Eunice’s final ‘vroom’
It’s not easy to describe the legacy of the late Pastor Eunice Wagstaffe.
For the family name, which is synonymous with good ‘ol time religion, big sugar plantations and marl, has been a tradition in the parish of Westmoreland for as long as most residents of the Broughton, Salmon Point and other surrounding communities can remember.
Undoubtedly the retreating image of her chubby frame astride a Yamaha motor bike each Sunday as she made her way from to the community of Salmon Point, is still resonant in Broughton where she lived up to the time of her death on December 23, 2007 at age 83.
Residents of Salmon Point, particularly those who attended the Salmon Point Assemblies of God church which she pastored up to 2006, will also remember the larger-than-life image roaring up, regardless of the weather, to deliver the timeless sermons which are also an intricate aspect of the Wagstaffe legacy.
This concept – of preaching to win souls for the Almighty -that took centrestage last Saturday, when hundreds of mourners packed the Sav-La-Mar Assemblies of God to give thanks for the life of the woman whose sprightly demeanor belied the fact that she was a strict disciplinarian and devoted christian whose prowess as a cook, especially for church functions, would brook no challenges.
Survived by nine of her eleven children – two of whom are pastors in their own right -Pastor Wagstaffe was eulogised as a strong matriarch who used every possible opportunity to bring the practical aspects of her flock’s lives in line with the spiritual with prayers, blessings and a host of well- intentioned sentiments.