1- Cooking and also creating a hospitable atmosphere. She was grounded in virtually all delicacies from all the geographical region of Nigeria. Even when hungry, she prioritized visitors or strangers as a honour to serve . She pounded yam even at over seventy years old with pestle and mortar, prepared isapa, ogbono, egusi, gbegiri among others.
2- Baking: From akara, popolo, akurugbu, akara paapa, to doughnuts, chin-chin cake etc. She was ever ready to do pepper soup with any and various bush meat her husband brings home. In fact, she went on vocational training to learn how to bake soap which at a time she sold in liquid form. She baked cheese (Wara), adun, moin-moin, ekuru/ofloloju, kuli-kuli.
3- Knitting: From head warmer to cardigans, morphla, she’s handy and no room for boredom or idleness.
4- Plating: local and beautiful plating is an easy ride for her with all pleasure (in her voice).
5- Farming: As much as she’s travelled/exposed and also Academia, you won’t believe how serious she participated in farming alongside family members.
6- Sewing: My first Home Economics teacher and do wonder how ambidextrous she was and a mind of many trades or virtues.
7- Teaching (designing curriculum for child development): A teacher by training and a nurturer of destiny. I enjoyed this privilege as she was my Nursery two teacher. She went all out to get syllabus of the class ahead and start teaching us at home. She was a caregiver to the elderly and also the babies (over a handful of scores of omugwo/baby sitter to assume her for a Registered Nurse).
8- House Keeping: You can hardly visit to sit out house unkempt not minding the background financial situation. She was not just a House Keeper, but also a Home Maker. She kept her passion to keep her marriage working despite the storms and challenges.
9- Singing: Sonorous voice from hymns in English to Mata Maya to Yoruba, Okun and others
(speaking different languages was one blessing she kept from a very young age). Speaking different languages did stop her from speaking decent Okun and English Language.
10- Peace making: Even Step brothers and sister, neighbours, coworkers, in-laws, church members can testify to her unique conflict resolution and peaceful disposition. I’ve got alot to learn in her Emotional Intelligence’ school of thought. Late Elizabeth Ibiyemi Obajemu was a lover of peace, not given to drinking or smoking or two husbands/extra marital life style.
11- Nursing Kids: Numerous people have grown through the hands or care of late Elizabeth Ibiyemi Obajemu. Her care became a safe haven for neighbours, even relatives have to stylishly push their stubborn wards or kids to her.
12- Enduring and endearing: Two different words been displayed by one heart of gold. Late Elizabeth Ibiyemi Obajemu was a woman to meet at any time with her endearing nature and more so, she could go a long way tolerating, enduring, managing, economizing with the hope of better result in the long run. Part of what enhanced her adaptability skills and not a seeker of attention.
13- Volunteering: You can be rest assured you’ll get the result of she’s on board as a team member or leader. She displayed a dynamic record-taking style with enviable handwriting. All that with her commitment made her serve in positions of secretary, spokesperson, chairperson at different levels.
14- Beauty: From cradle to sick bed, Late Elizabeth Ibiyemi Obajemu was beautiful. Even her kids and grandkids carries this dominant gene. You can’t rubbish her as ugly because she was blessed to be fair in beauty; decency, not given to jewelleries or lacking modesty. With or without makeover or makeup, she’s lovely to behold.
15- Godliness: She was Scriptures personified in so many ways. Is it humility, long suffering, simple-heartedness, love for the things of God even when not appointed to any leader role. Indeed, looking back, one of the virtues I could see is Godliness with contentment, which the scriptures says , do have a great gain. She simplified theology of work, whereby her workplace was a platform to live the doctrines or ideas learnt from her faith base. Her conversation is intertwined with prayers and good wishes.
– Isaac Kayode Obajemu
In memory of my beloved mother; Late Deaconess Elizabeth Ibiyemi Obajemu (1950-2024)
