GOD’S ANGEL & MY FATHER

Daddy I love you, now and forever. I will always carry you in my heart. You have raised me and my sisters extremely well, providing us with a Christian upbringing, one that you embodied to the fullest, as you led by example for me and others to emulate. Daddy I can never thank you enough for the love and care you gave me and my mother, your loving wife. Daddy you loved me despite my imperfections , advised me and gave me wise counsel, and encouraged me to put God first in my life so that all other things I desired will come to fruition in God’s perfect time.

Daddy if only I could have verbally expressed my gratitude to you where you could hear these words. But I know you understand and you know my heart. I want you to know that the morals and. values passed down to me will definitely be passed on to my children and my children’s children. You were very stern , and sometimes I thought too stern, but now I want to say thank you for your sternest, for it kept me in line and as a teenager, kept the boys at bay.

Daddy, thank you for being the UNIQUE, GENTAL, HARDWORKING, STRAIGHTFORWARD, and NO-NONSENSE man that you were, passing many of those characters on to me, making me the STRONG, FIRM, INDEPENDENT woman that I am today. I will strive to continue, to make you and Momma proud.

Daddy, there is no man on the planet that I know, that served the one true and living God as you did, and that is why he granted you a SPECIAL BLESSING with longevity of 102 years on this earth.

I know you are with your Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and one day I shall meet you again and join you in praising the God of your father, mother, and their ancestors. So enjoy the treasures you have a laid in heaven which you had sent ahead, for I know God has welcomed you to your permanent home.

Daddy, I can speak and write of the great man you are/were, where my fingers grow numb, so for time’s sake, I shall end by saying “YOU ARE ONE OF A KIND AND I WILL LOVE YOU ALWAYS”.

Your Loving Daughter, Clavia Melissa McClain

I AM PATIENCE: I AM HUMBLE: I AM STRUCTURE:

I am all Seeing: I refuse to have the next generation slave to finding a job, but to create a career worthy of aspiration and breaking of the norm and to functionally apply the wisdom that we all possess.

I am Listening: One sound, one Band, Egypt has been longggg gone, and to know who you are is to know and love oneself.

I find Solutions: Two ears, Two eyes, Two Hands, one mouth, measure twice cut once.

I Plant what I eat: Green thumb we all possess but what possesses you?

I am One with the moon and how it sheds its light for me, when to plant when to share and when to bare

I am a Creator: in how I do what I do and when I do, with the seasons, with the tide and with the wind, it’s time for the ark.

I am Godly: claim your glory and shine like the light you are:

Matthew 15: Neither do you light a lamp, and put it under a measuring basket, but on a stand; and it shines to all who are in the house.

16: Even so, let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven

Mark, 13 the twelve those he wanted, and they came to him. 14 He appointed twelve[a] that they might be with him and that he might send them out to preach 15 and to have authority Marilyn, Mellany, Josephine, Christiana, Deborah, Pauline, Martha, Samra, Shernell, Clavia, Sheena, and Wanza 17 Boanerges, which means (“sons of thunder”), all with one woman; which says a lot about the resilience of Estella Belle Zonicle. I was told by an undisclosed informant that she was asked why was she always pregnant and her reply was “because it brings me luck” to be blessed and to live on is to share and evolve.

I am Theo Jarret McClain

And I am the way I am because of Joseph Alexander Zonicle.

Shirnell ATHENA

ZONICLE-GARDINER Daughter

Iwas my mother’s favorite child. I know this because when she sought to wean my youngest brother Charles, she called me a big 9 years old boy to suck the milk from her breast.

She wanted to name me William after her father, but Dad chose Joseph. She and the Smiths called me Willie, the Zonicle’s called me Joe.

Her favorite scripture was Psalm 136. She cautioned me that, it was a dangerous thing to have Jesus only on your lips and not in your heart. This would be evident when on one’s death bed.

My father did not want me to become a school monitor because I would have to wear shoes. My mother responded, then he has to learn a trade. I will send him to his oldest sister Margaret. She put me into the care of the boat captain. By the time the boat reached New Bight, dad had ridden his horse to fetch me. The captain did not acquiesce as he had promised my mother. Dad could have gone to the local police and insist, instead he returned to Port Howe.

