Mum laid to rest with her ‘little angels’
MOURNERS TOLD OF MICHELLE PEARSON’S COURAGE AND ‘HEART OF GOLD’ AT FUNERAL SERVICE
A MOTHER who died 20 months after an arson attack which killed four of her children has been laid to rest with her ‘little angels.’
Walkden fell silent as five horsedrawn carriages made their way through the town Michelle Pearson and her children called home.
It was the culmination of years of unimaginable pain for family and friends following a tragedy that rocked Salford.
Michelle, a devoted mother-of-six, is now at rest alongside her babies at St Mary’s Cemetery in Wardley.
Her poppy-adorned coffin, carried on a black carriage, was followed by four flower-filled white carriages – representing Demi, 15, Brandon, eight, Lacie, seven, and three-year-old Lia.
On top of each, were the words ‘daughter,’ ‘sister,’ ‘auntie’ and ‘Shell’ in floral arrangements.
The procession, which left the family’s devastated home on Jackson Street, was led by the Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service pipe band.
It followed the same route as the children’s joint-funeral procession in September last year.
Michelle’s funeral took place almost 12 months to the day that Michelle’s four youngest children were buried.
Hundreds of people lined the streets to pay their respects to Michelle, who passed away last month aged 38.
The courageous mother spent 20 months in hospital following the devastating arson attack on her home.
On August 25, she finally succumbed to her injuries - and was at last reunited with her babies.
Her courage in the face of devastating pain was inspirational.
Having been rescued by firefighters and rushed to hospital, Michelle was put in an induced coma.
When she woke several months later, she struggled to come to terms with the death of her children.
Michelle’s coffin was carried by pallbearers into St Paul’s Church, as Always by Bon Jovi was played.
The order of service was filled with pictures of Michelle and her kids in happy times.
A touching poem read: Michelle Louise. God saw her getting tired, A cure was not to be. He wrapped her in his loving arms, And whispered ‘come with me.’ She suffered much in silence, Her spirit did not bend. She faced her pain with courage, Until the very end. She tried so hard to stay with us, But her fight was not in vain. Her babies took their mother home, And freed her from the pain.
Michelle’s surviving children, Lewis and Kyle, read poems.
A eulogy read on behalf of Michelle’s family told of her kindness.
It said: “Michelle was a devoted mum, she took her kids to Pontins twice a year. She always played with the children and she loved taking the kids to feed the ducks.
“She would sit on the park for hours with the children in summer just watching them play, and any bit of sun she was out and about.
“She loved sitting in the garden having a barbecue while the kids played.
“In summer when the ice cream man came around, any child who didn’t get an ice cream she would get them an ice lolly out of her freezer.
“Michelle sponsored a little girl at the age of four-years-old in Lithuania called Leticia.
“She would pay for her education, her clothes and her meals.
“All of Michelle’s children’s friends were always welcomed with open arms. She always mothered them and cooked for them like they were her own.
“Michelle loved putting the kids to bed and would always read them a bedtime story.
“Michelle loved her PJs and her daft fluffy slippers and every night Michelle would settle down once the kids were in bed and watch a scary film - the scarier, the better.”
It added: “Michelle had a fun sense of humour, always joking and messing about.
“She never took anything to heart and Michelle’s laugh will always be laugh to remember - she had a loud cackle.
“Overall Michelle had a big heart, a heart of gold, and she would help anyone in need.”
As the funeral ended, I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing by Aerosmith was played.
The private service then continued with the burial at St Mary’s Cemetery in nearby Wardley.
Michelle suffered 75 per cent burns in the blaze in December 2017. She had hoped to attend the children’s funeral, but was too ill.
Instead, she penned a heartbreaking tribute to her children which was read out to the congregation on her behalf.
She described the children as ‘so close,’ adding: “They were the twinkle in my eye, now they are angels in the sky. One day we will be reunited together forever.”
Over the next few months, Michelle’s condition did improve slightly, but the extent of her injuries put her at serious risk of potentiallydeadly infection. In June, she took a turn for the worse and passed away a few weeks later.