WATCH: ER24 assists to get bedridden widow to husband’s funeral
JB died on his 79th birthday on June 27
NOT one person, daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren, did not shed a tear as they spoke about the late Johannes van Niekerk.
The church hall was filled with pain and emotion as the family said their last goodbyes to their beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend.
“JB”, as he was affectionately known, died on his 79th birthday on June 27 from a heart attack. His memorial service was on July 4 at the NG Kerk Kempton Park.
Due to a condition called spondylosis, which left Ouma Mary partially paralysed, ER24 jumped in free of charge to help her say her last goodbyes to her darling husband of 58 years.
Spondylosis is a term that refers to some type of degeneration in the spine. Put simply, it describes osteoarthritis of the spine, caused by the joints experiencing an injury or degenerating with age.
EXPRESS arrived at the family home about half an hour before the paramedics came to pick up Mary. Family members have gathered outside chatting among themselves.
Upon entering her bedroom, Mary greets me with a big smile and in a bold tone says, “Hi, I’m Mary, are you the lady from Kempton Express?”
We both agreed I would call her Ouma.
Surrounded by her daughters, grandchildren and caretaker Emily Mabotja, the 77-year-old starts recounting her early days with JB and how they first met.
“He was still a policeman when we first met; I actually thought he liked my friend!” she laughs with amusement.
“My friend and I were walking down the street past the police station. He saw us and came running towards us. My friend said to me ‘look he likes you’,” she explains.
JB took down Ouma’s telephone number and a few weeks later, on May 21, gifted her with a piece of gold with her name engraved on it for her birthday.
Six months later in 1959, they were married. They had four daughters, Anne-Marie, Antoinette, Marcia and Zelda. Antoinette passed away five years ago.
ER24 paramedics arrived at about 9.50am to take Ouma to Martin’s Funerals first to say goodbye to JB, then over to the church.
It was indeed an emotional tribute to the family’s beloved JB as some of them plucked up the courage to give their last messages to their father and Oupa.
One can tell Oupa loved his grandchildren, as they all had wonderful stories to share about him.
From making “lekker potjiekos and flapjacks” together, to teaching them about electronics and how to shoot and weld, all his grandkids had heart-warming memories to share.
“Oupa always wanted to teach you something. I remember he taught me how to drive when I was about 11 or 12, just so he could sit in the back seat of the car to relax,” one grandson reminisced, bringing the congregation to giggles.
“Thank you for all the amazing memories Oupa, it was a privilege knowing you.”
At some point during the service, Emily unwraps a red sweet and gives it to Ouma (she loves her candy).
Not one person who got up to speak did not shed a tear for JB; his death clearly left a huge hole in everyone’s hearts.
Short and beautiful, the service comes to an end after about an hour and the congregation exits the building while a beautiful song plays in the background.
Outside, everyone, starting with Ouma and her children, say their last goodbyes to JB in the hearse. He had been cremated.
JB was born in 1938 in Pilgrim’s Rest, Mpumalanga. Ouma was a Joburg girl; “born and bred in Westdene and later lived in Brixton”. They moved to Kempton Park in 1984.
Together with Ouma they have nine grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren. JB worked for the SABC until he took his pension in 1994 and Ouma was a credit controller, mostly in the medical field.
“I will always remember him for his striking blue eyes. I loved his eyes. I would tell him all the time about them.”
