My tribute to Auntie Cece will be incomplete without acknowledging her relationship with my deceased mother and her younger sister, Madam Mary Gyimah, as our (my siblings and I) relationship with Auntie Cece was built on the bond that existed between the two of them. Auntie CeCe, being the older of the two, had inspired my mother’s education and leadership journey in particular. My mother attended Yaa Asantewaa Girls’ Secondary School and the University of Ghana in her bid to follow the footsteps of her older sister. When we relocated to Sunyani from Cape Coast, Auntie Cece was very instrumental in my mother securing supplies of Pee Cola, Pepsi and Schweppes products fromAccra for sale to clients throughout the then Brong Ahafo Region. With Auntie CeCe’s inspiration, she accepted to serve as a government appointee at the then Sunyani District Assembly and also became the Girl Child Officer at the Regional Education Office of Brong Ahafo. Empowering women and the girl child was a passion they both shared and spent their life and resources on advancing. Later on in their lives, my mother will become Auntie Cece’s forewoman for most of her projects in Sunyani. Her loyalty to her sister was unwavering and unmatched. My Mother would brood over personal decisions Auntie Cece had to make but in her view, she appeared to be delaying to the point that one would have thought she had assumed the role of their mother in Auntie CeCe’s life. My mother’s passing affected Auntie Cece greatly and, I don’t think she fully recovered from it as I found her wipe a tear or two anytime my mum’s name came up in our conversations. Auntie Cece was one of the foremost people I came to know as a relative. In deed, I’m told her house was my first home when my mother was discharged from the 37 Military Hospital with me as a newborn baby. Spending the school vacation in her house, whether at Switchback Road or Roman Ridge, was one of the highlights of my year and I looked forward to them with pure delight. Even though work took a big chunk of her time, she always made time for me to visit and experience other family members in Accra especially, my paternal family. I was first introduced to beer by Auntie Cee by giving me just a sip from her glass, disregarding the vehement protest of my mother. That experience helped shape my relationship with alcohol for the rest of my life because I couldn’t understand why those who drank it, did so with such a cheerful disposition when the drink was bitter. From Nii Fori-Fori (Tankaseline Mantse) NEPHEW T R I B U T E 1 1946 MRS. CECILIA JOHNSON 2025 53 A Loving Farewell
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