RED ROSE FAREWELL TO SOUL-MATE
Red rose farewell to 'soul-mate'
By Janet Devlin
A SINGLE red rose was Laurence Rush's last gift to the woman he loved for more than 40 years.
The rose was placed on Libby Rush's coffin during her funeral service yesterday at St Mary's Church, Drumragh, a few miles outside Omagh.
The couple met when they were 15 and married three years later. They had been looking forward to celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary in the year 2000.
Mr Rush (58) described his wife, who died in the shop she owned, as his "soul-mate' .
He and children Anthony. Andrew and Siobhan were joined at Requiem Mass by around a thousand mourners, many of whom stood outside in the pouring rain.
They heard the Auxiliary Bishop of Derry. Dr Francis Lagan, say that if the bombers had hoped to divide the people of Omagh they had failed miserably.
"You came into our town with your instrument of death and destruction. We utterly despise you for what you have done." he said.
"Shame on you for killing and maiming, shame on you for bringing so much pain and loneliness into so many homes."
First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon were also among the mourners.
In a direct appeal to all politicians, Bishop Lagan said: "Please work together for peace and good, don't be bickering.
"Don't promote your own sectional interest which could create a vacuum which the bombers feel free to fill - or many may lose faith in you and the political process."
Parish Priest Fr Michael Keaveney described Mrs Rush (57) as "a caring person, always friendly, a devoted wife and mother."
"She was killed by the evil actions of some people who knew nothing about Libby," he said.
"They try to justify it by appealing to some mythical cause. No cause is worth that sort of mayhem."
By Janet Devlin
A SINGLE red rose was Laurence Rush's last gift to the woman he loved for more than 40 years.
The rose was placed on Libby Rush's coffin during her funeral service yesterday at St Mary's Church, Drumragh, a few miles outside Omagh.
The couple met when they were 15 and married three years later. They had been looking forward to celebrating their ruby wedding anniversary in the year 2000.
Mr Rush (58) described his wife, who died in the shop she owned, as his "soul-mate' .
He and children Anthony. Andrew and Siobhan were joined at Requiem Mass by around a thousand mourners, many of whom stood outside in the pouring rain.
They heard the Auxiliary Bishop of Derry. Dr Francis Lagan, say that if the bombers had hoped to divide the people of Omagh they had failed miserably.
"You came into our town with your instrument of death and destruction. We utterly despise you for what you have done." he said.
"Shame on you for killing and maiming, shame on you for bringing so much pain and loneliness into so many homes."
First Minister David Trimble and Deputy First Minister Seamus Mallon were also among the mourners.
In a direct appeal to all politicians, Bishop Lagan said: "Please work together for peace and good, don't be bickering.
"Don't promote your own sectional interest which could create a vacuum which the bombers feel free to fill - or many may lose faith in you and the political process."
Parish Priest Fr Michael Keaveney described Mrs Rush (57) as "a caring person, always friendly, a devoted wife and mother."
"She was killed by the evil actions of some people who knew nothing about Libby," he said.
"They try to justify it by appealing to some mythical cause. No cause is worth that sort of mayhem."
Further Information
Publisher: BELFAST TELEGRAPH
Ref: BT/0152
Published Date: 21-Aug-98
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