Audrey M. Shults, 1937-2021
Audrey M. Shults of Henderson, Kentucky, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel among American Affinity Peoples in Brazil, died Feb. 25, 2021. She was 83.
Shults was born Aug. 13, 1937, in Jonesville, Virginia, to the late Frank and Lizzy Minor. She graduated from Jonesville High School and attended Carson-Newman College (now University), Jefferson City, Tennessee. While there, she wrote when seeking missionary appointment, she surrendered her life to full-time Christian work. There she also met Mack Shults, whom she married in 1955.
The Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board) appointed them in 1966 as missionaries to Brazil, where they served 33 years before retiring.
In Brazil, the family wrote in her obituary, three children were given her name and three Brazilian cities awarded her honorary citizenship. The music school at Campo Limpo, the Shultses’ home church in Brazil, and a seminary building were both named after her because of her dedication to music education.
According to her family, “Every Christmas we all laughed and dragged our feet as she led us around the neighborhood singing carols and delivering fruit to shut-ins and other neighbors.” They said that Shults enjoyed sending cards for each holiday to all of her great-grandchildren. She also had to recognize over 65 birthdays each year.”
Mack and Audrey Shults celebrated their 65th wedding anniversary in 2020.
Shults is survived by her husband, Mack, and seven children, Tena, Marcellus, Aneta, Travis, Justin, Renee, and Ana Cristina. She is also survived by seven siblings, Ray Carl, James, Ken, Sam, Carolyn, Lois, and Frankie. She is also survived by 19 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.
Services were held Feb. 28, 2021, at First Baptist Church of Henderson. Burial followed at Silver Leaf Baptist Church Cemetery in Rose Hill, Virginia, where Mack began his ministry as pastor with Audrey at his side. Rose Hill is close to Audrey’s hometown of Jonesville.
Read an obituary here.