THERE HAS been widespread sadness across Fermanagh this week following the death of ‘real lady’ Georgina Kelly.
Formally of Main Street, Lisnaskea, Julia Georgina (Georgie) Kelly died peacefully in the South West Acute Hospital on Friday (June 20).
Georgina is the mother of former First Minister Arlene Foster
Local MLA Deborah Erskine sent her deepest sympathy and condolences to the Foster, Kelly and Keenan family circles on behalf of Fermanagh and South Tyrone DUP.
“Mrs Kelly was a well loved and respected member of the community. In every sense of the word, she was a real lady. A woman who cared a lot about her family and the community,” Deborah shared in a social media.
“She was so proud of Arlene and her achievements politically. Importantly, Mrs Kelly was a woman of strong faith, courage and conviction – something which was held dear throughout her life and relied upon in many of the dark times she faced, while facing the danger of terrorism on the border daily.”
SEFF Lisnaskea also paid tribute to Mrs Kelly, stating that the Kelly family connection have been involved with SEFF ever since the group first formed back in 1998.
“Mrs Kelly did not have a simple life, she had much to withstand including supporting her husband and family when Provisional IRA terrorists sought to murder him at their home outside Roslea, and also when Arlene survived the school bus bomb along with other pupils and bus driver Ernie Wilson,” the SEFF team shared.
They expressed how family meant so much to her and she was incredibly proud of all of their achievements, all her children – and of course Arlene’s various political milestones and that “she was very much understood as the matriarch.”
“She of course was a widow having lost Johnny (her husband) in December 2011. They had four children, Linda, Julie, Arlene and David,” SEFF continued.
“She was the constant within the family, her quiet disposition yet steely strength ensured her family had love and support and stability through very challenging times.”
The funeral left her home on Monday at 1.30pm for service in Holy Trinity Parish Church in Lisnaskea, followed by interment in St Mark’s Churchyard in Aghadrumsee.
To read more on this story see this week’s Fermanagh Herald. Can’t get to the shop to collect your copy? No problem! You can download a copy straight to your device by following this link… Subscribe to current edition