Frida "Mammy Miss" Mande Mokube - Site Memorial Online

Hi Mami Miss,

I have always kept you in my heart to be the ideal mom privileged to have had. Although you had many of us, you made each of us feel to be loved more by you than anybody else in the world.

You bring to me so many memories that I wonder what the future holds without you here with us. I feel now as if so much energy has been taking away from me.

Back in the days at age ten, once, I overheard you reminding my dad how both of you had promised to raise us to walk with Christ and go to church regularly. Later when you visited me in Douala, you always expressed how concerned you were with the decline in our Christian life regarding active worshipping due to reluctance to go to church on Sundays because of staying up late on Saturday night.

I saw the joy in your heart and eyes, each time you learnt that one of us had gone back to worshipping the lord. Each time you learnt of this, you always smiled, lifting both hands, and looking up to heaven and will say “Praise the Lord for his mercy”.

You taught your children in the classroom and at home how to love, care and share with each other. You taught us many Bible stories and songs of praises and we always heard you singing when knitting, sweeping, sewing, and working at home.

You made most of us go to mission schools which wasn’t a surprise for us, since we knew where your preference was. I remember when I was in Douala; you expressed disappointment when you said aloud “I thought one of you will turn out to become a Pastor in the Presbyterian Church”.

You provided us with everything we needed and made us feel rich and satisfied despite your salary as a teacher. I recalled, while I was in high school, I was sent back home for school fees. Immediately I told you why I came back home, you took me straight to see the synod clerk, and the education secretary for a loan which was granted for me to go back to school. I imagined you had to pay this back with deduction from your salary. You and my Dad never expressed frustration or bitterness when you were confronted with financial difficulties regarding our education.

You sacrificed so much for your children to attain the education we achieved because you wanted the best for us. For the same reason after you retired, you came to the United States of America to live with us, so that you could help to raise your grandchildren in Atlanta-Georgia, Minneapolis-Minnesota, Indianapolis-Indiana, Pittsburgh-Pennsylvania, Chicago-Illinois and in London-Great Britain.

Once, when you were at home with your grandchildren in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, your four-year old grandchild gave you burnt toasted bread that she had prepared for  you to eat. You laughed over this as you narrated your story of how this happened with joy and happiness. You praised her for all her efforts and made her feel important at that age, just like you did to us growing up. Felicia, Iya Ete, Hello and Alicia will miss you and have fond memories of you. Alicia always wanted to meet her grandma and I bet she was so fulfilled during her trip in December 2011 when she met you and spent time with you.

Mami Miss, we are going to miss you and thank you for bringing us into this world. We thank you for your love, caring and the sacrifices you made for us your entire life.

We thank you for not shying away from redirecting us to move in the way of our Lord Jesus Christ, especially when we fell back.

We ask for your forgiveness for all the things we took for granted and without understanding the difficulties and challenges you had to provide our needs when we were growing up.

Mami Miss, we are going to miss you a lot. We know our caring and merciful God and his son Jesus Christ, together with the Angels, Saints will keep you more than ‘seventy times seventy folds’ happier in Our Father’s Kingdom till we meet you there.

Blessed be the name of the Lord and pray for us all to continue to be in the path of righteousness as we journey through this world.

Love,

Henry

I became a second housewife to our late husband Paul Nanje Mokube since he and his first wife were workers. I came in to help to cook and also to do other house duties. Mami Miss took me as her junior sister and I myself took her as my senior Sister. She cared for all the children and also aided in paying their school fees. We lived a Christian life and never had any problem. All my children grew up with Mami Miss. My only worry is that, since she fell, we never had any time to dialogue. Mami Miss, you ran your race on earth and you fought your own fight. May our Almighty God keep you at His right hand. We love you, but God our creator loves you better.

May your soul rest in perfect peace.

