Odilia Ghaila Tume born of pagan parents, La'akha and Pa Tume. She was the first child of the family and had four siblings; a brother Christian Cardinal Tume(only surviving) and three sisters Veronica, Cecilia and Celine-all of blessed memory.

She was born in the dry season of 1924, precisely just before the month of the celebration of the birth of Christ. She was named Ghaila; full name Ghailashaanyuy(who but God cares about our troubles). Her  mother in appreciation of God's gift of a daughter to her,converted to christianity, attended doctrine at Kiyan Catholic church.

December 17th 1926, Madam La'akha was Baptised in the 1926 together with her toddler daughter Ghaila. Mammy took the name Catharine, meaning "Pure" because she was a woman of God Pure of heart. Her Daughter Ghaila was Baptised Odelia(Hebrew)/Odilia(English) meaning:" I will thank God".

Mammy Catharine also got her husband Tume converted and Baptised Thomas  Seven years later,Couple had a second child(son) they named Wiyghan Christian. Three years later, their parents left them under custody of their paternal uncle in Kikaikelaki and travelled to Nigeria on missionary work.

Life was not easy for the two children under their uncle and Odilia at tender age of 10 was forced to grow up and became mother figure in her brother's life. The two children then moved to Shisong few years later to live with another family extended relative. Odilia attended young girls training classes at the convent in Shisong and at age 17(1941), the extended uncle they lived with bethroded her to a young christian boy Nicholas Keng and the two got married onNovember 30th 1941.

Their mother being aware of what her children were going through, instructed Odelia not to leave her brother behind. She left Shisong but came back after a month and took her brother along with her to Buea where they both lived with her Husband Nicholas Keng.

In the Cardinal's own words" I thought my elder sister was my mother because she and her husband loved me so much and if I did not bath well, my sister dragged stubborn me to the bathroom and bathed me. Her husband promised to send me to Sasse if I stayed in school". Cardinal Tume repeated these same words in 1966 when he was ordained a priest in Great suppo.

Odilia Ghaila Tume Keng and Nicholas Ngwassa Keng were blessed with 10 children(5 boys and 5 Girls) Two boys and One girl are of blessed memory.

November 1966, Mammy Odi was widowed and left to single handedly care for 8 children one (Baby of family) of whom passed to glory in April 2001. She worked so hard raising money from sales of corn beer, palm wine and farm work to give her children education. she successfully saw her children through primary, secondary and even university abroad.

March 2014, Ma Odi suffered a stroke which incapacitated her left side. She survived it and was doing good for two and half years until early 2017 when she was again admitted to the hospital for three weeks. While at BBH. she won the love of all the patients in her unit and they all used to gather around her to listen to sermons on love and forgiveness.

Upon discharged, her health was on the decline but she fought hard to stay on the positive side of things.

In the first week of April 2017, she was taken to BBH where it was diagnosed with a Heart attack but her body was too weak toto be transferred to the cardiac center for the required interventional surgery.

on April 11 at 10.30Am, inspite of all supportive care, she gave up the ghost and went to be with the Lord. She was surrounded by all her surviving children. some grandchildren and some other family members and nurses and doctor on duty at BBH.

She is survived by her only brother and special son, His Emminence Christian Cardinal Wiyghan Tume, 7 children, 31 grandchildren, 49 great grandchildren and 2 great great grandchildren,

She was loved by everybody around her and was popularly known by many people and children of Ndzengwef and surrounding quarters as Gogo.

We hate to say goodbye to her but we cannot challenge God.s plan for her., Although she lived to her 90's, she was so loved and touched many around her that it seems too soon to go.

She remains the queen of our hearts and will forever be missed till we meet to part no more.

 

 

 

 

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