host of family
members and friends to mourn her.
By
Francis Ekongang Nzante
EDUCATION
AND DEVELOPMENT NEWS
Email:
edevnewspaper@gmail.com
Tell:+237696896001/+237678401408/+237691520771/+237671262198
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