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In Memory of

 

Sister Cindy Tonga

 

Sister Hess

 

Elder Ralph Thales Howe

 

 

 

 

 

 

As the webmaster of the Missouri Independence Mission Site it is a great honor to present this page. I had the opportunity to know one of these missionaries. Sister Cindy Tonga.

 

My first thought in putting this part of the page together was to each family of these great missionaries. I want them to know that I have been careful to put proper information about each missionary.

 

I want the memory of each of these missionaries to live on.

 

 My love and concern goes to each family of the Missionaries that I have listed here. May the testimonies of all three of these missionaries continue to help us to want to share the gospel.  

 

 

 

From a talk by Elder M. Russell Ballard:

"Since the day of the Prophet Joseph Smith, we've had approximately 447,969 missionaries serve in the world," Elder M. Russell Ballard said in 1989. "Of those 447,969, (some) 525 have lost their lives while serving as full-time missionaries," he added. "When you contemplate that number, it appears that the safest place in the whole world is to be on a full-time mission," concluded the member of the Twelve.

 

In the history of the Missouri Independence, we have lost three Missionaries. 

December 7, 1980 tragedy struck the mission. We lost two great Sisters. Sister Tonga and Sister Hess were killed in a car accident when the car that they were driving lost control on black ice.

 

President Lawrence R Flake was the Mission President. Elder Bruce Kimbrell and Mark Wagner were their Zone Leaders at the time of the accident. David Nelson was the District Leader. My thanks have to go out to Elder Mark Wagner for his help to piece this story back together.

 

 

Elder Howe was serving in the Mission when he died in 1982. I do not have the details surrounding his death. He too shall be remembered by those that served with him.

 

 

 

 

Sister Tonga

 

Senitelela Cindy Tonga, 23, Missouri Independence, Millbrae, CA

 

Sister Tonga was a great Sister who loved the work. Sister Tonga Served in Kansas City KS; Lawerence, KS; Cloward, KS; and Council Bluffs, IA.

She was close to finishing her mission at the time of the accident. She was to be home for Christmas just a couple of weeks later.

 

She had great success serving her mission. Several new converts were brought into the gospel due to her great testimony and work.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sister Hess

 

Venna Elizabeth Tolman Hess, 72, Missouri Independence, Las, Vegas, NV

Sister Hess was a new missionary to the Missouri Independence Mission. Sister Hess was assigned to work with Sister Tonga as her first companion in the field.

 

Mark Wagner gave me the following information in an e-mail:

 

 

Jerry,

Sis. Tonga & Sis. Hess were killed on Dec.7,1980. They would not be in the Nov.1980 Zion's Harvester. I remember seeing a newspaper article about the accident but can't find it. I also can't find my Nov. 1980 Zion's Harvester. It makes me wonder if there was one. Bruce Kimbrell and I were the zone leaders at the time of the accident and David Nelson was the district leader. I have a little information from my journal if you are interested. Great job on the web site!     Mark Wagner

 

 

 

 

 

Ralph Thales Howe

*      Ralph Thales Howe, 20, Missouri Independence, Pleasant Grove, UT 1982

 

I have no information on Elder Howe. This came from the web page listed below, The Parley P. Pratt Missionary Memorial Monument.

 

Any one with information on this Elder, please e-mail me.

 

Printed Monday December 8th, 1980

 

This was printed in the Counsel Bluffs Newspaper. This was scanned from a copy of the article sent to me from Elder Mark Wagner.

 

 

Crash near Bluffs

kills 2 missionaries

 

 

Two Mormon missionaries headquartered in Council Bluffs the past five months were fatally injured Sunday morning in a two-car accident on Highway 183 two miles north of Council Bluffs.

 

They were Sister Senitelela "Cindy" Tonga, 23, of Burlingame, Calif., and Sister Venna Elizabeth Tolman Hess, 71­. The missionaries were residing at 213 Fourth St.

 

The women were en route to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at Logan when the accident occurred.

 

 

 

 

THE POTTAWATTAMIE County Sheriff's Department said the car driven by Miss Tonga skidded on ice traveling north on 183. The rear of the Tonga vehicle was in the south-­bound lane of traffic when it was struck by a car driven by Denise McIntosh, 19, of Crescent.

 

Miss McIntosh was treated for a right knee injury and released from Jennie Edmundson.

 

Miss Tonga was pronounced dead on arrival by ambulance at a Council Bluffs hospital. Mrs. Hess died there about 8 p.m. Sunday.

       

Mrs. Hess would have been 72 years old today.

 

Miss Tonga was born on the South Pacific Island of Tonga, in the Fiji Islands. She came to the United States with her parents in 1967.        .

 

She, is survived by her Polynesian parents, Siosefa Hengehenga Tonga and Meleva Ata of Burlingame, Calif.; six brothers and eight sisters.

 

Her body will be shipped today from Meyer Funeral Home to California for services and interment.

 

Mrs. Hess was born in Lava Hot Springs, Idaho. She was a widow.

 

MRS. HESS AND Miss Tonga were serving, an l8-month tour of missionary duty for the Mormon Church.

 

Mrs. Hess is survived by two sons, Dr. Dennis C. Hess of Orem, Utah, and Dr. David Hess of Portland, Ore.; two daughters,' Joelene Johnson of Lava Hot Springs and DeAnn Franklin of Las Vegas, Nev.; a brother. Ellis Tolman of Pocatello, Idaho; 25 grand- children and 14- great-grand­children.

   

Her body will be shipped today to Las Vegas, Nev., for services and interment.

 

Meyer Funeral Home was in charge of local arrangements for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Parley P. Pratt Missionary Memorial Monument and Wall
In Memoria

Click on link to see their listings:

http://jared.pratt-family.org/memorial/memorium.htm

 

We want to honor and recognize the work of all missionaries on the Parley P. Pratt Missionary Memorial, but unfortunately we do not have a complete list of those who have given their lives in the service of the Master. Nor do we have a complete roster of all missionaries who now face physical, emotional and intellectual challenges as a result of accident or illness suffered on their missions. Further, we do not have a complete list of those missionaries whose lives were taken before being able to enter the mission field. Your help in compiling a more complete account of those we would honor will be greatly appreciated.

From our Mission:

*      Ralph Thales Howe, 20, Missouri Independence, Pleasant Grove, UT 1982

*      Venna Elizabeth Tolman Hess, 72, Missouri Independence, Las, Vegas, NV

*      Senitelela Cindy Tonga, 23, Missouri Independence, Millbrae, CA

 

"Since the day of the Prophet Joseph Smith, we've had approximately 447,969 missionaries serve in the world," Elder M. Russell Ballard said in 1989. "Of those 447,969, (some) 525 have lost their lives while serving as full-time missionaries," he added. "When you contemplate that number, it appears that the safest place in the whole world is to be on a full-time mission," concluded the member of the Twelve.

 

 

 

 

As I receive information or stories about these great missionaries, I will add it here.