|
Post by CherieKropp on Oct 1, 2014 9:53:23 GMT -5
Dr. Patricia Roberts, of Ballinamallard, Co. Fermanagh, N. Ireland, affectionately called by her family "Aunt Paddy" died September 29, 2014. She had been in poor health for some time and deteriorated in her last week. Her nieces and nephews had been sitting with her since Saturday. The funeral will be held October 1 at 1:00 pm from Ballycassidy House (a funeral home where she’s been since leaving the nursing home) and burial afterwards will be at Sydare Cemetery, Co. Irvinestown, Fermanagh, N. Ireland. Dr. Roberts was the author, editor and compiler of 4 books concerning Edward Cooney and his followers: 1. The Life and Ministry of Edward Cooney, 1867-1960, 1990 (ISBN 0 9510109 4 8) 2. Selected Letters, Hymns and Poems of Edward Cooney, 1867-1960, 1991 3. Selected Letters of Fred Wood 1890-1986, 1997 4. The Go Preacher Movement - An Anthology, 2000 Her books are available for loan from the TTT Lending LibraryHer contribution to preserving the historical work, memory and life account of Edward Cooney has been most useful and informative and will continue to be. I will always be very grateful to her. She was most helpful to me many times as I gathered information to include in my book about Wm Irvine's life. We met her in person in 2004 when we traveled to Ireland and she kindly invited us to her home for our first tea on our trip, where we also met a couple of her Cooneyite friends. Here is a photo taken at that time:
|
|
|
Post by CherieKropp on Oct 8, 2014 13:01:37 GMT -5
Someone who attended Patricia Roberts service wrote this:
William Acheson from Newtownards officiated. They sang two hymns; O Love That Will Not Let Me Go and Abide With Me. all all 5 verses were included. The Order of Service was compiled by the non-Cooney nieces and nephews.
Mr. Acheson started by telling us on his journey to Enniskillen that morning, he saw a sign at the road side that mentioned purpose. He wandered about this theme for a while before adding in about those that were given talents and the importance of using them. Even though Mr. Acheson wasn’t a gifted orator, he did come across as genuinely humble.
He never once mentioned the importance of worshipping the way they did, about the meetings in the home or even to revere Eddie Cooney. He kept saying that “No man cometh to the Father except through Me” and expanded on that at various times. He spoke at the graveside briefly.
Caroline Roberts Addison (a niece) was asked to share the family’s memories of Auntie Paddy and it was wonderfully coherent (she’s a lawyer by training). It really was very lovely. A great niece, Victoria Roberts who is reading law at university did a Bible reading.
When the service was concluded and the undertakers were pulling out the pall bearers to lift the coffin, Mr. Acheson remembered that he had something more to tell us and proceeded to speak for another 5 minutes, referring as he spoke, to a piece from the New Living Bible.
There weren’t many Cooneyites there – three of Fred Woods’ daughters, a lady, Gertie Robinson and one or two others.
|
|
|
Post by CherieKropp on Oct 9, 2014 10:06:25 GMT -5
|
|
|
Post by CherieKropp on Oct 10, 2014 17:29:33 GMT -5
Eulogy for Patricia Roberts: Dr Patricia Thelda Roberts (11 December 1919 - 29th September 2014)
A Service of Thanksgiving at Ballycassidy Funeral Home on 1st October 2014
Dr Patricia Roberts, known to family and friends as Paddy was born in December 1919 at Drumcullion, Ballinamallard. The youngest child of Emily (nee West) and William Hamilton Roberts who had eight children: West & Lena, Edna & Joe, Jim & Jack, Sybil and Paddy. She had a very happy childhood surrounded not only by her siblings but by her many cousins: the Wests at Mullaghmeen; the Wests at Crocknacrieve, later at Rossahilly, and the Reids at Gortaloughan. She was educated initially at Mullaghmeen school then at the Model School before attending Enniskillen Collegiate. She was bright and loved to learn and might have gone to university had the Second World War not intervened. Instead she went to London to train as a nurse at Guy's Hospital. She lived in London through the Blitz and during the war lost not only a favourite cousin Ronald West, but also her beloved father, and her sweetheart. She also joined the Bank of England working at the wartime base in Winchester before returning to Threadneedle Street. She lived in London through the 1950s and after a brief period with the Civil Service in Northern Ireland decided to follow her brothers, West and Jim, to California. In America, she began her academic career graduating from UCLA with a BA in English Literature in 1964. She then studied at the Sorbonne in Paris before taking her MA in French Literature at Columbia. Remaining in New York she went on to take her Phd at New York University. The 1960s were an incredible time to be a student, whatever your age, and she loved this time particularly her life in New York. Now as Dr Roberts she began her teaching career at first teaching English at the Institute de Paris before travelling to Iran to become Assistant Professor in French Literature at Pahlavi University, which is now the University of Shiraz. In 1979 the Shah was deposed and this diminuitive Irish lady was forced to flee. Happily her collection of Persian art also survived the revolution and would later fill her home at Bridgemont. She returned to California from Iran and took up a post with the UCLA at Berkeley where she remained until she retired home to Fermanagh in 1984. Settled at Mullaghmeen her life was filled with gardening societies, history societies her family and her faith. She published four books in this period chronicling the Go Preacher movement known colloquially as Cooneyism. She also wrote about the lives of the main preachers including Edward Cooney and Fred Wood. All of this alongside her own work within the fellowship. The movement was embedded deeply in Fermanagh life due to the legendary conventions at Crocknacrieve from 1904-1921 which thousands attended from across the British Isles, and further afield, for up to 4 weeks. The legacy is recorded in her books and are a fascinating read not purely as an historic record but also as a testament of faith. Despite her small stature she had immense courage, a deep intellect and great integrity . She also had a mischievious sense of humour, a love of debate, and an amazing memory. She knew and cared about what each of her 10 nephews and nieces were doing and even more impressively what her host of great nephews and neices were interested in. In the last years when a fall precipitated a decline and a move to Millcroft Nursing Home she would still recite Wordsworth, Shakespeare and Longfellow whose Tale of Hiawatha was a particular favourite. She was a true Christian with a deep and abiding faith. She was an inspiration to all of us and a wonderful example of a long life lived well. The family would like to thank the staff of both the Millcroft Nursing Home and Ward One of the South West Hospital for their care in recent years. Without the love and devotion of family and friends she could not have lived independently for as long as she did. Those friends included her great neighbours John and Joan Ennis and a dedicated team of carers. Thanks are also due today to Mr Acheson for leading this service of thanksgiving and to Austin and Roberta Stinson for their help with the funeral arrangements.
|
|
|
Post by Christopher J. on Oct 29, 2014 20:07:44 GMT -5
I value the years of compelling correspondence and the occasional phone visits I enjoyed with Patricia.
|
|