This writing reached us with some delay, we nevertheless want to publish it.

A famous writer once wrote:

To die and live the hearts of those who love you is not to die.

This famous statement find more meaningfulness today than ever before when we think of Ilse-Marie.

Even though Ilse-Marie has passed on.

Even though with her passing a luminous bright candle has burnt out and is no more.

Even though our lives have been turned apart by her sudden and untimely death, leaving us in tears and saddened hearts,

Yet, I am bold to stand here and say; no to assert and insist that she lives — she lives in our hearts. Therefore, she is not dead: Her indelible memory lingers in our hearts!

BY „our hearts“ I mean the plural generality of those she loved through her selfless service to humanity. They do not only include members of her family and german compatriots or the Togolese of the Nigerians or the Pakistanis among whom she has spent her life time, but they also include refugees and immigrants whose rights she stood and fought for. She spent her precious time, boundless energy and fiancial resources fighting for their rights.

Even after undergoing a painful knee operation not long ago, se did not fail, at any time, to attend activities that promoted rights of refugees and immigrants. It can be rightly said that she spent her life time fighting for the wretched and oppressed. She lives in their hearts. They/We love her. We love her more in death. In fact, in the the light of her services to the third world, particularily ro Africa and africans, she is, perhaps, one of the greated german diplomats of our time, even though she did not possess official diplomatic credentials.

Beyond that, apostle Paul, a seer and prophet and a contemporary of Jesus, did testify that life continues after this present life when he wrote:

Death, where is your sting? Where is your victory?

Ilse-Marie, rest in peace — requiscat in pacem!

Itama Clarke