I was sent to Exuma to brake rocks. A gentleman inquired if I was interested in learning a trade. Upon my return to Nassau, I became his Carpenter apprentice. When my oldest brother George visited, he was astounded to see the bench I made for Margaret’s sewing machine and told Dad he wanted to learn the same trade.

I and George were curious to know what men found in liquor, so we bought the best Jack Daniels and drank it. The hangover we got ruined our taste for rum and it’s like ever since.

Upon a visit to Port Howe, on Burbon’s white land purchased by my father, I asked him what I needed to do to be saved. He responded, “believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved”. I asked in surprise “is that all?” Dad replied, “that is all, son.” And there Dad led me to saving knowledge in Christ.

My cousin Mice, uncle Bodie’s daughter called me ‘Charlie’s little girl” because I was handsome and bashful. If I liked a girl, she would never know because I would never tell her.

I often visited your mother Aunt Ellen Strachan with her first cousin Cordy Ferguson. She was and is my one true love. I don’t think daddy ever betrayed her and even though she was pursued especially when he worked on Watlings Island, she never betrayed him.

The Lord took my only son, but I would not trade in any of my girls.

The marriage was not perfect, but it lasted. How and when they reconciled, I don’t know. I don’t remember one night, except for September 2021 when Mom caught covid, that they didn’t spend together if the other was not traveling. I don’t think he would survive long if mom passed before him. Every time he got sick since he turned 100 years old, we tried to cajole him to hang around for her 100th. Birthday celebration. I hope it’s the Lord’s will that she survives him and reaches the milestone also.

If four of us were laying in the bed, daddy would feel our feet. When he touched me he would say, “this Nell for she has tender feet”. I was not one to walk around bare footed.

When afro was in style, many nights I plaited his hair.

When the boys bullied me in grade 3 and Christiana on her way to the shop spotted me skipping school, I saw him driving thru the corners looking for me before he caught up with me.

Daddy never threw any of us off potter’s cay to learn how to swim. I remember him holding us up on whatever beach we visited and saying ‘kick, kick.’ Saunder’s beach was his favorite, but we didn’t like going there because you were bound to leave with a busted toe as the beach was very rocky. He would also take each of us, one at a time, on his back while he swam in deeper water.

When I passed the entrance exams for St. John’s College, he was proud to be told my math scores were very high. Not once do I recall being asked to sit in the office because my school fees were not paid. He even sent me to Mexico for a school trip in 1976 with the Spanish Teacher. I can still visualize the sights and my $120 in $20 travelers checks.

I don’t think I ever told him, but it was on that trip I committed myself to attending evening services and personal devotions when I saw other students not ashamed of their faith in Christ.

My older sisters that didn’t secure a scholarship had to work and save their money for their university education. After graduating from the College of The Bahamas in 1982, I got accepted into Dalhousie but there was no money so I went to work for Barclay’s bank. After one year, I was told to apply to Dalhousie again. This time and for three consecutive years, daddy took out a $5,000 thousand dollars loan at Barclay’s Palmdale to cover my tuition, $1,700 hundred differential fee, board and food. Thus, it was nothing for me to finance his trip to Israel in 1989. I wanted him to sleep under the skies his Lord slept under; to walk the streets his Lord walked; to bathe in the Jordan where his Lord was baptized. When he asked for a belt with cowboy tips, I searched the stores in the Mall at Marathon and bought him 2 (black and brown).

On my wedding day, as I descended the staircase, he paid me the best compliment…he stared at me and said ’you look like your mother’. He advanced monies to subsidize the expenses. When I got within $1,000 thousand dollars or maybe $1,500 hundred dollars of my monthly repayment to him, he told me keep the balance as his gift to me. Since I began working, no Christmas, Father’s Day or Birthday would pass and I didn’t put at least a crisp blue marlin in his hand. Often, I would let my daughters or grand daughter do it, as I wanted to train them to give.

I got in trouble one Father’s Day, as Lloyd saw the receipt, but the watch was not for him.

When I worked in Grand Bahama for a week, daddy stayed in the hotel, rested and witnessed to the local vendors. We traveled to Utah, Texas, and Hawaii. He wanted to dip his feet in the Pacific Ocean, see Pearl Harbor and the pineapple fields Dole had developed after insisting that the Cat Island farmers export the entire fruit instead of just the core area.

His father was a world traveler. When I went to Ireland in 2017 with little Mell, he said why didn’t you visit England, you were so close.

