The Trumpet Newspaper Issue 582 (October 19 - November 1 2022)

Page10 TheTrumpet OCTOBER 19 - NOVEMBER 1 2022
Obituary
Mama Esther Soremekun transits at 104
Diaspora Nigerian and
Centenarian - Mama Esther
Ayinke Alaba Soremekun
passed away at the ripe age of 104
on 29 th August and was laid to rest
last month.
Glowing tributes were paid to the
Christian faithful - Mother Celestial
Esther Soremekun who was a
staunch member of the Elephant and
Castle Parish of the Celestial
Church of Christ in London.
Mother Celestial Esther Ayinke Alaba Soremekun
The Beginning
Esther Ayinke Fehintola Alaba
Mann was born on Monday the 4 th
of February 1918 in Lagos, Nigeria.
Her father, Pa James Omotoso
Mann originated from the wellknown
Sopehin family of Itesi, Ake
in Abeokuta, Ogun State. Papa
Mann worked for Nigerian Railway
in Lagos and retired to Port
Harcourt where he transitioned to
glory. Her mother was Madam
Elizabeth Egeyemi Olakunbi Davies
from the Oniru Royal Dynasty of
Lagos Island that produced the
Oyekan ruling family.
Among Mama’s siblings were
Papa Nathaniel Olayinka Mann,
Madam Alake Shogbamimu, and
Madam Josephine Ibijoke Adigun
who are now of blessed memory
and a junior sister - Madam Agnes
Titilola Crowder.
Educational Background
When Mama was 7 years old, she
started her educational journey from
CMS Girls’ Primary School in
Kaduna while living with one of her
aunts - Mama Matilda Idowu Mann.
She progressed with her Secondary
education in Zaria in 1926, moved
to Port Harcourt in 1930 and later
returned to Lagos in 1933.
She also attended Baptist
Academy on Broad Street where the
popular Western Nigeria politician
of the National Convention of
Nigerian Citizens [NCNC] - Papa
Samuel Ladoke Akintola of blessed
memory was one of her teachers. It
was at this tender age that she
devoted her life to serving God.
Mama became and worked as a
teacher for about six months before
embarking on a career in the fashion
industry.
sweetheart and bosom friend – Late
Mr. Afolabi Adekunle Soremekun in
1944. At that time, he worked for
Elder Dempster Shipping Line as a
Clerk while Mama carried on as a
prosperous trader and entrepreneur.
After marriage, Mama persuaded
Papa Soremekun to quit the rat race
of salary earning and both of them
went into various business ventures,
which included exporting timber
overseas.
She established a company
named MATOBS STORES, and
Papa Soremekun became the Co-
Managing Director. Mama and
Papa led a successful import and
export trade (which included timber
logs, leather and commodities) with
foreign companies in various
countries, which made them travel
most of the time across the Middle
East and Western Europe to broaden
their business.
Business Enterprise
Mama entered the fashion
industry as a Sewing Mistress; she
had a shop at Tokunbo Street near
the famous Mercy Hospital in Lagos
Island where she trained young
Marital Life
Miss Esther Mann married her
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Mother Celestial Esther Ayinke Alaba Soremekun
Continued on Page 11