Celebrant: Canon Powell

We gather here today in sadness with the family of Jennie. Our thoughts are for you. We ask God to send his Holy Spirit to bring his peace to your hearts and to your homes. We give thanks to God for the long life that he gave Jennie and pray in faith that he will welcome her home to everlasting happiness in heaven.
There is as the Scriptures remind us, a time for every season under heaven. As we gather in Laurencetown Church we reflect on the mystery of time and providence that are in God’s hands: there is indeed a time to die, a time to weep, a time to mourn, a time to keep silence, a time to speak, a time to love.  
Holding a wake for Jennie, her family has shared memories of who she was and what she meant to them. We mourn her passing, we cherish her memory. Above all you have remembered the humanity of a good person. Today as we gather in sorrow to remember Jennie. A burden of pain, burden of loss, burden of grief weighs heavily on you all. We gather as a community - our presence here today is our way of reaching out to the Jennie’s family.
Memories.
Jennie was born on 16^th January 1919, the eldest in a family of 10, to John and Ellen Curran.

Born in Chapel Row, Jennie attended Bann Primary School, Laurencetown before obtaining employment in Hazelbank Factory. Her next jobs included Brookfield Factory and Crozier House. While working at Crozier House, she also worked in the evenings as caretaker in the school – working as much as she could to earn extra money for her family of 7.

Jennie loved to dance and it was at one of her dancing nights that she met her husband, John. They were married here, in this church, on 27^th November 1941

John and Jennie setup home in Cross Row, before moving to Chapel Row – Jennie never like to move too far! They had seven children, Sean, Eugene, Bernie, Brendan, Eamon, Gabriel and Anne.

In 1951, when School Terrace was built, the family moved to Number 1 and then when Churchview was built over 40 years ago, they moved to the present home at Number 14.

Jenny was very house proud and very fussy! So much so, she never ‘ate out’. Wherever she went – day trip to Knock, Daniel O’Donnell concert – Jennie brought her egg and onion sandwiches! Although she did succumb to eating a meal once – in Daniel O’Donnell’s hotel so it must have had a 10 star rating!

Daniel was Jennie’s guilty pleasure – even going to the same concert 2 and 3 nights in a row! She travelled the length and breadth of Ireland to see him. She was even on first names terms with him and got a Christmas card every year! Indeed Daniel sent the following message to the family:

"I was very sorry to hear that your mother Margaret has passed away RIP.
I have great memories of meeting her always accompanied by Eamon at our shows in the Slieve Donard. She never missed one and she never went home until we had a chat and a photo. My deepest sympathy to Eamon and all her family. I'll be thinking of you today. 
God Bless 
Daniel O Donnell"

Jennie travelled to Lourdes and Knock several times, with her sister Magdalene on the bus – she had a marvellous devotion to Our Lady and also to Saint Martin.

Like every mother and grandmother, her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren were her world. After losing her husband John 31 years ago, Jennie was to suffer even more heartbreak at the death of her youngest child, Gabriel ten years ago this week and her oldest child, Sean in 20i6.

Jennie was so proud of all her 21 grandchildren and 33 great grandchildren. She loved to see them and hear all about their lives. Jennie herself loved to dance so you can imagine her delight at the success of Gabriel’s girls at the line dancing! In Jennie’s eyes, no-one could beat them!

In June 2016, Jennie was admitted to Lisniskey Care Home and the care she received there was exceptional. Every member of staff, from the medical staff to the carers, all went above and beyond the call of duty to make her comfortable. The family are so grateful to them for the care and attention they gave to their mother.

Jennie had the honour of being the oldest resident in Tullylish until she was called, quietly and peacefully, to God on Monday.

Thank you to all who cared for her and loved her in life. Now her long years of sacrifice and recent suffering are over. I have known her over the past 12 year attending her every first Friday. As Jennie has died now a part of you dies as well. You are filled with sorrow because her death leaves a gap that no-one else can fill adequately.  
Living a truly Catholic life is about waiting in hope and as people of hope we believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Jennie’s period of waiting is now over. No one can say she got life easy. All those years of worry, loneliness and sorrow and rearing a large family when times were hard have made of her life a pilgrimage of pain - a journey from birth to death and the reason she could see purpose in the pain or sense in the suffering was because Jesus Christ came on this earth to conquer death and save us from our sins.