Elisabeth Shannon

1916 - 2013

Elisabeth Lemière Shannon was born to godly parents in Antwerp, Belgium, on March 16, 1916. She was the answer to her mother’s prayers that God give her another child, with the promise that that child would be His to be used in His service. Her sister was 12 years old when she was born and her brother, 14.

Elisabeth learned to love and trust the Lord Jesus at an early age and served in her church in various ways. When the Lord made it plain to her that He wanted her to serve Him in the Belgian Congo, her parents had a real struggle. The fact that God had given them a daughter instead of a son evidently had made her mother forget her promise. Elisabeth was not aware of such a promise until her mother was reconciled to God’s call on her daughter’s life.

The Lord opened the way for her to serve with the Unevangelized Tribes Mission (UTM). She went with the blessing of her family and her church. On March 4, 1937 she was united in marriage to Clyde Arthur Shannon who was also a UTM missionary. When WWII broke out in 1939, the door closed to Congo, but the Lord directed them to serve Him in southern Louisiana. They rejoiced when they were again able to go to Congo.

The UTM dissolved at the end of 1951. The Shannons turned the work over to the Mennonite Brethren who invited them to return and work at the same station since they spoke the tribal language of the area. The Lord gave them 4 children; two sons were born in Congo, one in Iowa, and a daughter in Louisiana.

All foreigners had to leave the Congo when it obtained its independence in 1960. After two years in the US, the Mennonite Brethren asked them to go to Quebec. Following a fruitful year in Ste-Therese they moved to Joliette, a town that was 98% French Canadian where they worked with the Mennonite Church until their move to Fairview on November 16, 1993.

Elisabeth went to be with the Lord on November 20, 2013 after being admitted to the care unit in 2009. Her body was laid to rest in the Hagey cemetery next to her husband, Clyde Shannon, awaiting Christ’s call for His church. She leaves 4 children and their spouses, 14 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren.