Sara Jane Willard

Sara Jane Willard, age 79 of Bethany, OK, went home to be with the Lord on Wednesday December 17, 2025.
Sara was born on November 30, 1946, in Manchester, NH. She was the daughter of James and Edith (Johnson) Randall. She grew up on a dairy farm with her parents and siblings in Derry, NH. She participated in 4-H Club throughout school, becoming skilled in cooking, baking, and sewing.
After graduating high school, Sara and a girlfriend 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 August 10, 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 to serve as missionaries to Africa for the Church of the Nazarene. They served in Zambia, South Africa, and were the pioneer missionaries to Botswana. As the wife of a pastor and missionary, Sara was an integral part of ministry with Ron, and they worked closely together as a team. Sara led Women's Ministries, Children's Ministries, Sunday School, worship, choir, and even preached some sermons! In Zambia, there were frequent food shortages, but somehow (with God's version of multiplication) Sara could make something out of nothing, and her family never went hungry.
Upon returning from the mission field in 1990, Ron and Sara pastored three Nazarene churches. First in Enid, OK; then Little Rock, AR; and finally in Meade, KS. 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, OK. It wasn't long, however, until they had an unexpected opportunity to return to Africa, this time to Eswatini. They served for two years there 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 side by side with the people of Africa, whom they love so much. Upon completion of their assignment, Ron and Sara returned to retirement in Bethany. But Sara never sat still very well, so she soon began working part time at the Every Day Kids program at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene where she and Ron attended. She loved teaching kids and loving on kids, two of her favorite things to do. Sara enjoyed living in the same town as all of her grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
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 husband Rick and Chrissy McFerren and husband Troy; grandchildren, Heather (Lance) Graham and husband Chris, Nathan (Ash) Lance, Brian Lance, Brayden McFerren, and Duncan McFerren; and 2 great-grandchildren, Maggie Graham and Beckett Graham.
A memorial service for Sara will be held on Monday January 5, 2026 at 10:00 am at Bethany First Church of the Nazarene in Bethany, OK. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made in Sara's memory to Bethany First Church of the Nazarene, 6789 NW 39th Expressway, Bethany, OK 73008, earmarked "World Missions".