By the time the morning sun crept over the creeks of Ogbe-Ijoh on Saturday, August 9, 2025, the small riverside town was already awake. Streets were lined with chairs, canopies fluttered in the breeze, and the air carried a mix of solemn hymns and the low hum of quiet conversations. It was not an ordinary day. It was the day Ogbe-Ijoh laid to rest one of its most beloved daughter-In law — Evangelist Mrs. Rosemary Oghenevwairhe Sylvester Oromoni, First Lady and wife of Warri South West Local Government Chairman.
For hours, the town seemed to stand still. Traders left their stalls unattended, neighbours paused their routines, and people travelled from far-flung parts of Delta and beyond to pay their last respects. Her coffin, adorned with white and gold, rested at the front of the church as voices rose in worship, telling the story of a woman who had lived not for herself, but for God, family, and community.
Her biography, read in the soft cadence of someone holding back tears, painted a portrait of a life steeped in devotion. Born on September 30, 1967, in Sapele, Rosemary’s journey wound through the tapestry of marriage, motherhood, and ministry. She was a wife to Hon. Sylvester Oromoni for over 40 years, a mother to eleven children, a grandmother, and a quiet philanthropist whose generosity often went unpublicised.
“She never sought the spotlight,” one family friend whispered, “yet she lit up every room she walked into.”
After the funeral service, the crowd followed her to her final resting place in Ogbe-Ijoh. The lowering of her casket into the earth was met with muffled sobs, clasped hands, and the occasional whispered prayer. But as the dust settled, the mood shifted — not to forgetfulness, but to celebration.
Back at the family compound, guests gathered over food and music, telling stories that made people laugh through their tears. Later in the evening, the memorial atmosphere continued in Warri, where a second reception ensured that no one who wished to honour her would be left out.
Among the mourners were political leaders, community elders, religious figures, and ordinary townspeople, united not by her title as “First Lady” but by the shared memory of her humility, her gentle humour, and her deep, unshakable faith.
Her passing leaves behind her husband, nine surviving children, four grandchildren, and a legacy etched into the fabric of both Aragba In Okpe Local Government and Ogbe-Ijoh, Warri South West. Her favourite sayings, “No venture, no success” and “Salvation is personal”. have now taken on the weight of parting wisdom, echoing in the minds of those she leaves behind.
A day earlier, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori had made the journey to Warri to comfort the Oromoni family, describing Mrs. Oromoni’s life as “an 
example of selfless service and enduring faith.”
As the night fell over Ogbe-Ijoh, the canopies came down, the chairs were stacked, and the town slowly returned to its routine. But for many, the day’s events will remain a tender bookmark in their lives, a reminder that while Rosemary Oromoni’s chapter has ended on earth, her story continues in the hearts she touched.