Sara Willard, 79, of Bethany, Oklahoma, passed away on 17 December 2025. She was a missionary who served in Africa from 1977 to 1991.

Sara was born on 30 November 1946, in Manchester, New Hampshire, to James and Edith Randall. She grew up on a dairy farm with her parents and siblings in Derry, New Hampshire. She participated in the 4-H Club throughout school, becoming skilled in cooking, baking, and sewing.

After graduating high school, Sara and a friend rode a Greyhound bus together from New Hampshire to Bethany, Oklahoma, to attend Bethany Nazarene College, now Southern Nazarene University. While there in 1967, she met her future husband, Ronald Emery Willard. Ron and Sara were married on 10 August 1968 and enjoyed 57 years of a marriage in which they deeply treasured each other.

Ron and Sara began pastoring Nazarene churches in the United States and grew their family with the birth of three daughters. In 1977, they began serving as missionaries in Africa for the Church of the Nazarene. They served in Zambia and South Africa, and were the pioneer missionaries to Botswana.

As the wife of a pastor and missionary, Sara was an integral part of Ron’s ministry, and they worked closely as a team. Sara led women’s ministries, children’s ministries, Sunday School, worship, choir, and even preached sermons.

Upon returning from the mission field in 1990, Ron and Sara pastored three Nazarene churches beginning in Enid, Oklahoma; then Little Rock, Arkansas; and finally in Meade, Kansas. While on the Kansas District, Sara served as the district missionary president for four years.

When it came time to retire from full-time ministry in 2014, Ron and Sara settled in Bethany, Oklahoma. It wasn’t long, however, until they had an unexpected opportunity to return to Africa, this time to Eswatini. They served there for two years as the on-site coordinators for the Eswatini Partnership with Bethany First Church of the Nazarene.

Both Ron and Sara thoroughly enjoyed returning to work alongside the people of Africa, whom they love so much. Upon completion of their assignment, Ron and Sara returned to retirement in Bethany, where Sara soon began working part-time at the Every Day Kids program at Bethany First.

She was preceded in death by her parents, James and Edith Randall; her brother, Nathaniel Randall; and her daughter, Laura Dawn Willard.

She is survived by her loving husband of 57 years, Ron Willard; her daughters, Carrie Lance and Chrissy McFerren; six grandchildren, and 2 great-grandchildren.

A memorial service for Sara was held on 5 January 2026.