A Brief Memoir of My Mother.

Saramma Verghese

(A Woman Who Left Behind an Exemplary Foot Prints to Follow)

By P.V. Ariel, published Sep 15, 2008

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This is a brief memoir of my mother Saramma Verghese (85 years) who passed away on 8th July
2008.

She was the first daughter of Mr. Thomman Chummar and Sara. Her parents were from an
aristocratic family named Pappalil. They lived at a village called Marady, near Moovattupuzha town.

She was brought up with strict discipline of the Syrian Christian tradition. Her mother Mrs. Sara
was the first person (who came to know the Lord in their family.)in her family to know the lord.
Along with her conversion some wonderful things happened in their home. Her mother Sara's
father Mr. Ulahannan Kakkatuputhenpurayil was staying at Palakkuzha village. At that time there
was no gospel preached or heard in that village. One day two evangelists visited the village and
decided to do some open air preaching, they started singing some songs and was about to start
preaching, all of a sudden an angry mob reached the spot and caught them and started beating.
Their plan was to kill them and throw their bodies into the nearby river. One of the evangelists was
Br. P H Peter lovingly called as "Peter Upadesi" (Now with the Lord), father of Evangelist George
Peter of Chitoor. Hearing the news Mr. Ulahannan, my mother's grand father ran to the place, he
being the village leader, no one was brave enough to protest against him. By the time it was dark,
fearing that the angry mob might attack them again he gave shelter to them at his home. That
night the servants of God shared their testimony and spoke to the family about Christ and the
salvation they could gain by believing in Christ. That was a turning point in their family and my
mother's mother accepted Christ as her personal savior.

Her faith was so strong and she started witnessing the truth to other members of her family. Her
husband Thomman expressed his displeasure and was dead against to her new faith. But among
the five children Saramma and her younger sister Mariamma accepted Christ as their personal
saviour. Later they decided to take baptism according to the Word of God. The news spread
through out the village and it was shocking news to the relatives and the nominal orthodox

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Christian society. The Orthodox Syrian Church ex-communicated them and they were considered
out casts and were not allowed participating even in the funeral services of their relatives. They
faced severe persecution from inside the family as well as from outside.

Though they were firm in the faith there were no believers in the nearby villages. So they had to
walk about 60 kilometers every Sunday to participate in a worship meeting and other week days
gatherings. My mother and her sister told us that they never missed Sunday worship meetings
except when they were ill. They continued this way for almost five years and the Lord sent some of
His children to extend their evangelistic work in those areas.

Some of the prominent evangelists at that time in the brethren movement M/s. K V Simon,
Lonappen Upadesi, Peter Upadesi, K G Kurian, E P Varghese, C T Mathai, A P Paily, Vattakattu
Varkey Upadesi and a few other's through their inspirational messages and classes strengthened
them to be firm in their faith. Though they faced many problems from their family members,
whenever these brethren conducted gospel meetings and Bible classes in the nearby places, they
made it a point to attend those gatherings. A few more Christians joined the faith and started a
small gathering at Pothanicade near Parambencherry.

My mother's brothers were dead against her faith and they were not willing to take care of their
parents so she decided to stay unmarried to look after the parents. Meanwhile her younger sister
got married.The years went by and the parents were getting old. After their death Saramma's life
and safety became a question, so they convinced her to get married. A few years passed by and
their firm faith in the Lord and the exemplary life they led in the Lord enabled her other family
members too to come into the faith. Some of their children are in the service of the Lord.

More images: 1 2 Enlarge +

Another photograph of my mother taken at the time of my younger brother Shaji's marriage. The
Aunty holding the hand bag is evangelist Mr. K P Stephen's wife. Both sides myself and my wife
with my elder son Charles.

Credit: Aniyan & Jollen

Copyright: Bijin Studio, Ranny

The Lord was faithful to His daughter and gave her a partner who was a believer. Mr. P T Varghese
from Kota, Chengannur, who was a God fearing, humble, loving and well disciplined person.
Evangelist K P Stephen of Thiruvankulam and his wife took initiative in this matter and they were
united in holy matrimony. At that time my father was working as a carpenter in the erstwhile
Pampa River Sugar Factory -Now Travancore Sugars and Chemicals Ltd-. My mother was an ideal
wife to my father and a loving mother to all of us and an excellent home maker like the woman in
Proverb 31. She was a mature woman, devoted wife, mother, honorable, humble, unselfish and
kind. She was a caring and loving mother not only to us but also to the neighbors, especially to the

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fellow believers. She was so keen to share whatever we had with others especially with those in
the Lord's service. In spite of our tight financial budget she always made it a point to set apart
some amount for this purpose.

Those days running a family of nine members was a great task. With my father's meager salary it
was difficult to make both ends meet. On my mother's initiative father bought a cow and started
selling milk and manure to the neighboring people and earned a small income from that. At that
time we were staying in the company's staff quarters. There was a high demand for our milk as it
was not diluted. My mother was so strict that she never diluted the milk with water for sale. Apart
from this my father used to work in the evening hours after his eight hours duty at the factory. He
made different types of wooden furniture with good quality wood. This too was in high demand
because of the carpentry skill and the reasonable prices.

Through their dedicated life, all the children got educated and are settled in different parts of the
world. By the grace of God all are in the faith. She was an instrument in bringing them up in the
fear of the Lord. She continued steadfast in the faith till her departure from this earth. My mother
set a good example for us to follow. We, her children are very happy to follow in her foot prints.
Though, she was a silent doer of the Word of God we are sure that her reward in heaven will be
much greater. We thank God for being the children of this loving mother.

We are seven children, five brothers and two sisters-

Rosamma John Secunderabad, P V Thomas Bangalore, Ammini Daniel U S A, P T John Chennai,
Philip Verghese 'Ariel' Secunderabad, Paul Varghese Pulikeezhu, Shaji Varghese Palghat.

Sons and Daughters-in-law: John Philip Secunderabad, Glory Thomas Bangalore, M V Daniel U S A,
Sally John Chennai, Annamma Philip Secunderabad, Nessy Paul Pulikeezhu, Annie Shaji Palghat.

(Note: For the early history of my mother I am indebted to her sister Mariamma's elder
son Joykutty Chacko, an evangelist in Kothamangalam, Kerala)

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A Brief Memoir of My Mother. Saramma Verghese

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More images: 1 2 Enlarge +
Sitting from Left: My Mother, My Father's sister, my mother's sister Standing from left: Sister
Ammini, Sister Rosamma, Bro. John, Br. Paul and his wife Nessy with son Sweetu, Br, Shaji & wife
Annie, my mother's sister’s youngest son Jimmy, my wife Annamma and myself with the child. (A
photograph taken twenty years back)

Credit: Aniyan & Jollen

Copyright: Bijin Studio, Ranny, Kerala

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