IN MEMORIAM - IOW (Ex IOW) Friiday 9th February 1898 - Sunday 29 July 1979.
 |
| I O W (Ex I O W) |
LIVES of Great Men all remind us, we must make ourlives sublime, and departing, leave behind us, footprint on the sands of time!
Today Sunday 29/7/2012, marks the 33rd anniversary of the passing of my
beloved (maternal) Grandfather
Counsellor Israel Onesimus WIilliams,
MBE - first black African Inspector of Works Public Works Department
(PWD) in Colonial Sierra Leone. After his retirement from the Civil Service in
the early fifties, he set up as a private Contractor and Builder in Bo.
He was the contractor and builder of several government and councils
projects including The Bo Town Council, Bo Central Market, The first Football
Stadium in Bo, many feeder roads and bridges, and government's (clerks')
quarters in the South, North and East of Sierra Leone (especially Bo, Kenema,
Moyamba, Yonibana) before the arrival, and era of Engineer Whadi Williams (no
relations) of Tiama Bridge fame. Grandpa was Honoured in 1947 with the MBE
presented to him by the then Governor of Sierra Leone.
He was very proud to have met the young Queen Elizabeth II on her historical
visit to Sierra Leone in November 1961 together with my Grand me Julia. This
was special for him as my Grandma was by then ill with breast cancer. She died
the following 1st April 1962. Grandpa was a member and Counsellor of the Bo
Town Council and was supervisor for all their buildings and bridges.
Grandpa was born of very humble parentage in Kossoh (Miiddle Town)Waterloo,
the last of six children. He gained his elementary schooling first at Benguema School
and then transferred to the Huntingdon Day School in Waterloo where he
completed his Elementary education at Standard six, learning several subjects’ including
mathematics, English and Bible studies. By this time his father had died and
was being looked after by his elder siblings. He was scheduled to go to the
Grammar school but changed his mind having been persuaded by an elder relative
to 'learn Trade'. He left Waterloo and stayed with an Aunt -the Doughty family)
to learn Carpentry at Kanikay. On completing his apprentiship, Grandpa was
employed by the Public Works Department [(PWD) now- Ministry of Works)] and was
sent to work in Kenema, Eastern Sierra Leone. Like the early morning sun my Grandpa
rose from these humble beginnings to become the First Black African Inspector
of Works under Colonial Sierra Leone. Years later, he passed on this talent to
his nephew, who also became Inspector of Works long after him at the very PWD -
Samuel B Ogumi Williams of Kosso Middle Town (also deceased)
Grandpa grew up in a very strict religious household but was not inclined to
be a clergyman like his cousin The Late SS Williams of Holy Trinity and Regent
Churches. He was nonetheless very much involved in church (Anglican) matters.
Right from his early age, he loved singing and as there was no choir at Saint
Paul's Church Middle Town (Kossoh), he went and joined the choir of Saint
Mathews Church at Benguema Grandpa was one of the few creoles from the Colony
(Western Area now) who spent most of his life in the Provinces. By the early20s
he had settled in Bo with his young 18 year old bride, my Grandma Julia Agnes
(from the Oldfield/ Belford family of Benguema) whose only child was my mother,
Regina Omoh (1923-2007).
Making Bo his resident station, he moved around, being transferred from one
station to another, but wherever he went, he became an active member of the
church and took meaningful part in church activities.. So it was that in Bo, he
became a member of the St. Paul's Church Committee and was later appointed
Vicar's Warden - a post which he held for many years. At the same time , he
supported his Home village church, St. Paul's Kossoh (Middle Town) in all
practicality - including rebuilding the High Alter, and replacement of the hard
wood church benches, stained glass windows etc. I dare say, this religious
flavour was well drilled into every child in the family that was privileged to
come under Grandpa's radar. You may be so lucky to escape any part of this
influence: from waking up very early in the morning to read the Psalms and
morning prayers, to joining the church choir, and/or going to church 'on time'.
Every child was equally treated and taught to respect and be responsible. The
youngest child will perform domestic duties suitable and parallel to his or her
age limit with pleasure. School work was nowhere to be neglected -Grandpa was a
disciplinarian!
In 1971, nine years after losing his beloved wife, and almost 50 years in
the provinces Grandpa decided to return to his little village , Kossoh (Middle
Town) to settled down for good; and in true form, that so indeed so. It was in
November 1970 when I spent my annual leave with him in Bo (whilst working for
Standard Bank in Freetown) that Grandpa revealed his intention to return to his
Roots. The first thing he did was to re-survey all the land and housed he had
in Bo especially the
Matrimonial compound at Ngeiyeiya Road,
close to the Chief's compound.. An Official from the PWD was invited to perform
this task and documented it properly. Grandpa was very concerned that this was
done properly. Such was the nature of the man- very thorough and precise.
On his return to Kossoh (Middle Town), the first self-appointed task he
undertook was the renovation of the church building the very church building
where his funeral service was held and where the last tribute was paid to him
by both the Rev. W M E Wells of St Michael and All Angels Church, Waterloo who
delivered the funeral oration and also by the then Arch - Bishop of West Africa,
The Most Rev. Dr Moses N C O Scott who was past Vicar and Arch - Deacon of St
Paul's church Bo. [He was my Sunday School Teacher and later my Confirmation Priest
at the St. Georges Cathedral, Freetown]. All but two of the steel windows of
that church were provided by Grandpa as well a complete new High Alter Table
and a good number of the hard wood benches that needed replacement.. And up to
his death, Grandpa was Vicar's Warden of the little church of St. Paul in
Kossoh (middle Town) and a Member of the East Rural Deanery Council of the
Anglican Church in Sierra Leone.
In his address and tribute , the Arch- Bishop of West Africa, the Most Rev.
Dr M N C O Scott said this " He had gone through life like a cycle -
ending up where he started and steadfast to the end". Rev. W M E Wells
posit " Of him it must be said:
"Well done, thou good and
faithful servant"... May his soul rest in perfect peace where the
un-ending music of God's love can cause the unwary traveller to the world
beyond, to exclaim: "How bright those glorious spirits shine".
