The Babatunde family of Kogi gave their mother, Grandma and wife, Elder (Mrs.) Stella Olufunmilayo Babatunde a befitting burial last week. She died on 23rd June, 2018. The service of celebration of her life took place on the Friday 27th and on Saturday 28th of July, 2018 was her funeral service and burial. The Friday event took place at Our Saviours Church hall, TBS Lagos and on Saturday, the venue was Living Faith Church in Ikorodu. Interment followed immediately. Reception was at CARITAS Hall, Ebute Ibeshe Road. Elder (Mrs.) Stella Olufunmilayo Babatunde was born in Dualla Cameroon on 4th May 1954. Her father was a Soldier in the Nigerian Army, while her mother was a housewife and petty trader. They were then in Dualla on military posting. Her father was Mr. Samuel Olafemi of Odole Mopa, Kogi State. The mother Captain Alice Ebun Olufemi of the Cherubim & Seraphim Church also hailed from Mopa. The occupation of Mrs. S. O. Babatunde’s father caused the family to move from place to place in Nigeria and was the reason she spoke, Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo fluently. She attended Akin-Orun Grammar School Ikirun, between 1969 and 1973, where she was the head girl. She proceeded to the prestigious University College Hospital, lbadan. Where she studied Nursing in 1974 and qualified as a State Registered Nurse in 1977. She worked briefly in Kano (Orthopedic Hospital, Delta) in 1978 and later served in Offa, Lokoja and Okene General Hospital. She also served as examiner for the Nursing Council of Nigeria at the School of nursing Obangede.
Mrs. Babatunde later studied Maternity at University Teaching Hospitail lorin and was a part-time farmer, trader and shop-owner. She retired a Chief Nursing Officer. She got married in 1978 and had a daughter and two grand children, a boy and a girl. A deviant Christian, Mrs. Babatunde was a foundation member of Living Faith Church, Okene, where she was ordained a Deaconess and later an Elder. She served as the Chief Usher at one time. She came finally to Lagos in 2010 and has since then worshiped at the Living Faith Church, lkorodu.
Mrs. Babatunde lived as a great professional, wife, excellent mother and grand mother and possessed a heart that panted after God constantly. She was generous, always helping the needy and generally very strong and healthy until she took ill some months before her call to glory. May her soul rest in perfect peace.
Her husband also paid tribute to her.
My dear wife, my mother, my partner and confidant, you left me on that fateful night of 23rd June 2018. I had thought that the summation of my faith and that of our children would at least be equal in size to the biblical ‘Mustard Seed’ and be potent enough to keep you with us. We prayed, we fasted and we studied the word. If Christ brought out Lazarus from the grave, then why not you? That was my stubborn faith. Then I was in bed lying adjacent to you when at a moment unknown to me, it pleased God to draw out your soul to Jesus. Glory be to God in the highest!!!. I loved you and you loved me even more. We had thought that the sickness was not unto death, and we were right for the righteous dies only but once and does not taste the second death. You have gone to reign with Christ, no more sorrow, no more pain and no more sickness. I look forward to joining you in paradise. Amen. Not like the biblical Rich fool, we had planned an elaborate 40th Wedding Anniversary for April 2019. We had some other plans that we put before God. God answered our prayers and cannot be questioned. He is a merciful God. Our time together was full of events, some pleasant, some quite the opposite, but in all, Christ was always glorified. He gave us grand children and He made sure our children are many not as the ignorant counted. Perhaps in the present state of divinity, you can see that your burial expenses are borne largely by your children and not just the child!!. “Eni omo sin lo bi ‘mo” You were fulfilled. You were a mother and grandmotherto many. You were eyes to the blind and feet to the lame. You never fought with anybody and would not hurt a fly.
I miss you my love, our children and grandchildren do. Your neighbors, friends and professional colleagues do and even the plants you tendered every morning in your gardens miss you already. For me personally, the pain from your death shall be a rededication of my life to Christ so as to meet you again, where there is neither sun nor moon, but Christ is the light, and there is no darkness. You have gone too soon, leaving me behind. We must meet again to part no more. We must spend eternity with Christ. Amen
I cannot but attribute the pains to your struggle nor with flesh and blood only but with principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places but I take consolation in the word of God as contained in 2nd Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 6 that “It is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who troubled you”
Sun ree o “my Paragon of beauty” my super intelligent partner, my mother and my confidant.
Sun ree o- omo a jori san ra, a jogede sanra yomlo” I shall continue to ask for grace to continue with life on earth without you. I will do my best to care for your gifts that you left behind, for as long as it pleases God to allow me.” Her daughter Oluwaseyi also eulogised her mum.”It took me days to get convinced that you were actually gone. Mum, you meant everything to me. You were my alarm clock, my teacher, my doctor, my nurse, my prayer warrior, my friend, my everything. I grew up to know you as reliable, dependable, energetic, purpose driven and a loving woman with a heartthat pants for God. Mummy, you were full of life, the earth knew you were here. Everyone around you felt your impact. You were my gist partner, you had the heart of a child. We attended antenatal sessions together, you were always with me in the labour room. The question now is how to do all these without you? You gave me an answer before you left that “The joy of the Lord is my Strength”, you even sang it for me in your pains. That has been the song on my lips since you departed.
Mum, how do I take care of the husband you left behind and your grandchildren? Your husband is broken but I trust God to comfort him. Your departure would have left me completely hopeless but thank God you raised me in the way of the Lord and nurtured me with his words hence I know that our God is beautiful in all situation. Iya Seyi, I will have to put to work now all that you have imparted in me and I trust God to help me achieve all that you ever hoped for. We had so many aspirations, some came through while you were alive, others will come while you are gone. Mum, your Shindara graduated from Primary School last week Monday and I had no choice but to attend her speech and prize giving day for the first time in nine years. Everybody asked after you as you were the one they knew in her school. I had to go to the market to buy her shoes for the first time. Mummy, you left a vacuum only God can fill. I will ensure that we raise your grandchildren in the ways that will please God and I will remind them of all the biblical rules you want them to follow. I trust God to achieve this through the help of the Holy Spirit and their loving grand father. Mum I can’t say alii have to say in this short letter. I will always love you mum. You live in my heart forever.”
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