AN EERIE QUIETNESS BROKEN BY MOURNERS CRIES OF SORROW
An eerie quietness broken by mourners' cries of sorrow
THE minister of Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church told mourners at Esther Gibson's funeral that there was no one like her.
Rev. William Leonard said that over the previous few days and nights so much had been said about the 36-year-old, but nothing new came out, and that was something which was expected by those who knew her because there "only was one Esther Gibson."
And the Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church, Rev. Ian Paisley, said that Omagh and its people had been cruelly hurled into a sea of grief.
He said the waves and billows of extreme agony had overwhelmed the town and further afield.
The scene at Sixmilecross was no different from those seen at churches and graveyards in many parts of the Omagh district during the course of the week.
That same air of gloom hung over the church and the graveyard. The quietness was eerie, broken occasionally by the cries of grief from some mourners who could no longer contain their sorrow.
Hundreds of people could not fit into the church, and they stood outside in the rain in stunned silence. Mr. Leonard used the letters of the word 'ONLY' to describe Miss Gibson's life. She was a Sunday School teacher in the church and he said everyone loved her.
He described her as being organised and said that many times when he was going about the church business if something was mentioned that was being thought of being done or considered, people discovered that while they had been thinking about it, Esther had it done.
"Her family were telling me that she had her Sunday School work laid out for weeks to come. We do not start our Sunday School work until September, yet all the lessons were laid out in her bedroom, the little books and tokens of appreciation and encouragement that were given to the children week after week, were laid out for them," he said.
Organised
He went on: "She was organised in everything she did and we can be thankful that she organised her life in one other way. She made preparation and time in life for death and eternity.
"That is one thing we are thankful of here today as we stand at this funeral service. Esther Gibson made time in her life for when she would meet God."
Mr. Leonard said the 'N' in only reminded people that Esther was a "no nonsense person, something which I say with respect today."
He described her as being straightforward, a person who showed her feelings and faith.
"She had a heart of gold, " he added.
Mr. Leonard said the 'L' reminded everyone that Esther had a loving and passionate heart.
"All the boys and girls and their parents in this area knew that. She took many into her own heart, the same way some would take their own children. She cared for the children of this area, no matter who or what they were. She had a love in her heart for them," he continued.
Taking the word yielded for the 'Y', Mr. Leonard said Esther had a yielded life and a yielded heart.
"She was a quiet girl and kept a low profile in this congregation. In last few years when there was a need for children's workers and Sunday School teachers, she put herself forward so that she could help in the work of God in any way," he said.
'"And when she was needed, no matter how big or little the job was, Esther was always there, faithfully."
Expressing sympathy on behalf of the congregation, Mr. Leonard said: "We will miss her, her family will miss her, Kenneth, (her fiance), will miss her,".
Dr. Paisley said that successive Governments of the United Kingdom, whether they were Tory or Labour, had failed completely in their God-given responsibilities. They had forfeited under God their rights of Government by their actions, he said.
Surrendered
"They have surrendered the sword to evil-doers and praised evil doings, while gaining the wrath of those seeking to do right. Twenty-eight souls will be surrendered to God from this Omagh tragedy," he said.
He added: " The language of grief is silence, not speech. The tears, the lump in the throat, the pressure of the hand, those are the real vocabulary of grief.
"Into the great sea of grief have Omagh and its people been cruelly hurled during the past days.
"Today we feel for them all. No matter what their religion, no matter what their beliefs, no matter what their political principles may be, we feel for them all," he said.
Dr. Paisley told family and friends that he had been privileged to visit the Gibson home and hold Esther's Bible in his hand - a Bible which had been read with little notes written in her readable writing beside various texts.
He told the congregation that Miss Gibson would never see her promising future but had asked God to send her a man of God to be her lifetime partner.
He said she had found him in her fiance, Kenneth Hawkes, who she was to marry next July, but the bitter cup of death which would come to us all had divided them.
"One day the sweet cup of God will unite them and I know that Ken has the same faith, the same love and the same dedication as Esther had. They will meet and part no more," he added.
Miss Gibson was buried in the graveyard beside the church. Her father, two brothers and her fiance carried the coffin out of the church. She is survived by her father, William, mother, Norah, brothers, Geoffrey, Everet, Andrew, Haldane, Robert and Edmund, sisters, Wilma, Elizabeth, Audrey and Caroline.
