Elizabeth Hester Rendall went to her heavenly reward on July 31 after eighteen months of suffering from various illnesses.
Hester was born to loving parents, Wallace and Mary Dougan, on September 23, 1936, in Banbridge, Northern Ireland. Her younger sister Wilma was married to Will Davidson and Hester enjoyed being with their children, Audrey Worthington (Michael), Wilson Davidson and Rosemary who was taken Home by the Good Shepherd when she was just three months old.
Hester did well at school and planned to take training as a nurse. When she was sixteen, a series of evangelistic meetings was being held in her area for ten weeks, (the custom at the time). She resisted the call to accept Christ as Savior and Lord until the last week of the meetings, when she gave her life to the Lord.
A layman, John Dickson, who had a great love of young people, had an interdenominational meeting every Saturday night in Banbridge and there she became a student of the Bible and developed a concern for the missionary work of the Church. She thought of being a missionary to Africa. But through the influence of Mr. Dickson, she enrolled in the Bible College of the Faith Mission, head-quartered in Edinburgh, Scotland. During the three-year course she became friends with fellow-students who remained friends for her lifetime.
While she was a student there, Rev. Duncan Campbell was the Principal. He had been greatly used by God in the remarkable revival that took place in the Hebrides Islands, on the west coast of Scotland, in the years 1949-53. Through his example and teaching, she herself became burdened for revival and maintained it as a basic of her ministry. Later she had the privilege of working with Rev. Campbell in Lewis, part of the Hebrides.
Through many influences, Hester began to consider Canada and its need for missionaries, to work especially in rural areas. This led her to apply to the Mission, which had work in Canada beginning in 1927. When accepted, she set sail for Canada and began her ministry of reaching people for Christ. She worked with children, young people, adults and senior folks in various settings-churches, camps, conferences and colleges, preaching and teaching. She retired from the Mission when she married Rev. Dr. Ted S. Rendall, former President of Prairie Bible Institute, Three Hills, Alberta, Canada, on April 15, 1995. This led to a ministry together, travelling to various countries including Japan sixteen times, Italy, Colombia and of course, the United States and Canada. Comments her husband, I am proud to have been the husband and companion of such a wonderful person and Christian. She loved the Lord, His Word and all around her.
Attractive in herself, Hester was vivacious, never walking on an errand, but running! It is impossible to measure the results of her ministry. Of her work in the Province of Ontario, Canada, the retired Director of the ministry of the Faith Mission in Canada, Rev. John Bennett explained that she was greatly used wherever she lived and worked. Writing a report for the Jubilee of the work in Canada, Hester ended with these words, Thank God for all His marvelous working, past and present and we believe, in the future. We keep going on, looking unto HIM - the One who has been and always will be, triumphant! That was indeed her spirit right to the end.
Hester leaves the following to mourn. Her loving husband, Ted, stepsons, Steve (Cathy) and Dave, grandchildren, Christy (Orin), Rob, Jon (Kendra) and greatgrandchildren, Jaxon, Aubree, Everlee, Jason and Caleb.
The funeral service for Hester was held on Thursday, July 12, 2021 at Hope Community Church, 12050 Goodman Road, Olive Branch, MS with Interment at Forest Hill Cemetery, Midtown.
Arrangements entrusted to Brent Taylor Paul McCarver Funeral Directors.
