Aunty Bessie passed
away in the early hours of Sunday morning, June 30, 2013. She died of pneumonia
in her own bed , in her own room at Summerfield Park, exactly as she had hoped
and prayed for, and our close, mutual friend, Pat Prinsloo, was with her at the
end. She was 97 years old. According to Pat she spent all her waking time of
the last few hours in prayer, aware that this was probably the end.
Although she was practically blind, only able to discern light and dark shapes, and even then only when the light was good, and although she was starting to become hard of hearing, nevertheless, her mind was sharp as a tack and you had better tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth or she would catch you out if you just tried to fob her off.
She spent much of
her waking time in intercession, praying not only for people in need that she
knew but also nationally and internationally for people who were victims of
floods, earthquakes, fires and civil wars. She listened to the news and was up
on national and international affairs although she was fed up with politicians
of all stripes, particularly where there was corruption and public waste.
However, she never got used to calling it Zimbabwe - it was always Rhodesia for
her.
Her reputation as an
intercessor got to be quite awesome and people sought her out to pray for them
and their needs. Once you got on to her intercession list the only way you came
off was if she moved you to her thanksgiving list. She would follow up and ask
how it was going with such-and-such. If you told her that the issue had
resolved itself some time back she would become indignant and ask why you had
never told her. What must God think of her, she would say, asking him for
things that he had already answered instead of thanking him? How could she
thank God if you did not tell her that her prayers had been answered?
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| The three sisters: Marjorie, Ethel, Bessie |
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| Bessie the 'Gal - Durban Bay |
