“This is me Taliyah;” Memorial service held for Sara Baillie and Taliyah Marsman
Posted Jul 21, 2016 5:59 pm.
Last Updated Jul 21, 2016 11:57 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
“To our dearest Sara and Taliyah, they were inseparable, they remain that way and may they rest in eternal peace.”
Those words from Juan Joffre, one of the speakers at the memorial service for Sara Baillie and her five-year-old daughter Taliyah Marsman.
The two were killed early last week in the Amber Alert case which made headlines across the country, eventually leading to first-degree murder charges against one man.
But while Thursday afternoon was a day of sorrow for the hundreds in the Centre Street Church in northeast Calgary, it was also one of celebration for the loving pair.
“Quite frankly, I’m tired of mourning. I want an opportunity to celebrate and this is it,” said Scott Hamilton, Baillie’s uncle. He then put on sunglasses with his son Justin and began dancing to Michael Jackson’s ‘Don’t Stop Til You Get Enough.’
The rest of the congregation joined in.
“If there’s anything that Sara and Taliyah loved to do, it was dance,” Hamilton said afterwards. “To Sara and Taliyah, we love you to the moon and back.”
Photo galleries included those of Taliyah and her father Colin Marsman, along with her mother Sara and the extended families and friends.
Sara was remembered as a caring and loving mother, daughter and friend and her daughter as the innocent girl with the smile that melted hearts.
One of Baillie’s close friends, Tawny Poelzer, said motherhood was Sara’s true calling.
“She was her mother’s child,” Poelzer said through tears. “The two of them carried a light in them that was truly one in a million. They both had the ability to make you feel loved and warm within moments of being in their presence.”
Joffre is a neighbour and close friend of the family.
“What we wish is that peace returns to your homes very soon,” he said.
Erroll Rayner spoke on behalf of Baillie’s mother Janet Fredette, as well as other family members, and thanked the community at large for their support.
“What we saw from you was inspiring. We saw the tireless efforts and dedication of the Calgary Police Service. We saw a growing tsunami of love, empathy and support from your community. We saw complete strangers crying in the streets,” he said. “You are an inspiration to the world.”
During the closing remarks of Rev. Dr. Miriam Mollering, a short home video of Taliyah was played.
“This is me Taliyah and I know how to dance,” she said in the video, laughing. “My mom is so crazy and her hair looks so beautiful, but she’s really crazy and I am not. I’m so pretty.”
Mollering explained how the evening Taliyah was found, two rainbows appeared over their home, an image on the big screens over the stage.
“Every time you see a rainbow, think about Taliyah and Sara, they are now out of the storms and together forever in eternity,” she said. “May they forever rest in peace in the arms of the one who made a rainbow just for them, that’s the way it’s supposed to be.”