THE minister of Sixmilecross Free Presbyterian Church told mourners at Esther Gibson's funeral that there was no one like her.
Rev. William Leonard said that over the previous few days and nights so much had been said about the 36-year-old, but nothing new came out, and that was something which was expected by those who knew her because there "only was one Esther Gibson."
And the Moderator of the Free Presbyterian Church, Rev. Ian Paisley, said that Omagh and its people had been cruelly hurled into a sea of grief.
He said the waves and billows of extreme agony had overwhelmed the town and further afield.
The scene at Sixmilecross was no different from those seen at churches and graveyards in many parts of the Omagh district during the course of the week.
That same air of gloom hung over the church and the graveyard. The quietness was eerie, broken occasionally by the cries of grief from some mourners who could no longer contain their sorrow.
Hundreds of people could not fit into the church, and they stood outside in the rain in stunned silence. Mr. Leonard used the letters of the word 'ONLY' to describe Miss Gibson's life. She was a Sunday School teacher in the church and he said everyone loved her.
He described her as being organised and said that many times when he was going about the church business if something was mentioned that was being thought of being done or considered, people discovered that while they had been thinking about it, Esther had it done.
"Her family were telling me that she had her Sunday School work laid out for weeks to come. We do not start our Sunday School work until September, yet all the lessons were laid out in her bedroom, the little books and tokens of appreciation and encouragement that were given to the children week after week, were laid out for them," he said.
Organised
He went on: "She was organised in everything she did and we can be thankful that she organised her life in one other way. She made preparation and time in life for death and eternity.
"That is one thing we are thankful of here today as we stand at this funeral service. Esther Gibson made time in her life for when she would meet God."
Mr. Leonard said the 'N' in only reminded people that Esther was a "no nonsense person, something which I say with respect today."
He described her as being straightforward, a person who showed her feelings and faith.
"She had a heart of gold, " he added.
Mr. Leonard said the 'L' reminded everyone that Esther had a loving and passionate heart.
"All the boys and girls and their parents in this area knew that. She took many into her own heart, the same way some would take their own children. She cared for the children of this area, no matter who or what they were. She had a love in her heart for them," he continued.
Taking the word yielded for the 'Y', Mr. Leonard said Esther had a yielded life and a yielded heart.
"She was a quiet girl and kept a low profile in this congregation. In last few years when there was a need for children's workers and Sunday School teachers, she put herself forward so that she could help in the work of God in any way," he said.
'"And when she was needed, no matter how big or little the job was, Esther was always there, faithfully."
Expressing sympathy on behalf of the congregation, Mr. Leonard said: "We will miss her, her family will miss her, Kenneth, (her fiance), will miss her,".
Dr. Paisley said that successive Governments of the United Kingdom, whether they were Tory or Labour, had failed completely in their God-given responsibilities. They had forfeited under God their rights of Government by their actions, he said.
Surrendered
"They have surrendered the sword to evil-doers and praised evil doings, while gaining the wrath of those seeking to do right. Twenty-eight souls will be surrendered to God from this Omagh tragedy," he said.
He added: " The language of grief is silence, not speech. The tears, the lump in the throat, the pressure of the hand, those are the real vocabulary of grief.
"Into the great sea of grief have Omagh and its people been cruelly hurled during the past days.
"Today we feel for them all. No matter what their religion, no matter what their beliefs, no matter what their political principles may be, we feel for them all," he said.
Dr. Paisley told family and friends that he had been privileged to visit the Gibson home and hold Esther's Bible in his hand - a Bible which had been read with little notes written in her readable writing beside various texts.
He told the congregation that Miss Gibson would never see her promising future but had asked God to send her a man of God to be her lifetime partner.
He said she had found him in her fiance, Kenneth Hawkes, who she was to marry next July, but the bitter cup of death which would come to us all had divided them.
"One day the sweet cup of God will unite them and I know that Ken has the same faith, the same love and the same dedication as Esther had. They will meet and part no more," he added.
Miss Gibson was buried in the graveyard beside the church. Her father, two brothers and her fiance carried the coffin out of the church. She is survived by her father, William, mother, Norah, brothers, Geoffrey, Everet, Andrew, Haldane, Robert and Edmund, sisters, Wilma, Elizabeth, Audrey and Caroline.
Further Information
Publisher: TYRONE CONSTITUTION
Ref: TC/0364
Published Date: 27-Aug-98
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