Mama Mary Etoke Elad
Mama Mary Etoke Elad was born in Ikilliwindi, Kumba South West Province Cameroon in 1935 to Mama Johanna Maduan and Papa Enasube Phillip from Plain De Mbo (Sandcho).
Mama Mary was the second of four children. She attended Saint Theresa Primary School in Fiango, Kumba and completed standard six.
Mama Mary met Papa Christian Elad; they got married in 1954 and had 10 children, eight living and two deceased.
Though mama had many children of her own, she never stopped taking care of other relatives including her sisters, brother, their children and their grandchildren.
Mama made sure her own children embraced the responsibility to help the orphaned children in our family. While in the U.S, mama made sure money was sent to relatives back in Cameroon. Mama will call around to her children and other family members asking them to send money to relatives back home. Mama sometimes sent her own money to help the relatives.
Mama took care of three generations of non- relatives. She did so happily up till the moment she died providing support to late sister Anna Mballa’s children and grandchildren. One of Mama’s last discussions was asking her children to help sponsor one of Sister’s Ann grandson to college. Rita, one of mama’s daughters, accepted this responsibility. Mama took pride in helping others and instilled that notion of selflessness into her children.
After mama got married, she learned how to sew and became a seamstress by profession. She was a strong business lady who sold different goods and owned her own off license bar. She owned her own store in the market where she sold oil and many other items. Mama will go to Lobe to buy oil and sometimes stayed there for days due to bad weather and bad roads before coming back home. She worked hard to make sure her family was taking care of.
Mama became a widow 28years ago and had to raise her children alone. Mama Mary was the center pillar of her family. She made sure all her children had the best education. Mama loved her children and family members very much and encouraged them to do their best in life.
She was a dedicated Catholic Christian, belonging to various groups in the church including but not limited to the Catholic Women Association, (CWA) and Charismatic Prayer Group. Mama was a dedicated member of the CWA while in Cameroon and in the U.S.A. She was one of the founding members of the CWA USA. She was a prominent member of the Charismatic Prayer group at Saint Nicholas Catholic church where she was known as “Mama Mary” and well respected.
Promoting God’s work on earth was mama’s passions. She will visit, pray with the sick, pray and sing worship songs on the phone with friends and families. She will teach anyone who wanted to know about the bible. Mama will read the bible religiously daily and will follow the Mass on TV daily. She never missed the 3 pm Divine Mercy Prayer on TV. Grandma Mary continued her religious and Christian endeavors in the USA. Mama Mary attended Mass every Sunday at church unfailingly and thought her children the importance of Christianity and participation in church activities.
Mama Mary left Cameroon for the USA fourteen years ago accompanied by three of her grandchildren. During these past fourteen years, Mama / Grandma Mary / Aunty Mary as she was popularly known, helped raise many of her grandchildren in the U.S.A. She assisted her children, nieces, nephews, family, friends and others in various ways. Mama never complained or refused to take care of any child including those of friends and neighbors.
Her presence in the United States of America permitted many of the adult family members to attend school with relative ease. They did not have to worry about babysitting. Her grandchildren do not know any of the scary baby sitter stories because they were all being taken care of by grandma
Grandma Mary’s presence in the USA made it possible for many of the children to move from Cameroon to the United State of America. Grandma Mary was the family communication Center. She was the Matriarch of the Family. Her Home at Laurel was the center for her family and friends. Her drive-way always had a car or two packed by a family member or a friend who came to visit with her. She was our phone directory. She knew every body’s phone number by heart and kept a phone book for those she could not remember. She lived an open door life where all was welcome. She believed that every child was her child. Grandma was an adviser to many people including people from different tribes and countries. She thought so many people how to cook different food. Some of the cooking lessons were done over the phone.
She gave motherly advice to many mothers. She gave marriage advice to many women and men that came to her. She was a general counselor to anyone who was having or going through difficulties. Her ears were always open to listening and her arms were always open to hugs. Her mouth was always ready to greet the people she met and to ask about the people that where not present. She always sent greetings to people and will call on the phone just to make sure her friends and family were ok and well.
In April 2012 Mama had a leg surgery from which she recovered. A few weeks later, she developed other complications due her liver disease which her family was told she had a tumor. Mama started going back and forth to the hospital. When she felt a little better, she decided that she wanted to go back to Cameroon to visit her other family members. She made her travel plans, shipped her house hold items, bought an air ticket to travel on the 11th of December 2012 and she arranged for her sendoff party, which she couldn’t attend because she was rushed back to the hospital the day before the party. Mama felt better and was discharged home on Wednesday November 28th 2012.
On Friday November 30 2012 mama was rushed back to the Howard county hospital by her family. While in the hospital, very sick, she was still peaceful, calm, smiling and talking to her family and friends who came to visit her.
On Saturday December 1, 2012 at about 10:00 p.m. Mama’s condition changed for the worst, even with the Doctors intervention it was time for Mama to go and meet her Lord. On Sunday December 2, 2012 at 12:30 a.m. Mama was taken by Angels to Heaven to meet Her Lord and Maker while surrounded by her family.
She is survived by eight children, twenty one grandchildren, two sisters, one brother, a host of nieces, nephews, in-laws, friends and well-wishers.
Mama, Mommy, Mom, Mamie, Aunty Mary, Grandma, Grama, remay, Cherie Kumba, Mary no easy, Mary, Gramdma Mary, Mama Mary and Auntie you will forever be Loved and Remembered.
REST IN PEACE.
WE LOVE YOU.
