Oldest Missionary To Nigeria Dies At 91, Checkout A Few Things To Know About Her

The oldest renowned missionary, Ruth Elton, a British-born Nigerian missionary, has passed away at the age of 91.

Elton, widely regarded for her long-standing religious and humanitarian work in Nigeria, died in Osun State, where she had resided for many years.

The announcement of her death was made in a statement released on Sunday by the governor’s spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed.

In the statement, Adeleke described Elton’s life as one marked by service and commitment to community development.

“From 1937, when she arrived in Nigeria with her father, Granville Elton, Ruth Elton served the Nigerian people with unfailing dedication, contributing not just to the spread of the gospel but also joining efforts to fight many health scourges in communities,” Adeleke said.

See a few things about her below;

• Elton died on Saturday at Sharon compound, Alafia Bamin Quarters in Ilesa, Osun State.
• She was the only daughter of Pa Elton, and her remains have been deposited at the mortuary.
• Ruth Elton, daughter of Sydney Granville Elton (Pa Elton), who is referred to as one of the founding fathers of Pentecostalism in Nigeria, had approached a Kaduna court and was naturalised as a Nigerian.
• At old age and despite the happenings in Nigeria, she still held in high esteem her father’s prophecies that although Nigeria could be known globally for corruption, it would only be for a while, as a new dawn would beckon when the country would be known worldwide for righteousness and prosperity.
• Elton moved to Nigeria in 1937 with her parents and served as a Christian missionary across Egbe, Okene, Koton Karfe, and other parts of Kogi, Ondo, Oyo, and Osun States.
• A naturalised Nigerian, having renounced her British citizenship in the 1970s, she embraced the country completely and became fluent in Ebira and Yoruba.
• Elton, who remained single, believed that she had made a true mark in the country, and apart from her missionary work, she saw her efforts in taming infant mortality, especially in Okene, Kogi State as a generational impact.
• Relating her experience on infant mortality in the country, Elton recently noted that many newborn babies had passed on due to lack of proper care and hygiene, adding that the practice of force-feeding babies contributed to the challenges, especially in the face of poor awareness.