Rev. Audra Sowersby

Rev. Audra Darlene Sowersby was born on Sunday, January 25th, 1931 in the community of Macomb, Missouri, the daughter of Dolphen and Mattie (Thompson) Sowersby. She passed from this life in Tulsa, Oklahoma on Friday, October 11, 2024. She was 93 years of age. Audra was a 1949 graduate of Norwood, Missouri High School and a 1964 graduate of LIFE Bible College. Audra was born on her grandparents Missouri farm when the great depression was just coming into full swing in January 1931. The second of five children born to Dolphen and Mattie Sowersby, her big sister, Wanda, had an instant life-long best friend. Brothers Joe and Jim and sister Mamie soon completed the family of five children. In April of 1938, soon after Audra turned 7, both her grandfather (who lived with them) and her mother passed away. By July, Grandma Sowersby had moved to town and Audra’s dad had married Blanche, whom he had dated in his teen years. Blanche’s sons, Don and James, spent occasional weeks living with them. Audra accepted Jesus Christ as her Savior in a church service at 9 yrs old and this began a life-long deep commitment to Jesus that was the foundation of all she was and did. At 15, she first felt called by God into Christian service. After graduating from Norwood High School in Missouri, Audra joined the rest of the family in Tulsa, OK. She and her sister, Wanda, were soon making a good life as Christian working girls who taught teen girls in Sunday School. She worked at various places until she took a job, following her sister, to work at the headquarters for well-known Christian evangelists, TL and Daisy Osborn. In 1956, at age 25, the Osborns chose Audra to accompany them to help school their children during a three-month crusade tour that included Nigeria, Africa. While in Nigeria, the directors of a newly formed Bible School asked Audra to stay and help them… so she did, until her visa ran out in June 1957. Audra wanted to return and things worked out for her to do so. She sailed to Nigeria as a passenger on the African Glade freighter in January of 1958. That Nigeria Bible School, where she served for about 13 years total, is still operating today as LIFE Theological Seminary. Audra poured everything she had into teaching and administration at this school. Audra took a break from Nigeria and returned to the US to attend Life Bible College in California in 1961. During these years, she worked at Foursquare Denominational Headquarters. She graduated from California LIFE Bible College in 1964 and returned to the Bible School in Nigeria as Dean. In 1972 Audra returned to the US for good. She settled into the Foursquare community life at Headquarters and served in many capacities for the next 24 years. One day, her boss couldn’t fulfill a lunch commitment, so Audra decided to take Army Chaplain, Rick Mathis, to lunch herself. Rick became a dear friend whom Audra especially treasured for the rest of her life. During these years she worked as clerical support staff for several administrators, and worked the Credentialing Desk. She served as dorm mom at LIFE Bible college for at least one year. She also oversaw Bible studies, taught Sunday School, was an elder at Angeles Temple church, had an annual Thanksgiving Dinner for 30+ people in her home, and managed the large Foursquare residence she lived in that was home to up to five ladies at a time. At age 65, Audra retired and moved back to Tulsa to be close to family during her final years. She loved that she was able to be close to her step-mom, Blanche, to help care for her in the last years of her life. She attended local Foursquare churches and served in several capacities, always being a valuable supporter of the pastors where she attended. She taught Sunday School until 2019. She also attended Carbondale Assembly of God in her final years. She worked part time for Oral Roberts Ministries from 1997 to 2018, mostly in the mail room. In 2018, her sister, Wanda, began staying with her most of the time. Audra shared her home and watched over Wanda for five years until Wanda’s passing in 2023. Audra loved to get local peaches and pecans each year and share them with others. She also delighted in sharing the flowers blooming in her yard, especially the peonies. She loved her back porch. Her favorite treats were See’s Candy, orange chicken, Bluebell ice cream and Pepsi. She did some gardening and she also spent time quilting when she wasn’t studying, caring for someone or communicating with her friends. She loved preparing and sharing meals and always wanted her guests to “have some more”. Woven into Audra’s story is the fact that along the way, she deeply impacted hundreds of people with her one-on-one relationships through the years. She simply loved everyone she came into contact with and showed this love through listening, counsel, kindness and smiles. She prayed daily that Jesus would shine through her and that she would be able to bless at least one person each day. Her generous spirit was always looking for ways to bless people. Her life motto was “Bloom where you are planted.” Her faith was deep and her prayer life strong. She listened for that still small voice of God and it brought her reassurance of divine protection, comfort and guidance as she took big leaps of faith to fulfill the tasks ahead of her. She lived frugally with little excess, but gave generously and truly felt she had everything she needed or wanted as she looked to God as her Source. She counted her relationships as wealth and would always say that she was rich. One of her life scriptures was Isaiah 58:11 “The Lord will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” This was so true for our Audra and it can be true to each of us. If you have not yet known this Jesus that I am speaking of that guided Audra’s life, as well as so many of us celebrating her, please consider asking Him to come into your heart and walk alongside you, not only now, but in eternity. In lieu of flowers, her family requests memorial gifts be made to Tulsa First Foursquare Church at https://tulsafoursquare.com/give or to Foursquare Missions Press at www.foursquaremissionspress.org/give She is survived by: Brothers: Joe Sowersby–Mannford, OK, Jim (Barbara) Sowersby–Branson, MO Nieces: Micki (Russell) Rice–Cleveland, OK, Terry (Charlie) Underwood–Wetumka, OK, Kathy Inglett–Broken Arrow, OK, Joy (Peter) Kovaleski–Tulsa, OK, Judy Garner Clark– Siloam Springs, AR Nephews: Joe Lee Sowersby–Mannford, OK, Roger (Carolyn) Garner–Broken Arrow, OK, Allen Reece (Paula) Garner–Broken Arrow, OK, Ron (Staci) Garner–Lufkin, TX Many great nieces and nephews and great–great nieces and nephews and a host of beloved friends. She was preceded in death by her parents–Dolphen and Mattie Sowersby, step-mother–Blanche Sowersby, sister–Wanda Lee Garner-Austin, sister-in-law–Lu Sowersby, nephew–Tommy Garner and niece–Brenda Goumaz. Watch service here: https://vimeo.com/1022150374

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Rev. Audra Sowersby

January 25, 1931 - October 11, 2024