There were lots of Grandma’s in the Mission but Granny Laidler had the good word of them all. She was surely one of the saintliest women who ever walked this earth. Her refined voice and marvellous command of sweet and gentle language endeared her to all hearts.
Over seventy years of age, her days were spent as a ministering angel to those who needed her womanly care of her spiritual word of comfort. Her very presence breathed the atmosphere of Heaven and where she was, there one felt the presence of God.
Her last illness was slow and lingering but never aught but a smile and a word of cheer came from her lips to those who visited her. Her room spotlessly clean, unexpectedly bright and cheerful, the perfume of fresh flowers ever present, all spoke eloquently of the life ebbing out on the bed: the unselfish life of sacrifice, unspotted, unblemished, and of wondrous sweetness.
No church sanctuary, to temple shrine, no holy place, ever breathed to us the nearness of God and Heaven like the sick chamber of Granny Laidler. ‘A few more days now’ she would say, ‘and I’ll be through, but don’t forget that I shall be waiting at the gate for you when you come’.
Shortly before the end she called the women of the Mission to her bedside, and after praying as only a saint such as she could pray, she drew them to her one by one and, with her poor emaciated fingers clasping each by the hand, and with a strange, ineffable radiance suffusing her wasted form, shining out of her bright eyes, and inspiring her words, she asked them for their promise. ‘I’m sinking fast, but all’s well. I’ll be looking for you coming. Will you promise to meet me up there, Florrie? And you, Annie? And Edie? And Sarah? Dora? Lizzie? Jane? Maggie?’
With the tears flowing fast down their cheeks, their utterance almost choked, they gave their promise: ‘Yes, I’ll meet you, Granny.’ ‘Yes, Granny, I’ll meet you.’ And they mean to.
Shortley afterwards she fell asleep, and is still sleeping.
God send us another Granny Laidler.
A few years ago, I was lucky enough to receive a copy of a page from a book. Unfortunately, I have no idea the name of the book or where it was written. The small section above is about my great grandmother, her name was Sarah Laidler (Alcock) 1857 – 1929, and she lived in Sunderland, Durham, England.
In the photo, Granny Laidler is on the bottom row 1st on the left
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