18 May 2026
Ompu SiMarkel is no more. She passed away quietly yesterday morning, in a Tarutung hospital. She had been ailing for some time.
It was a difficult period for her daughter. She had no more time to weave, and thus no more income. She spent all her savings on her parents. Her father was not well, either. The hospital stay meant no reprieve for her as she had to shuttle back and forth from home to bring food and other necessities for her mother; they were not provided by the hospital.
Tomorrow Ompu Markel will be buried in the company of her family. Several hand woven textiles will accompany her into her afterlife, perhaps one woven by herself.
I am glad that we were able to sort out the issue of her loom while she was still alive. I know that it gave her peace. The curator of the Museum where her loom is stored wrote a kind and thoughtful note to the family, which was tremendously appreciated.
Here is the full story about my tie with Ompu SiMarkel.