Christine Beth Ferrell

Christine Beth Ferrell, who preferred to be known simply as Beth Ferrell, passed away on Sunday morning, June 14, 2026, at Altamont Senior Living in Happy Valley, Oregon. The owners and staff cared for her with great love and compassion until the very end. She will be deeply missed by her family, friends, and housemates.

Beth was born in Bellevue, Pennsylvania, to Frederick Ferdinand Wenzel and Jenny Rollo Caddis. She had one sibling, an older brother, David Rollo Wenzel, who passed away when she was a teenager. Beth attended Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, followed by medical school at Temple University in Philadelphia. She completed her internship at Presbyterian Hospital in Chicago, where she met and fell in love with fellow intern Dr. Bert Lee Ferrell. They soon married and moved to Mount Angel, Oregon, where they lived in the historic town doctor’s house.

Beth suffered from ragweed allergies, so the absence of ragweed in Oregon allowed her to enjoy working outdoors. She loved landscaping and created beautiful rock gardens, pools, and water features around the doctor’s house. While living there, she also taught physiology and anatomy at Mount Angel College. Active at Silverton First Baptist Church, Beth served as Sunday School Superintendent before answering the call to overseas missions in Indonesia. Deeply committed believers, Beth and Bert felt called to serve God and share the gospel using their gifts and abilities. In 1967, the family moved to a jungle mission hospital in West Kalimantan (Borneo), Indonesia. Beth taught classes in the associated nursing school and provided medical triage via airplane radio to outlying areas. As travel to the region increased, Beth and her longtime helper Nando operated “Beth’s Motel” — a welcoming bed-and-breakfast for western visitors. After 29 years of missionary service, Beth and Bert retired to King City, Oregon. Beth remained active in her local church, teaching a Bible study for older women. She also volunteered with a Peer Helper organization and enjoyed working at the King City Library.

Beth is survived by her children, Stephen Ferrell and Karen Moore; her grandchildren, Julia, Esther, Christine, Jennifer, Dianna, Stephen, and Thomas; and 14 great-grandchildren.