Brethren bits

— Remembrance: Celia Marian (Smith) Shankster, a former Church of the Brethren mission worker who served in Nigeria for 41 years, passed away May 16, on her 97th birthday. She was born in Viking Township, S.D., on May 16, 1929, the sixth child of 13 born to Beatrice (Gooding) Smith and the half-sister of four more born earlier to her father, Celia Smith. When eight years old, she moved with her family from South Dakota to Indiana after years of drought on the farm. She held a degree from Manchester College (now Manchester University) in North Manchester, Ind., which is where she met her husband, Owen Shankster. After graduating, she taught home economics and drama while he finished another year of school. They were married in May 1950. Later that year, at the Church of the Brethren Annual Conference in Ocean Grove, N.J., they committed to and were consecrated to mission service in Africa. Their trip to Nigeria carried them across the ocean on a freighter, continuing up the Congo River, landing in Port Harcourt, Nigeria, and heading to a Church Missionary Society station in Asaba where she worked as a bookkeeper while her husband learned construction and architecture. They then transferred to the Church of the Brethren Mission in Garkida. She continued her work for the mission at Waka, where she managed the girl’s dorm at Waka Teacher’s College, taught school, and served as bursar. During their time in Nigeria, she wrote many letters documenting their experiences, challenges, and love for doing the Lord’s work. Their seven children were born in Nigeria, including twins Ellen May and Eileen Fay who were lost at birth. After her return to the United States after 41 years in Nigeria, she took on the role of deacon in her congregation and worked at Manchester University until she was in her eighties. She was preceded in death by her husband, Owen; twin daughters Ellen and Eileen; son Edwin; daughters-in-law Deb Shankster and Marilyn Shankster; and son-in-law Don Black. She is survived by sons Donald (Karen) and Carl; daughters Susan Semons and Janice Black; daughter-in-law Linda Shankster; grandchildren and great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, May 23, at 10 a.m. (Eastern time) at Manchester Church of the Brethren. Memorial gifts are received to the Church of the Brethren Global Mission. Find a full obituary at www.mckeemortuary.com/obituaries/celia-shankster

An urgent prayer request from the Global Mission office for the Church of the Brethren: “Please keep the people of the Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Uganda, and surrounding countries in prayer during this latest outbreak of Ebola virus,” requests Global Mission executive Sharon Brugger Norton. “There is no known vaccine for this virus and this strain is very serious. It may affect travel between countries and cause serious illness and death for those who contract the disease.” Find out more about the outbreak of a rare strain of the Ebola virus at www.npr.org/2026/05/20/nx-s1-5826910/ebola-outbreak-africa-risks