Estella Ruth Boggs Horning, age 96, a former Church of the Brethren mission worker and Bethany Theological Seminary faculty, passed away on June 1 in Durango, Colo. Born in Havelock, Neb., on March 18, 1929, she moved to Iowa and then, after her father was killed when she was only four, she moved with her mother and her sister Barbara to Chicago, Ill., where they lived in Douglas Park and later in Oak Park. She met John Horning when they were both students at Manchester College, now Manchester University, in North Manchester, Ind. They both graduated in 1949, she with a degree in nursing. She worked as a night supervisor of nurses at Bethany Hospital in Chicago and at the same time studied part-time at Bethany Seminary, which at that time was just across the street from the hospital. Over the years she also earned an RN degree from Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Hospital; a master of divinity from Bethany Seminary; and a doctorate in Religious and Theological Studies from Northwestern University and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. The couple married in 1951. Five years and two children later they accepted the call of the Church of the Brethren to become missionaries to Ecuador. In Ecuador, from 1965 to 1971, besides caring for their family she worked as a school teacher, nurse, and teacher of Bible in the Church of the Brethren Indian School. When the family moved to Quito, she set up the library for the Center of Theological Studies, wrote courses, and became one of its principal teachers. She established and catalogued a library of 3,000 volumes, and also taught at extension centers in various parts of the country. After returning to the US in 1971, the church again sought them out, this time to go to Nigeria from 1973 to 1976. They were recruited to set up the rural health program, a portion of the program known as Lafiya. She also taught Bible knowledge in a government secondary school in Uba, as well as English, sewing, biology, and health science. Again back in the US, upon receiving her thesis, she began her professorship at Bethany Seminary in Oak Brook, Ill. She was a member of the faculty beginning as part-time adjunct in 1978, continuing through the time when the seminary moved to Richmond, Ind. She specialized in New Testament and Greek and also filled various roles such as supervising the doctor of ministry faculty, directing special studies, and advising international and multilingual students. At neighboring Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, she taught New Testament Greek and biblical Hebrew, in both English- and Spanish-speaking classrooms. At North Park College in Chicago, she taught college-level courses in religion for the Hispanic Program. Among her numerous publications, she wrote for Messenger and academic journals including Biblical Research and Brethren Life and Thought, authored Bible studies for Brethren Press, and presented papers at the Society of Biblical Literature. She was on the editorial council of the Believer’s Church Bible Commentary beginning in 1980. Her volunteer leadership in the church included serving as moderator for Illinois and Wisconsin District, representing Bethany Seminary on the former Ministry Council, serving on the former Committee on Interchurch Relations of Annual Conference, serving on two Annual Conference study committees on deacons and on Christian lifestyle, and serving on the Index Committee when Hymnal: A Worship Book was being created. She participated in a World Council of Churches Conference on Baptism, Eucharist, and Ministry in 1986. She served on the Bethany Hospital Foundation and the board of the former Bethany Hospital in Chicago. She was active with the Brethren Health Foundation and with New Call to Peacemaking. In 1988, she was one of four candidates for moderator-elect of Annual Conference but was not elected to the position. She was an ordained minister and was active in York Center Church of the Brethren as well as Goshen (Ind.) City Church of the Brethren. Her family moved into the York Center Cooperative near the seminary in September 1978 and then she and her husband moved to Indiana in 2001. After her husband’s death in 2007, she moved back to Lombard. Most recently, she lived in Durango with her daughter Judith. She is survived by children Ann Blind of Carmel, Ind., James of Goshen, Ind., Judith (William Sailor) of Durango, Colo., Kathleen (Finn Moe) of Skokie, Ill., Carolyn (Mike Neher) of Lombard, Ill., and grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

A memorial service will be held at the York Center Church of the Brethren. October 11, 2025 at 10:30 am.

Address: 1 S 071 Luther Ave, Lombard, IL 60148

If you are unable to attend in person, please find the Zoom link below

Estella Horning Memorial Service

Time: October 11, 2025, 10:30 am (cst)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81304133505

Meeting ID: 813 0413 3505

Memorial gifts will go to the York Center Church of the Brethren