Elder and Mrs. L. M. Mohns Bereaved by the Tragic Loss Of their Beloved Daughter Gail

“A credit to her family, an honour to her school, a joy and an inspiration to her friends, and a witness to her God,” were the words used to describe Miss Gail Mohns by Elder H. Ward Hill, her Bible teacher at Kingsway College as he paid her tribute at the time of her funeral, held April 30 in the College Park
Church.

Gail, 19-year old daughter of Elder and Mrs. L. M. Mohns of Oshawa, Ontario was found by her parents upon their return home from a Sunday evening church function, lying upon the floor of an upstairs room, the victim of an assailant whom she had fought desperately to protect her honour and her life. The disarrayed condition of the home, and the broken furniture, china, and vases testified to the valiant way in which she had struggled.

A grade 12 honour student at Kingsway College, Gail was loved and respected by faculty and student body, as well as church members and the community. She had a lovely solo voice and just that morning had performed at a church function.

A Gail Mohns memorial fund is being raised by Kingsway College faculty and students, conference, and field. Flags in the Adventist community, where are located the Canadian Union offices, the Ontario-Quebec Conference offices. Kingsway College, Kingsway Publishing Association, and the Maracle Press, were at half mast.

Gail’s funeral was said to have been the largest Oshawa had ever known. Over 70 floral pieces from all over Canada and the United States spoke eloquently of the love and esteem felt for Gail, her parents and family by friends far and near.

Elder James Ward, pastor of the College Park Church, officiated at the afternoon service, assisted by Elder J. W. Bothe, President of the Canadian Union Conference; Elder Philip Moores, President of the Ontario-Quebec Conference; Dr. Percy Paul, President of Kingsway College; and Elder H. Ward Hill, head of the Bible Department of Kingsway College.

Gail’s grade 12 classmates sat near her, in a reserved section at the front of the church. The college choir, of which Gail had been a member, rendered two numbers, and Ralph Coupland, head of the Music Department of the college, and who had been Gail’s vocal teacher, sang a solo.

Elder Ward’s sermon struck the note of triumph as he stated, “freedom to think, seek, and choose life’s good has always been dearer to man than life. . . . through the centuries men, women, youth, and cchildren have braved persecution, endured torture, and suffered death rather than compromise truth, betray faith, surrender virtue, or deny their Lord. Death before dishonor or disobedience to God has been the code of life for dedicated Christians from the days of righteous Abel to this present hour. This is an hour of triumph, not of loss or defeat. The loss is but for a brief time, and truth and purity have gained much more by her death.”

He continued, “All who knew Gail have doubtless asked the agonized question, ‘Why did God allow this to happen? Why didn’t He deliver her?’ Beloved, the promise of Psalm 34:7 is still true. God did deliver her.” He then referred to John the Baptist and said that angels were with him when he was beheaded, and that he was delivered from doubt, compromise, and failure to do his duty, and likewise angels had been with Gail, and she had been delivered from compromise, impurity, and sacrificing virtue for present gain.

“We have proof,” he said, “that God enabled her to deny her attacker’s lustful design. I consider Gail a martyr to purity in this age when morals are little thought of. She refused to surrender her purity, choosing to die rather than dishonor her body and disobey one of God’s holy commandments. To her, purity was more precious than a few years purchased with submission, however unwilling. Her death exalted purity. Like Mary of old, Gail chose the better part and it shall not be taken away from her.”

Elder Ward then climaxed his sermon by addressing Elder and Mrs. Mohns and declaring, “This should be your proudest hour, in Jesus’ name.”

In a burst of triumph, the college choir climaxed Elder Ward’s sermon as they sang “My Eternal King,”a number which Gall had sung with them, and which was her favourite.

Elder Mohns is secretary of the Publishing Department of the Ontario-Quebec Conference. Besides her parents, Gail is survived by her brother Wayne and wife Sandra of Oshawa, Wayne’s twin sister Wendy who works in the business office at Branson Hospital, and Douglas, at home.

Immediate roadblocks and extensive investigations went into operation and are continuing, with final results as yet unknown.

Any information, contact Toronto Homicide at 416-808-7400, homocide@torontopolice.ca
or Crime Stoppers at 416-222-TIPS (8477), www.222tips.com, text TOR message to CRIMES (274637)
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