Martha Zewdie

Martha Zewdie, our adoring wife, self-less mother, loyal friend, and faithful servant of God, passed peacefully from this life into the loving arms of Jesus Christ the early morning of February 15, 2019. Martha was surrounded and supported by her loving and devoted family and friends during the last days of her life. Martha was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on March 11, 1960 to her loving parents Zewdie Wondemu and Yeshi Tessema. She moved to Cologne, Germany in her teenage years to complete her education where she would meet her husband, Derebew Shankute. In the 1980s, Martha and her husband immigrated to Los Angeles, California where their two daughters were later born. They eventually moved to Sacramento, California in the early 1990s and gave birth to two sons, completing their family of six. Martha lived in Sacramento for the remainder of her life where she was a faithful and committed church member at Bethel Evangelical Christian Church, serving devotedly in multiple ministries. Her service to the church community included active and engaged involvement in the outreach, discipleship, missionary, prayer, the “Dream Angels” choir (which she lovingly called), and women’s ministry. Martha was especially passionate about sharing the Good News of Jesus with people from different walks of life. She spent most Saturday mornings in diverse parts of Sacramento ministering to homeless and underprivileged people. In addition to being a faithful servant in the community, Martha graduated at the top of her class and excelled as a professional medical assistant, working for Kaiser Permanente for almost 20 years. On top of her excellent work, ministry, and community involvement, Martha loved and served her family unconditionally. Martha is survived by her husband, Derebew, and four children, Hewot, Naomi, Nathaniel, and Abenezer. Martha had an unforgettable presence and we will sorely miss her authentic, generous, excellent, honest, and genuinely kind spirit – and most especially her amazing sense of humor and captivating story telling. While words cannot express the massive void Martha’s passing has left in our family, church and community, we are encouraged by her strength and hope in Jesus Christ and believe we will all be united together one day in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ. “…and the dead shall be raised incorruptible and we shall be changed.” 1 Corinthians 15:52