Mama Martha Mokube

My dearly beloved Mama,

From The day I was told that you were my god mother from childhood and gave me the name “GRACE” an unbreakable attachment to you was established. That name has brought me favour before God and man; that is one of the meanings of that name. Thank you mama, because you were one of the only two educated women in Dikome in those days, you brought in enlightenment and I was the first to bear that name among the girls in and out of the village. Your commitment to me motivated you to usher me into your family tree where the foundation of pioneership continued.

Through this family union, I became the first girl in our village to travel and study in the US, the first to have a degree, the first to drive a car, and the first to be Born Again. You laid the foundation for me Mama and I can never forget you.

Not only that, your fondness for me always found expression in your protection and my well-being. You would never allow anyone to hurt me. You will rebuke anyone who made me cry. I remember sometimes when you sewed dresses, you made sure the remaining material was used to sew my own dress. So I often had “one kind close” with “Mama Miss” as others called you. Memories such as these, your kindness to people who came around you, your devotion to religious activities and devotion to God earn you my attribute to you as a GREAT WOMAN. Things did not turn out the way you speculated but you laid the foundation in my life and no one else can take the credit.

My poor health could not permit me to see you at the end of your life (even though I could not bear to see what I heard) but I’m glad 1 saw and spoke with you in Kumba before you went to Douala. There is a witness in my spirit that you reconciled with God before He took you home and I will surly see you again. I love you Mama and will always remember you.

Your daughter

Grace Malike Epamba

Mami Miss my sister, I now understand what you meant when you told me long time ago that "you are my sister and daughter at the same time". I asked you why? and you replied “because I couldn’t have a baby girl”.

You had to wait for me to give you the last breakfast. I hear your lovely voice joining me when I sing the "we are one" chorus you taught the Baptist church in London during the International Evening.

You were a teacher at school and at home, teaching everyone to be responsible for his or her own tasks and doing so in time and excellently.

I remember when I told you mama miss do not be too hard on these girls or they will all run away and you will have no one to talk to and you replied “I will talk to the trees”.

You noticed everyone’s way of doing things giving encouragement and support like a good teacher.

You were out spoken, honest and bearing no grudge as you spoke out your mind if you do not accept something.

I can go on and on. What a nice way to go to the other side. On that last day which no one can forget, after your breakfast, you rested and when it was time for lunch you did not accept to eat even a spoon of your favourite dish. But when you heard the man of God offering you the Lords Supper you opened your mouth and swallowed it and that was the last thing and you said goodbye to us. You will forever be in our hearts.

I cannot finish without saying a BIG THANK YOU to your daughter in law who gave you all the care and support for all these years.

Margaret Misodi

Eh!! Mami Miss! What a blow!

My dear mother

My Sister, my ever caring sister

My good friend – I can’t believe that you have gone and gone forever, it is unbelievable;

even at your last moments I still had hoped that Jesus was going to bring you back to life as he did to Lazarus.

Wee-h!

Tears in my eyes, I can’t wipe them

Ache in my heart, will always stay

What grief I bear, what a vacuum Mama my baby face sister

My ever young looking sister;

Yes many people thought you were my junior sister though I was not even your second follower- You blushed at this; but I was proud of you.

Two teachers, at the same time farmers, ever together in the farm, in the kitchen where have you kept me. My problems were your problems.

During the period of my disappointment you were there to comfort me

In times of sickness, particularly when I was at the point of death, you were there

praying always that God should bring me back to life. Well, God knows why.

Mama, woman of Faith-ever with your Bible where ever you went.

Thanks be to God

On your sick bed when your memory had failed, you could remember the Lord’s Prayer.

You could sing your Douala songs from word to word-that was wonderful?

Professional mourner we jokishly called you, because you never missed attending burials even if it meant travelling long distances.

Dear Sister, thank you for making me to be what I am today – strong.

Thank you for making ours a united family – a family where LOVE reigns, a family where exchange of bitter words is an abomination. Between you and me sharing was our motto, what belonged to you, belonged to me. I pray for such Unity amongst our children and grandchildren because that is how our parents brought us up.

Mama, your departure is an irreparable loss to the family. Yes the impossibility has become the possible, death has taken the lead.

We love you but God loves you best.

Good bye Sister.