…as family, friends shed tears of joy, extol her virtues at wake keep, funeral
Seun Shotunde, Abeokuta
It was fanfare and pomp as family, friends, loved ones, relations, children and grandchildren gathered to celebrate and bid farewell to the late Princess Esther Olapeju (nee Gidigbi), whose remains were committed to mother earth on October 30, 2025, at her Plot 3, Adebayo Street, Oyero, Ijoko in Ado/Odo-Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, residence.
However, overwhelmed by emotions as a matter of course, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, including well wishers and residents in the neighborhood could not hold back some tears of joy, as Pastor Ebenezer Ashaolu of the Gospel Apostolic Church, Ijoko, delivered his moving sermon while also extolling the good virtues of Mama Olapeju, who passed on to glory on September 21 at the age of 90.
Reflecting on the lifetime of Mama Olapeju, Pastor Ashaolu described the deceased nonagenarian as a devoted Christian who loved to worship God, as she was faithfully committed to regular participation in fellowship and contributions to the work of God.
The cleric explained that he had known the deceased in the past 19 years, adding that her spirit of forgiveness and humility towards people, as a child of God, could not be over-emphasised.
He advised the children Mama left behind to come together and live in unity, as Princess Olapeju would have wanted, if she were still alive.
But Pastor Ashaolu, who quoted Ecclesiastes 5 verse 15 during his sermon at Mao Event Center, Ijoko, cautioned the living to examine their lives and check their greed for material possession on earth, while urging them to take a cue from how Mama Olapeju, who, during her lifetime worshipped God with all her heart and prioritised spiritual prowess over material wealth.
The cleric said Mama’s legacy would live on through the countless lives she touched, and the memories of her love and kindness would forever be etched in the hearts of those who knew her.
Pastor Ashaolu said, “I have known Mama Esther for about 19 years. She is a humble person and a child of God who didn’t give room for sorrow and she easily forgives when someone offends her and she also sees everyone as her child.
“My advice for the living is that they should give their life to Christ because running after money in life will end one day under the ground. Ecclesiastes Chapter 5 vs 15 says, ‘As he came from his mother’s womb, so will he return; he will take nothing from his labour to carry with him.
“So, no matter how long one lives on earth, one will stay longer when one gets to heaven. Also my advice to the children is to live together in unity as Mama wanted them to be before she died.”
The first born of the deceased nonagenarian, Mr Makinwa Johnson Makanjuola, in his brief remarks on the occasion, described his mother’s death as painful not to him only, but to all his siblings, grandchildren and great grandchildren, saying that she would always be remembered for her determination and resilience in fighting for the survival of her children.
The 67-year-old Biologist, who said he could not look into the face of her deceased mother inside the coffin because he could have fainted, said that the pain of his mother’s death was greater than being hit by a trailer. He said though the memory of her demise was still fresh, insisting that her memory would forever be in his heart.
He explained that his mother suffered so much in caring for him and his siblings, while describing the deceased matriarch as a devoted Christian whose perseverance in tough times and unwavering dedication to her family in her younger years resulted in her enjoying the fruits of her labour before passing away at the ripe age of 90.
Makanjuola, who identified patience as important words of wisdom from his late mother to living a peaceful life, explained how couples in the neighborhood came to her for advice during her life time on their marital challenges, stressing that he is now saddled with the responsibility of bringing his siblings together in unity as Mama Olapeju would have wanted.
He added, “Like I said at the wake keep yesterday, when you look at all the female species of animals in the world, naturally God gave them the endowment to take care of their young ones. But in human it’s far more, because my mother is the greatest of all because she had that naturally capacity to nurture her children, fight for the survival of her children and pray hard for the survival of her children, and not only that, all other people in the community, when they saw the impact of mama’s inputs, they come to her for advice on their marital issues.
“Right now the impact is not felt because the pain is still fresh, and definitely what I cherish most right now is that there was a prayer one of the pastors said, that after the demise of mama the children should not separate from one another and it indeed lies on me now to bring my siblings together as my immediate blood family in unity.
“The lesson from Mama is the word patience, my mother went through a lot in life; there was a lot she should have fought for but through her patience and perseverance, she overcame her challenges.”
On her own part, the deceased matriarch’s only daughter, Mrs Abigail Titilayo Ajibade, described her late mother as a unique being, who, during her lifetime never complained of headaches or stomach pains, noting that she would be remembered for her resilience in nurturing her children.
Mrs Ajibade, who also described her deceased mother as a devoted Christian who could worship and pray to God for long hours for continuous prosperity for her children, said Mama passed on at her residence after she had lived in the houses of all her children, whose personal houses are just a stone throw to one another.
Reflecting further on Mama Olapeju’s lifetime, she said, “My mother really suffered raising her children, she was very knowledgeable and intelligent because she was the head girl when she was in school and she was a princess in both her mother and father’s family houses.
“She lived with my brothers, Johnson and Sunday but she eventually died at my residence, and she is somebody that loved praying and singing praises to God. And I also thanked God that all her suffering on us did not go in vain.
“When we left Ilesa, three of us did not know we were going to built our houses on that same area. I first built my own house in Ijoko, when the second born want to build, he built a Oyebade and when our senior brother want to build his house, he built it at Oyero.
“My mother is a unique being she said since she was given birth to she never got running stomach or had headaches. She suffered for all her children and at her old age she enjoyed the fruit of her labour before she died.”
*Sunday Ayeni pens down heartfelt tribute to Mama Olapeju*
Elijah Adeniyi Ayeni, who is Mama Olapeju’s second child, penned down a heartfelt message about the passing of his mother.
Ayeni expressed sorrow over the demise of his mother, saying that she will forever live in the heart of the entire family.
He described the deceased matriarch as a prayer warrior whose life was filled with singing songs of praises to God every season, noting that he would always ensure her teachings about Christ Jesus continue to guide his way of life.
In his tribute to his late mother, Ayeni said, “As the second born of the family, I had the privilege of experiencing your love in a special way – you were my safe place, my comfort and your love never changed, even in the hardest of times. I still remember how you single-handedly killed a cow at my wedding, stepping in to make sure that everything went smoothly for me, especially after losing my father at an early age.
“Mama, as we fondly called you, you were a teacher, a friend, and the strongest woman I have ever known. You carried us all with the same tender care, yet you still found a way to make me feel seen, heard and loved in my own special way.
“I know how much you loved Christ, Mama, your prayers were loud and filled with fire, your worship seasons filled the house and are reminded of God’s presence. You never hid your fear, you lived it openly and it became a part of who we are today. Through you, we learned what it means to truly walk with God.
“Mama your sacrifices often went unnoticed, but they were never unappreciated. Everything I am today carries your finger prints. I will forever cherish the love you poured on me, the lessons you taught me and the unshakable strength you passed on to us.
“You were and will always remain in the heart of this family. I love you, mama, and I will continue to live in ways that honour your memory.”
