Mrs. Sheilia J. Ankney

God graced Sheilia Ankney's life with many gifts; the gift of a Loving Savior and a saving faith in Him, the gift of a loving husband and a shared calling for mission and ministry, the gift of a loving family and a welcoming heart that brought many to her home and table. God graced every moment of Sheilia's life with love and through that love she, herself, graced the lives of all who knew her with her radiant smile and giving spirit. Sheilia Jean was born to John Henry Gardiner, Jr. and his wife Felma (Aishe), on November 2, 1940, in Big Prairie Township, Michigan, near Newaygo. She joined brother, John Henry III, and brother, Larry, would join the family two years later. At the close of World War II, the family moved, as many others did, from a rural life, subsisting off the land, to work in one of the many factories that stood at the center of Muskegon's economic life, Campbell, Wyant and Cannon. The family didn't move to the heart of the city, but stayed in the rural Wolf Lake area, east of town, where the kids had the freedom to ride bikes, play outside, and swim in the lake. Sheilia started school in the one-room Updike School, with her mother as her teacher. After the family moved, she attended Carr School, and then was bussed into town for Middle School in Muskegon Heights and went on to graduate from Muskegon High School. At the heart of the family stood the church and, after attending a few congregations, they settled on the People's Tabernacle. It was there that Sheilia was saved and baptized, at the age of 11. She immediately felt called to missionary work and was inspired by the lives of the many missionaries and evangelists who were fed and housed by her mother. Sheilia set to work training herself for her calling, taking piano lessons, reading the biographies of famous missionaries, and studying God's word. Despite being very shy, she pushed herself into drama and music, and was even voted "Best Actress" in high school - a gift she used to tell God's stories in ways that truly touched people. Later, when Sheilia and Jim served churches in Australia, she opened their worship time with drama. All of her acting abilities didn't keep her from sometimes getting tongue-tied, and she was famous for her repeated references to "King Harold " - more commonly known as King Herod! Thanks to the unswerving encouragement of her mother, Sheilia graduated with a B.A. in Education from Hope College and got a job teaching in the Reeths-Puffer Schools. But she still had dreams of becoming a missionary and that dream led her to the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago and her future husband, Arthur (Jim) Ankney. Attending the summer program at Moody in 1964, she was taken with the young man studying for the ministry - as were many other young women. One young lady, in particular, had eyes for Jim who was forced to tell her that she was chasing him too hard and needed to look elsewhere. When the young woman saw that Jim had eyes for Sheilia, she found an opportunity to confront the young couple in an elevator, "You know, he doesn't like girls chasing him!" No worries there, there was no need for chasing, the couple had too many of the same dreams, particularly to do mission work in the Philippines. That first summer was filled with many "romantic" dates - like going to do Bible Studies in The Projects! But romantic or not, a romance was sparked and the young couple was married the following June in Muskegon. With all their faith and dedication, it still took the couple five more years, years filled with Bible, mission, and language studies, until they were ready for their first mission start on Leyte Island in the Philippines. They went to the Philippines in 1969 with their first daughter, 16-month-old Rebecca, and, later, sisters Susanna and Esther would be born there. In 1980, the family went to serve in Australia for seven and a half years before returning to the Philippines in 1987. Wherever Jim and Sheilia were called to serve, it was important that their girls be allowed to go with them. They refused to send their girls off to boarding school and refused to work for any mission board that made that a requirement. God had given them the gift of children and they saw it as their duty and their joy to do the parenting. Fortunately, in 40 years of service to the Association of Baptists for World Evangelism, Inc., family togetherness was always possible. As daughter, Rebecca, stated, "We never felt that because they had to be out calling on someone that they couldn't take care of us. We knew we were a priority." And a large parental priority was that each girl receive at least one year of Bible School. Telling the girls about Jesus, and later their granddaughters, was one of Sheilia's great joys. A prized memory is of Sheilia cradling her granddaughters and singing, "Jesus Loves Me." That the girls felt so much a part of the ministry was due, in large part, to the fact that some of the best mission work took place right within the Ankney home. Sheilia was truly blessed with the gift of hospitality. She was famous for her cooking and baking and entertained thousands at her dinner table with dishes that were often begun days in advance. In one particular week, she served over 600 meals! During the holidays there was "Christmas Dessert Time," where the entire church, actually two churches, were invited over for all sorts of treats baked by Sheilia. She was vital to the ministry she and Jim shared, chiefly because of the heart she had for people. The ministry was supported by thousands of people in churches throughout the Midwest and out East. And Sheilia seemed to know each one of them. Jim was always amazed at how she could see someone just once every four years, on their furloughs, yet each time she saw them she remembered not only their names but also their last conversation. And in between visits, lucky was the person who received correspondence from Sheilia, with every spare bit of space on the letter or card filled with her tiny handwriting - when you live a lot of life there's a lot to write about! Even when Jim and she "retired" to Allendale and joined another mission church, Allendale Baptist, Sheilia put her heart to work. When the pastor announced that he needed a greeter that would help folks really feel welcome, he said, "And I know just who to ask..." Even when she could barely stand, completely worn out from chemotherapy, Sheilia would take her place at the door along with her beautiful smile. Yes, even in illness, Sheilia's heart still beat strong. When a nurse, who'd been assigned to Sheilia just once, a few weeks before, entered her room, Sheilia immediately noticed and complimented her new haircut, much to the grateful nurse's astonishment. And after her death, her family found a prayer journal they didn't even know Sheilia had, and it was carefully filled, page after page, with the names of people - and their conditions - for whom she lovingly and faithfully prayed. To remain faithful, that was Sheilia's most ardent hope and prayer when confronted with cancer. She worried that she would be a complainer and wanted to "finish the race well." As her family watched her decline physically, they saw that her faith and love remained constant. Even when the pain was at its worst and her breathing labored, Sheilia's faith and Sheilia's love never faltered. When words were difficult, and hard to more than mumble, if someone told her they loved her, Sheilia joyfully and clearly responded, "I love you, too." And we know her prayers were just as strong. God was everywhere present with Sheilia, from her first breath to her last. Her family told her as the end drew near, "Mom, you did it. You finished the race well." Sheilia Jean Ankney went home to be with her Lord on August 16, 2006. Well done, indeed, good and faithful servant.