BIOGRAPHY

 THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MARY BAWUAH (AKA ENO AMMA SERWAAH) 

“To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven.  A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to pluck up which was planted” Eccl 3:1 – 2.

Madam Mary Bawuah (known in private life as Eno Amma Serwaah) was born on the 12th March 1938 at Ashanti New Town( KO) in the Ashanti Region to the late Opanin Kwaku Mfum, (Mr John Baawuah)  “aka Agyaaku”  a royal from Paakoso and Theresa Baawuah, also known as  Obaapanin Adwoa Frema (affectionately called “Mother” of Asampong Family in Buokurom.)  Eno Amma  Serwaah was the fourth born of Eno Fremah’s eight children.

Though a very brilliant young woman, Eno Amma Serwah did not have any formal education as her elder brothers discouraged the idea of sending her to school so as to stay home and cater for them as they go to school.  She was brought up by Maame Abena Tiah from Adagwomase who she stayed with for most of her teenage and was engaged in traditional ironing of cloth (“Broo ntomah”) with her peers like auntie Afua Amoah.  She later moved to stay with her mother Adwoa Fremah, still at KO in Ashanti New Town and helped her with her daily chores and petty trading.

Eno Amma was baptized into the Catholic Faith and attended the St Peters Cathedral Roman Catholic Church at Roman Hill, where she was baptized and was confirmed. She joined various groups/associations of the church ie. Guild and St Anthony. When she later relocated to Buokurom she joined the St Anthony Catholic Church and was active in St Theresa’s. She held on to the faith even on her sickbed till her death.   

Eno amma was a very beautiful and hardworking attractive woman who got married to Mr Opoku Manu a politician in the CPP era from Duayaw Nkwanta in the Ahafo Region with whom she gave birth to two daughters. The marriage did not last long and her brothers got her into the Ghana Brigade Service which took her to various places including; Kwamang, Ejura and Offinso Abofour where she met her second husband also of blessed memory Mr Nicholas Antwi Boampomsem aka Kwabena Bour. Mr Bour had four Children all girls with Eno Amma. She was thus survived by six children and eighteen grandchildren.

Eno Amma Serwaah during her life was a very successful farmer who produced tons of plantain from her farm in Offinso Abofour and took to Kumasi and Accra markets to sell. She later also traded in the Kumasi central market mainly in cloths and scarf. The trading took her to Liberia, Monrovia where she brought into Ghana cloth (brisi), dresses and other things she could lay her hands on to sell, until the Liberia war when she stopped trading to Liberia. Even at her retiring ages, she continued to trade at her house selling drinks and pastries and cooking utensils etc till her untimely death. One can say without any shadow of a doubt that Eno Amma was a very hard working woman.  

In her glorious days the family remembers vividly when the extended family together with all the children and their husbands together with friends and loved ones had a mammoth 70^th birthday party for Eno Amma in the year 2011 (indeed she was 73 years then).  Then in the year 2016, we had another wonderful time with Eno Amma when her beloved daughter Maa Akua Afriyie had a wedding with her husband, Frank. It was another family reunion and a good time with Eno Amma.

Eno Amma was a soft-spoken, gentle, approachable by everyone but a disciplinarian, and frank person. Eno was a philanthropist and a cheerful giver who gave to the poor, the needy in society and the church.  She was liked by all and could not stand when the family was not represented at a funeral, she will make sure the Asampong family was represented and made the donation.

For the past few years after attaining 80 years, Eno Amma had some challenges with her health, she has been attending hospital to seek medical attention and have been well living happily with her grandchildren in her home. The unexpected happened when her health began to deteriorate but she was still very strong, she went to the Okomfo Anokye Hospital herself for treatment of an ailment she was familiar with where she was admitted and later gave up at the age of 83 on Tuesday 27^th November 27, 2019.

The Asampong family of Buokurum has actually lost an illustrious daughter. It was without a doubt when she was chosen to lead the family as the Abusua Obaapanin.  Indeed “Efie gya adum” Eno Amma Serwaah has left us to join his ancestors.

The vacuum created by your death cannot be filled and the family cannot comprehend but we, however, take consolation from the opening sentence in Eccl 3:1 that there is time for everything. We understand it is the Lord’s doing, and may His name be praised.

God be with you till we meet again.

Eno Amma Damirifa Due

Fare thee well

AMEN