Virginia Anne Ahern was born June 3, 1926 to Edwin and Ruby Bishop Ahern in the Skokomish Valley, Mason County. She died February 13, 2019 in Yakima.
Anne enjoyed a happy childhood with her loving family. She graduated from BIOLA (Bible Institute of Los Angles) in 1954 and followed God’s missionary call to reach the Somali people by sailing to East Africa in 1955 as an SIM missionary. She worked with the Somali people for 45 years, 37 in Somalia, Ethiopia and Kenya followed by 8 years working with refugees in San Diego. She helped translate the Bible into Somali, started a girls’ school, taught in other schools, translated for famine relief teams, did much visitation sharing the Gospel and wrote scripts and lessons for The Voice of New Life (VNL), a Somali shortwave radio Bible broadcast that has since expanded worldwide via internet.
Anne served the Lord with gladness, sharing God’s love with whomever He put in her path. She never truly retired but continued to write numerous letters, send out the VNL prayer letter to hundreds of supporters, share the Gospel with others, and spend much time every day in Bible reading and prayer.
She is preceded in death by her parents and two older sisters, Alice Ahern and Lucile Ryder. She is survived by two sisters, Helen Ahern of Yakima and Pat (Alan) Oster of Tumwater. Anne’s four sisters gave her 15 nieces and nephews and their families to love. Anne was a beloved aunt who, when she came home on furlough every four years, would spend personal time with each one, telling stories or playing games with much laughter. She has two namesakes, Anne Elise Rogers, a friend born close to her 90th birthday, and Jane Anne Ryder, her niece who cared for her in her final years. She is survived by friends and coworkers all over the world and two “adopted granddaughters,” Krista Devoe and Becky Rogers and their families.
The family thanks the staff at Living Care’s Summitview Healthcare Center for their loving care for the past 5.5 years, Dr. Sylvia Labes and Janice, her MA, and Yakima Memorial Hospice.
Graveside service will be held in the Lower Valley Memorial Gardens. A memorial service celebrating Anne’s life will be 12 pm, Saturday, March 2, 2019 at Memorial Bible Church in Gleed with lunch for all attendees following. This will be the celebration of a missionary’s life well lived. Families with children are encouraged to attend. To honor the fact that the Gospel of God still needs to be shared with the “uttermost parts of the earth” please feel free to wear attire from other countries, scrubs, Mission Team or AWANA/VBS shirts or bright colored clothing if you like. In lieu of cards/flowers please send memorials to Anne’s mission, SIM, PO Box 7900, Charlotte, NC 28241.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.keithandkeith.com.
