Abigail Efua Essuman passed from this earth to the arms of our loving Father in Heaven on September 15, 2019. She is survived by her husband, Isaac (“Ike”) Essuman, and their six children: Godfred Essuman, Dinah Ibiam, Agnes Reynolds, Sarah Sparks, David Essuman and Mary Essuman Teh. She also leaves behind twenty-four grandchildren and her sister, Elizabeth Abrokwah.
Loving wife, mother and grandmother, sister, business owner, hard worker, and faithful believer in Christ are just a few words that can be used to describe Abigail.
She was born on March 22, 1954, but if you listened to her tell it, she would always say, “I’m 22!” She was born in Ghana, West Africa but came to America at 22. So maybe that was her rebirth. From that time, she was a Turlock resident through and through. Along with her husband, she owned and worked at Ike’s Appliances, starting out by cleaning and selling appliances in her garage and eventually helping to grow the business to three locations and a school. In the last several years she enjoyed retirement, mostly spending her time at home and visiting her children and grandchildren around the country.
She was fiery, stubborn, kind and sweet, all rolled into one, and if you ever came to her home, you would leave with a full heart and a full stomach. She loved music and dancing, especially 80’s music. She loved red lipstick, red nail polish and high heels. In her final months, she stubbornly insisted on wearing her wedge sandals around the house until she couldn’t. She was, in a word, simply beautiful.
She loved fiercely, and whether she knew you for five days or five years, she would end each encounter with an “I love you!” If you were lucky, she might even pick you up off the ground and jiggle you around a few times as she hugged you in greeting.
In her final days, she couldn’t say much, but the one thing she could say clearly to the ones she loved most was “I love you.”
A Viewing will be held from 5 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 20, 2019. A second viewing will be held at 9:30 a.m., followed by a family prayer at 10:30 a.m. and the funeral service at 11 a.m., on Saturday, September 21, 2019. All services will be conducted at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, 4300 Geer Rd., Turlock. Services will continue with a graveside service at 12:15 p.m. at Turlock Memorial Park, 575 N. Soderquist Rd., Turlock, with a Celebration of Life to be held, following the burial, at the church.
