Born on January 14, 1952, to the family of Papa and Mama Ogunranti of the Beyerunka compound, Ibadan, Grace Olufunmilayo was raised in the solid Christ Apostolic Church foundation under the prophetic ministry of her mother, Mama Joanna Omolola Ogunranti.
Primary Education
For her primary Education, Grace went to Government Teachers’ Training School, Ilesha where her mother was the school nurse at the time. She left with her mother when Mama Ogunranti joined the University of Ife, Ibadan campus, at the beginning of the University. Grace later left the university primary school to join Abadina Primary School of the University of Ibadan when her mother became a staff of the university.
Secondary Education
Grace started her secondary education at the International High School of the University of Ibadan which was started for the children of the foreign lecturers at the University of Ibadan and was run with the background of the foreign culture, especially the permissiveness. For a Nigerian, especially a Christian, that was too much. Therefore she was withdrawn from the school along with her younger brother at the end of her second year which was the end of her brother’s first year. She was sent to St Catherine’s Anglican Girl’s Grammar School, Owo, while her brother was sent to another School. She finished from the school and proceeded to St Anne’s Anglican School for her Higher School Certificate.
University Education
She was admitted to the University of Ibadan, Jos Campus, at the beginning of that campus for her university education. The following year the students were transferred to the Ibadan campus to continue their degree programs.
As God’s plan was, her husband was already a student of the University of Ibadan and a member of the Ibadan Varsity Christian Union, and a member of the Tuesday Fellowship, a fellowship that was instrumental in bringing a wave of revivals in the Universities and Secondary schools of those days.
Being a Christian herself, she became part of both fellowships and the fellowships we had in those days. Wonderfully, many of the brothers and sisters were eventually united in holy matrimony.
How We Met
When Grace arrived at the University of Ibadan, her roommate was one of the Christian sisters whom we used to visit and attend fellowships with. Christians were very close in those days, with no denominational barriers between them. They went to any and all churches. Denominations had buses to take students to their churches from the campus and back.
There were lots of opportunities for students to meet and strike up a relationship on the university campus. 1974 was a wonderful year for us. Evangelist T.L. Osborne was coming to Benin to hold crusades in Ogbe Stadium and conduct training on Evangelism in the evenings, of which Christian youths were very interested. From all over the country, students from different universities attended the training. I planned to attend the training, but from Okitipupa where my friend, David Atte, was doing his National Service. I went to join David at Okitipupa and at the scheduled date we headed for Benin City to attend the Osborne Crusade.
I had planned to visit one of our Christian sisters who also came from the University of Ibadan, and originally from Benin City. Upon getting to their house, guess who I found there? It was Grace! I was embarrassed being unaware that she would be there; besides, I didn’t want Grace to think that I was trailing her around. David and I did not stay long, but left quickly for Ogbe Stadium for the Evangelism training, which was supposed to last for four days. It was on the third day Grace and I actually met, and the rest, as they say, is history. Needless to say, we cemented our relationship and in the evening of that same day, I went back to school.
On arrival from the crusade, Grace took me straight their family residence in Abadina to introduce me to her parents. I could say this without mincing words that when we were courting at the University of Ibadan, we were inseparable, always together, praying together and sharing our hopes and aspirations. It’s no gimmicks to say that through trials and tribulations, we were together. In fact, during our university days, we had one bank account. She would even cook in Queens Hall and bring the food to my room in Zik Hal to eat and share with friends. I was Grace’s confidant, and she was mine as well. No kidding, every opportunity we had, we spent together.
This relationship lasted for four years and ended in marriage on August 5, 1978.
Work History
Grace did her National Youth Service in Benue State where she was deployed to teach at a Catholic Boys’ High school, Aliede. Upon completion of the mandatory national service, she was employed by Oyo State School’s Board where she was posted to teach at different schools, including Queen of Apostles Girls’ High School, Oluyoro, Oke Offa, Ibadan; Wesley College, Oluyoyo, Ibadan and Oshogbo Grammar School from where she went to join her husband in California, United States of America in May, 1985.
Grace’s work experience in California was not flashy, but she did all she needed to do for the sake of her family. It was from California that the family relocated Minnesota in 1986 at the invitation of a longtime friend whose friendship dated back to our days in Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. In Minnesota, she worked in different companies and in different positions, rising to the level of Site Supervisor before returning to Nigeria in 2006.
Upon her return to Nigeria, she worked as a Primary School Administrator in Osogbo and continued her lifelong service to God in Living Faith Chapel, becoming an Elder in the Osogbo branch.
In the early hours of Saturday, July 10, 2021, it pleased the Lord to call His daughter home. The last words that came out of her mouth were “Lord, help me; Lord help me!” And without strains, fusses and agitations, she gave up the ghost.
Author - Yinka Afolayan (Her Husband)
