Earlier this year two daughters of the late Rev John Tallach, missionary in Zimbabwe, passed away to be with their Lord.
Margaret was born in Bulawayo on 19th July 1987. She was the youngest of five children and twin to Helen. Margaret spent her early years living at Ingwenya Free Presbyterian Mission. When she was nine the family returned to Scotland settling first at Raasay and then finally Mr Tallach was inducted as minister over the Oban congregation where Margaret completed her secondary education. She went on to train as a nurse in Edinburgh and Glasgow.
Margaret returned to the Mission in1967 working for three years at Mbuma Mission Hospital. During her time there she learned Sindebele Bible verses so that she could quote them to her patients.
On her return to Scotland Margaret settled with her mother, Mrs Anne Tallach, in Inverness and worked as a community nurse for several years.
Margaret’s greatest concern was that each of her relatives would come to know the Lord and in the community at large she was often to be seen standing in a local shopping centre distributing tracts. She passed away on the 1st of April 2022.
“So to the haven he them brings which they desired to see. ” Psalm 107:30.
Catherine, Margaret’s older sister, passed away two months after her in 25th June 2022.
Born in present day Zimbabwe Catherine grew up in Ingwenya and spoke fluent Sindebele. She had shown an early interest in nursing matters and used to love being around the late Rev Dr MacDonald when he was attending to cases.. On her father’s return to Scotland she trained as a nurse and completed a course in nursing in the tropics.
Catherine returned to Zimbabwe in 1966 to work at Mbuma in the hospital started there by the late Mr Ian van Woerden. She spent six years working at Mbuma.
Catherine ’s knowledge of Sindebele was drawn on for translation work on the Mission.
Catherine came to live with her mother and Margaret in Inverness and was for a time Matron of the Church Ballifeary Residential Home in the city.
Her passing away was as peacefully as the wind passing over the grass in psalm 103;16.
“But into them that do him fear, God’s mercy never ends.”