Jessie Sheehan never got any headlines during her lifetime. Except to her family and close friends she would have been regarded as an ordinary woman. I was privileged to be a friend and I know that she was an extraordinary woman.
She was born in 1903, the daughter of a Scottish Presbyterian father and an Irish Church of Ireland mother - a common parentage in this part of the world. Even the names were somewhat out of the ordinary. Her mother was Annie St John and her father was William Ireland and they gave us Jessie Ireland.
But the extraordinary was only starting. For example. she never went to school in her life; she suffered from an eating disorder which medical science of the time could not diagnose. But what she lacked in education she made up for in erudition. Once her mother taught her to read she commenced an adventure with books which never stopped.
She had a deep knowledge of the Bible and was well versed in the classics, though she would have made little reference to this. She was fond of poetry and particularly that of, as she called him, Bobbie Burns. One of her favourite quotations was:
"Would some power the gift to gie us, To see ourselves as others see us, It would from many a blunder free us, Or foolish notion."
One of her extraordinary features was her retention. Anything which she read and which appealed to her, she could recall and quote freely. Her memory remained active up to the end. An example of this was shown a few weeks ago. Her son Jack was sitting by her bed in the hospital and they were discussing current affairs. Out of the blue she said to him: "I think I am losing my memory." Why, Jack asked. She began quoting the Sermon on the Mount, went so far and stopped. "That's why," she said, "I cannot remember the last two lines. Look it up for me and tell me tomorrow." Jack said: "I will, but the Bible is huge. It may take some time to find it." "That's easy," she said, "It's Matthew, chapter 5."
When he went to visit her next day, he said he had found it, as she said. "It's all right," she said, "I recalled it after you left." And she proceeded to quote the remaining lines. Remember, she was 98.
She had many other extraordinary qualities. She was always liberal and never quick to rush to judgment of others. None of her family can recall ever seeing her angry. If they did wrong she would take them aside and say: "That was wrong. You let us down. But more important you let yourself down." Somehow that was far more effective than strong words or a loud voice.
She loved funny stories and loved telling them. She had a quick wit. When a friend remarked on the number of local people who had died recently she said, "Tom, it's not safe to be alive these days." There were many such retorts. Her stories are still recounted by others.
She had liberal views of religion - in fact it could be said that she was not religious. but she was deeply spiritual with a great commitment to her prayers and the Bible.
She said that she did not want anyone to grieve for her; rather she wished them to be happy for her long life.
Because she ran the local post office for many years she was well known in the area. It was noticeable that her funeral was attended not only by older people of the district, but also by many of the younger generation. She had the gift of making an impression on all with whom she came in contact.
She was a bright light in the lives of all who knew her, one which we are unlikely to forget. Surely that light is continuing to shine in her new abode.
May she rest in peace there.