DEATHS of Islands People

Silas Eto (Holy Mama)

In New Georgia, Solomon Is lands, on January 12, aged 78.

The founder of the Christian Fellowship Church, the Re verend Silas Eto also known as “Holy Mama,” or “Holy Priest,” was among the out standing religious leaders in the South Pacific in this century.

He transformed both the lives and the physical environments of the people in the many villages of New Georgia which followed the church he founded.

Solomon Islands Prime Minis ter Solomon Mamaloni, in a message of sympathy to the fol lowers of Silas Eto, said; “His death has indeed shaken the hearts of many of his faithful followers and also those who have had the privilege to have known him personally.

“He was indeed a great spiritual and community leader.’’

Mr Mamaloni, on behalf of his government and the people of Solomon Islands, said he would like to extend to the chairman and followers of the CFC “their thoughts and prayers in their time of sorrow.”

“May the Almighty God’s blessing comfort you as you go through these hours. May he rest in peace.”

Writing in PIM of July 1978, Dr Richard E. Chesher, who had shortly before visited Paradise, the founding village of the CFC, said of Silas Eto: “He has a strange dual person ality. During his everyday life he is just plain old Silas Eto; quiet, shy, reserved, always busy on some project to help others. He goes barefoot, like everyone else, and wears only a piece of old calico around his waist. But when he marches into church he changes. Maybe it is the people who change him. He really seems to take on another personality.

“He dresses in snowy-white robes with colorful decorations and a strange fire lights his eyes.

He strides through his congrega tion casting love like a glowing net over everyone. He ascends the pulpit with a weightless step and speaks in a deep, resonant voice. His sermons are simple

and beautiful. He is a brilliant speaker. His messages are straightforward. He tells of his love for Jesus and the beauty of the Holy Spirit. He asks the

people to love one another, be of > one mind, to work together.

“Somehow, the way he says it, it makes you really want to do it. What’s more, with the help of

the Holy Spirit, he’s actually got

his villagers to really live that

way.”

Douglas Evan Maclnnis On the Gold Coast, Queensland, after a long illness aged 78.

Douglas (Mac) Maclnnis was a director of lands in Papua New Guinea before independence.

Doug was a bachelor of Laws, and a former senior legal officer with the department of mines in New South Wales. He had been admitted to the Bar of the Sup reme Court of both New South Wales and Papua New Guinea.

He joined the administration of Papua New Guinea in 1952 and was Director of the depart ment of lands, surveys and mines in that territory until his retire ment in 1964. During this time he was largely responsible for facilitating transactions involv

ing land and mining by restoring

Silas Eto, as he appeared on PIM’s cover in July 1978

a registry which had suffered as a result of the Pacific War.

As chairman of the Land, Pet

roleum Advisory and Mining

Advisory Boards he played no small part in ensuring that per mits were controlled and granted only to those genuinely searching for oil or minerals, and his work in this regard would have been of inestimable value to the now

independent nation.

Mr Maclnnis, who was a for mer member of the Legislative and Executive Councils of both the Northern Territory and the Territory of Papua New Guinea, served with the A.I.F. from 1940-46, attaining the rank of Lt.-col. as C.O. of the 2/4 Pioneer Bn.

In 1960 he was honored by Her Majesty the Queen when he was awarded the 0.8. E. W.

W. Watkins.

Lance-Corporal Leone Natubecule In Lautoka, Fiji, on February 19 aged 42.

L/Cpl. Natubecule joined the territorial battalion in 1963. He was in one of the first contin gents to serve in the peace keeping force in Lebanon in 1978. Apart from his part-time military career, L/Cpl.

Natubecule was a shipping offic er at Union Maritime Ltd, where he’d worked for 17 years.

Ratu Josua Ketonivere In Labasa, Fiji, on February 21

from a heart attack, aged 74.

The Tui Tui Macuata, Ratu Josua Ketonivere was a direct descendant of one of the 13 high chiefs of Fiji who signed the Deed of Cession to Great Britain in Levuka in 1874.

Sister Mary Patrick In New Zealand on February 6 from cancer, aged 77.

Sister Patrick first went to Samoa as a teacher in 1936. She worked for Lepua/St Francis School, American Samoa, for 22 years, then for 18 years in West ern Samoa at primary and secon dary schools. In September 1982, Sister Patrick went to New Zealand for a health check-up and it was discovered that she had cancer.