Tributes to faithful Christian servant Olive

2007: Faithful Christian servant and Bible student Olive Spurgeon from Norwich has died at the age of 95. Michael Cant pays tribute.

 

Olive Spurgeon was born on February 29, 1912, the second youngest of seven children who are now all dead. One lived to five years another to 100 years. Olive’s only surviving relatives are two nephews and one niece.

 

Her early life was lived was at Pearce Field, Norwich until, at the age of 25, she moved with her mother, younger sister and one brother to Blackwell Avenue.

 

She chose not to follow most of the family into the boot and shoe industry. Instead Olive pursued instead a career at Caleys, Tom Smiths and Mansfields in the office till 1948. She then moved to Norfolk County Council Education Department until her retirement in 1973. References from both jobs spoke of her honesty and trustworthiness.

 

Olive had studied God’s word in great detail, completing London Bible College, Birmingham Bible Institute, Apostolic Bible School and Assemblies of God Bible College correspondence courses.

 

Olive attended the Assemblies of God for many years until 15 years ago when they moved to Earlham. She then became a member of the Potters House Christian Centre. From the age of 15, she actively served the Lord as a Sunday school teacher.  Many of the children Olive taught have retired from working lives themselves.

 

Kathleen Watson, mother of assistant minister of City Church, Mark Watson, said: “Olive was always a great blessing to me as a young girl of 16 years old, when we came to Norwich from Manchester. She was a great lady of the word and was always a great encourager.

 

“I remember one Sunday when we invited Olive over to lunch, for some reason I felt led to get her a bunch of flowers. As you know Olive only had a birthday every four years and not knowing this we gave her the flowers after lunch. ‘How did you know I am 60 today,’ she exclaimed. We didn’t but God did, she was overjoyed.
 

“Many times she would come to me and say God laid you on my heart this week, she was always spot on. I thank God for her life and the input she put into mine.”

 

Olive prayed the ‘sinner’s prayer’ with Philip Thorne, current leader of City Church, when he made a decision to follow Christ at the age of seven.

 

Graham Thorne, Philip’s father, remembers Olive put his name down to be appointed on the deaconate every time there was a church election, Pastor Brown informed Olive on each occasion that Graham wasn’t a church member.

 

Olive served in the Billy Graham crusades and she continued to receive Christmas cards from the Grahams’ until just recently.

 

Olive was a faithful servant whose testimony and prayers will be greatly missed. She died on June 13, 2007, at the age of 95.