Portrait of Peggy Gillihand. IMB Photo

Peggy Gilliland, an International Mission Board missionary emeritus who shared the gospel in Indonesia, died March 7, 2024. She was 92.

Peggy was born Sept. 19, 1931, in Woodruff, South Carolina, to the late Samuel Jesse “S.J.” Workman and Ruth Stephens Workman. She graduated from Woodruff High and received the Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Arts degree from Blue Mountain College, Blue Mountain, Mississippi, and attended Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. She received her Pastoral Education Certificate in hospital chaplaincy from Spartanburg General Hospital.

She married Oliver Earl Gilliland, Jr., on Dec. 30, 1954. Though she surrendered to full-time Christian service in high school, while seeking appointment with the Foreign Mission Board (now International Mission Board), she said, “For my graduation, my parents gave me a trip to South America and to the Baptist World Youth Congress. This was in 1953. This trip made me more aware of the needs of the world and the many, many people who did not know Christ.”

In 1964, the International Mission Board appointed Peggy and Oliver missionaries to Indonesia. The couple served over 22 years there.

Peggy is preceded in death by her husband, Oliver.

She is survived by one daughter, Sondra Biggerstaff (Stanley) of Spartanburg; three sons, Oliver “Gil” Gilliland III (Jana) of Mansfield, Georgia, Mark Gilliland of Pensacola, Florida, and Greg Gilliland (Melody) of Greer; six grandchildren; and nine great-grandchildren.

A funeral service was held March 10 at First Baptist Church of Woodruff, South Carolina, with burial at Bethel Cemetery.

Donations in her memory may be made to the Lottie Moon Offering, IMB, 3806 Monument Avenue, Richmond, VA 23230, or online at Generosity Resource Center – IMB Generosity.

Read an obituary here.