Ashburton mum farewelled

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Hundreds of people gathered to farewell Ashburton mother Sina Solomona on Saturday, just one week after she was murdered in her Cass Street home.

Friends, family and work colleagues from around the country gathered at the Baring Square Methodist Church in Ashburton to celebrate the 22-year-olds' life and mourn her death.

Just after 1pm, more than 400 people lined Baring Square and packed the church hall, as Rev. Tevita Taufalele opened the service with a song requested especially by the Solomona family.

The dark reality of a murder investigation was cast to the back of minds as songs, spoken tributes and prayers echoed through the hall as tears flowed.

Instead, today was a day to come together and farewell the mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend - as they all fondly reminisced the "family treasure,'' Sina.

As the clock tower chimed 3pm, the white coffin lined with a silk blanket, wreaths and memorable tributes was carried out of the double doors by several pall bearers and lowered into the waiting hearse.

Friends and family adorned in tribute t-shirts reading, In Loving Memory of Sina Solomona, with a portrait photo of her printed on the front and back, with R.I.P, 05-04-1990 - 15-12-2012, followed closely behind, as people made their way to the Ashburton New Lawn Cemetery for the burial service.

For those unable to make the funeral on Saturday, further tributes continued to appear on the Rest in Paradise Sina Solomona, Facebook page.

"Today we farewell a beautiful mother, daughter, sister, niece, cousin and friend. As her journey to the golden gates above us is coming to an end, we remember the awesome fun-filled memories we shared with her," one post reads.

"You will be dearly missed Sina by everyone. Your smile, your laugh, your personality, your everything. You were one of a kind."

As the service continued, young children ran around in the sunshine playing in the Baring Square gardens - with no real understanding of the enormity of the sad events.

Other people also gathered outside the church steps bowing their heads and paying their respects - despite not going in to the hall for the service.

Sina Solomona is survived by her daughter Kaira, her mother Anuella, her twin sister Loretta and her two brothers George and Richard.