Published 12 April 2019
Buckie Got It, St. Kitts and Nevis News Source
Prime Minister Harris hails late Rev Mrs Louisa Grant as a pioneer and community activist
BASSETERRE, ST. KITTS, April 12, 2019 (PLP PR Media Inc.) — Prime Minister, Dr the Hon Timothy Harris, was on Thursday April 11 among the hundreds of friends, relatives and members of the Christian community, and the Wesleyan Holiness Church in particular, who paid homage to the late Rev Mrs Louisa Grant at a thanksgiving service in celebration of her life that was held at the Basseterre Wesleyan Holiness Church on Cayon Street.
“I want to extend my deepest condolences to the family, friends and the wider church family,” said Prime Minister Harris. “Pastor Louisa Grant was a pioneer in many respects – was a great community activist and someone who saw herself in constant service to God.”
Prime Minister Harris who later accompanied the mourners to the Springfield Cemetery where her remains were interred, and was one of those who laid a wreath on her grave, added: “I want to thank her for the contribution she made to the spiritual development of so many in the community, and to the expansion of social opportunities through her pioneering work in early childhood development in the Conaree area.”
Officiating at the church service were the Superintendent of the Wesleyan Holiness Church in St. Kitts, Nevis and Saba District Rev Spencer Watts; Pastor Rev Sylvester Herbert of the Basseterre and Conaree Wesleyan Holiness Churches; and the Superintendent of the Wesleyan Holiness Church in the Virgin Islands District and Assistant General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Holiness Churches in the Caribbean the Rev Dr Alsender Williams.
Tributes were offered by a wide cross-section of persons who knew, and groups that interacted with the Rev Louisa Grant during her long and distinguished ministry where she was described as a trailblazer. These included the Louisa Grant Pre-School of Conaree, and the trio of the Nevis-based Dore Brothers (Allister, Lanny and Wrenford) who said that by singing ‘Thank you for giving to the Lord’ at the church service they were fulfilling a request made by Rev Louisa Grant in 2002 at her retirement ceremony at the Conaree Wesleyan Holiness Church where after they performed the song she told them: “Sing that song at my funeral.”
Rev Mrs Louisa Grant, who was predeceased by her husband the Rev Charles Grant, was born in Fountain Village on April 1, 1934 and died on March 30, 2019 in St. Kitts. She is survived by son Mr Charles Wesley Grant, daughters Mrs Bernice Kelly and Mrs Eunice George, sons-in-law Mr Reginald George and Mr Earle Kelly, four grandchildren, a great granddaughter, brothers Mr Edmund Neale and Mr Walter Neale, a sister-in-law Mrs Doreen Neale, and a grandson-in-law.
ENDS
Pix captions:
1: Prime Minister Dr the Hon Timothy Harris laying a wreath at the grave of the late Rev Mrs Louisa Grant at the Springfield cemetery.
2: Prime Minister Harris signing the condolence book at the Basseterre Wesleyan Holiness Church
3: Superintendent of the Wesleyan Holiness Church in St. Kitts, Nevis and Saba District Rev Spencer Watts officiating at the funeral service.
4: Prime Minister Harris (right) was accompanied by among others, St. Kitts and Nevis Ambassador to the UN, His Excellency Sam Condor, and Cabinet Secretary Mrs Josephine Huggins.
5: Rev Spencer Watts (holding the mike), and on his left the Rev Sylvester Herbert, officiating at the graveside.
