Three Coffins, One Church: Pretoria Says Goodbye to a Young Family Taken Too Soon

A church filled with silence, tears and flowers

On Wednesday, a heavy stillness settled over Unite180 church in Pretoria, the kind that settles when grief is shared by hundreds at once.

At the front of the church stood three wooden coffins, each topped with flowers. Inside lay Zane Hilton, his wife Claryke Hilton, and her cousin Ethan Lourens, three young lives lost in a devastating crash on the Free State’s N3, just days after Christmas.

The sight alone told a story no words could soften: a marriage barely four months old, a close-knit family, and futures abruptly erased.

Faith in the middle of heartbreak

Pastor David Grobler, a close friend of the families, spoke with visible emotion as he addressed the packed church. He reminded mourners that grief cannot be avoided or “fixed,” especially when love has been real.

Drawing from the story of Lazarus, Grobler spoke about Jesus weeping, a moment that, he said, brings him comfort whenever he stands before a grave.

“If love is true,” he told the congregation, “then grief will be true as well.”

For a church community deeply rooted in faith, his words resonated. Many in the room had prayed, worshipped, and shared meals with the trio now being mourned.

Remembering Claryke: quiet strength and devotion

Claryke’s sister, Uné, spoke through tears as she described her younger sibling as a woman who put her faith at the centre of everything she did.

At just 25, Claryke was a teacher, an active member of Unite180, and someone friends described as gentle, kind and deeply committed to God. Those who knew her through church uGroups,  small home-based prayer and support circles, said her faith was not performative, but lived daily.

“She touched everyone around her,” her sister said simply.

Zane: the room-lighter

Zane, also 25, was remembered as the kind of person who never arrived quietly. Family members described him as a natural storyteller, the joker at gatherings, the one playing games with children while adults laughed nearby.

A cousin said heaven would be “livelier” with him there, a sentiment echoed by many nodding through tears.

His stepbrother spoke of an instant bond, saying Zane had a rare character that drew people in effortlessly. When he met Claryke, he added, their love was unmistakable, warm, gentle and deeply mutual.

Ethan: dreams bigger than his years

At just 20, Ethan Lourens had already taken on responsibility, managing a restaurant and dreaming of owning several of his own one day.

His cousin Jonathan shared memories of late-night conversations, lockdown talks, and a bond formed while living together with their grandmother. Ethan, he said, was a listener, someone grounded in faith and generous even when he had little.

A close friend, Tanya van den Berg, said Ethan taught her how to put others first.

“When he had nothing,” she said, “he gave everything.”

A tragedy that echoes beyond one family

The N3 is one of South Africa’s busiest highways and, tragically, one of its deadliest. Crashes during the festive season are all too familiar, but when the victims are this young, the loss cuts deeper.

Outside the church, messages of condolence continued to pour in on social media, many from people who never knew the trio personally but felt shaken by the story of newlyweds and a cousin lost together.

As Pretoria says goodbye, the overwhelming feeling is not just sadness, but a painful reminder of how fragile joy can be, and how quickly lives can change on South Africa’s roads.

What remains are memories, shared faith, and a love that, as one mourner quoted, does not end with death.

{Source: IOL}

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