It was nothing, if I was busy, for daddy to collect my daughters from school. He even went on a field trip to visit the dentist. You would think at 72 years old he would not welcome sleeping with a brand new infant. However, a few days after my daughter Niké was born, I caught an infection and Dr. Kirtland Culmer advised me to socially distance myself from the baby. Mom and daddy kept her for an entire week. Dr. Culmer until his retirement was daddy’s doctor. In his later years, whenever daddy visited his office, the bill was ‘No Charge.’

Daddy supported Mom in having his progeny gather around him on Sunday afternoons after worship. It was his favorite childhood memory of his maternal family going to his grandmother Faith Burnside Smith’s house in the same manner for a smothered (cooked/simmered with plenty of herbs) meat dinner.

Daddy was the humblest patient I knew.

Always grateful for the service rendered. Sometimes saying to me ‘Thank You Darling’ , a name he reserved for mom.

I traveled the streets of Nassau witnessing door to door with daddy even while pregnant with my girls. When Mom traveled, many a Sunday after church, daddy would eat at my house, have an afternoon nap and then head out for evening service.

Seemingly, after he ordained Pauline and I in February 2016, daddy slowed down from coming to worship services. When asked about it he replied, ‘I don’t need to over exert myself. If I feel up to the mark, I will attend, if not I won’t and I won’t feel guilty about it either because my record is in heaven’.

As Friday February 4, 2022 dawned, no one said to me ‘knowest thou that the Lord will take away thy master from thy head to day? (2 Kings 2)… Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me. 10 And he said, Thou hast asked a hard thing: nevertheless, if thou see me when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee; but if not, it shall not be so.’

I saw Daddy taken. What a blessing if his anointing would fall on Me. Anointing Fall On Me.

Shirnell Zonicle Gardiner

My tribute to you was supposed to be a collage of photos over the years because for me pictures can tell a million stories. A million stories is all that I have of you now. A million smiles, a million laughs, a million hugs... a million pinches, a million embraces, a million tears, a million joys... granddaddy you a TRULY one in a MILLION!

I struggled with coming home for Christmas because I felt that my grades did not warrant such a trip, but I am so happy I came. Never would I have imagined it would be my last Christmas with you.

Granddaddy, although you never officially gave me a nickname, I felt like I was your driver. I remember so clearly the first day you drove with me. You were hesitant and said you would wait for someone else, but I insisted that I could drive and you would be fine. You said, “You sure you could handle this big jeep?” You would not let me surprise you. Telling me when to stop, when to turn, don’t forget your signal, honk, slow down...I watched you clutch the door handle as if you couldn’t wait for the car to stop. After a few minutes, I watched you become relaxed and comfortable with the drive. When we got back to 138, you said good job and that I could handle myself on this dangerous road. I was a good driver. From then, I was your driver. I took you wherever you needed to go, even if it meant sitting in the bank yard for an hour, while you witnessed before finally coming in the car.

As I read mommy’s tribute, it was my field trip to Village Dental in grade 3. I was so happy to have you with me. We went for TCBY afterwards and I didn’t care to sit with my class, I wanted to sit with you. You attended numerous chapels at NCA, and was present for every graduation.

I was never ashamed of seeing Providence church bus parked in the front of the school yard. You were always early and if we were late coming to the bus, you’d make sure to tell us, “Be in front”. I was scared though, you sure could speed in the bus and the little aqua car.

I watched your love for me transcend into your love for Kadin. I made sure Kadin understood that she must never leave the house unless she kissed you goodbye. Which was easy because she loved you too. To see you cry when I told you Kadin was moving with me to Orlando broke my heart, but I assured you that she would be back. Me and grammy had to lie to stop you from crying again. Whenever someone asked what my name was, you may have not known it right away, but you would respond Kadin’s mother.

Granddaddy I always said that I wanted my future husband to look at me the way you look at grammy. The love you have for her is unmatched. God knew exactly what He was doing when he allowed her shoe to pop. You have demonstrated what a husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather should be. No one will ever fill your shoes. I am overjoyed that you are walking the streets of gold. I can imagine the first thing you wanted to do was see the print of the nail that was in His hands. To see your Savior’s face and receive your reward in heaven, I bet you are crying tears of jubilation right now. My only wish is that you would be here to see me achieve one more milestone.

Anyone who knows me knows that I love my grandparents. You will always be MY JOE!