An Angel on Earth

Remembering Tillie

I just returned from a celebrations of life of one of my high school friends. Tillie Tiller was a woman of deep dignity, quiet affection, and unwavering faith who gave of herself as a Christian missionary in Chad, Africa.

Chad is located in central Aftica bordered by Libya to the north, Sudan to the east, and Central African Republic to the south, as well as Cameroon, Nigeria, and Niger. It is the fifth largest country in Africa. The average annual income is from $917-$2,990. Most of the jobs are in agriculture. (World data.info)

Photo by James Wiseman on Unsplash

For 35 years, she served with TEAM, The Evangelical Alliance Mission.

She spoke French, Arabic, and Chadian Arabic as she ministered among the Chadian people. Tillie met them where they were, embracing their lives and culture with grace, and in return they welcomed her as one of their own.

Getting a degree in agriculture from the Univerty of Arizona, Tiller later attend Columbia Bible College in South Carolina. She studied French in Paris, France to help prepare her for her life’s calling. After college, she provided a variety of services for others. She drove a combine in Texas, taught school in Arizonia, and worked on cattle and pig farms in rural West Tennessee.

All experinces helped with her true life calling, Africa.

She devoted her life to the people of Chad, sharing the Gospel with compassion and love. She had an adventurous spirit and was always willing to embrace a challenge. I was blessed to see Tillie every few years when she returned home to Jackson, Tennessee, for a few months. I always looked forward to hearing about her latest experiences, and Tillie spoke of her work in Chad with the same joy and devotion as if it were her very first year. Though the early years required her to adjust to life without many of the comforts of home, Chad soon became the place her heart called home.

One of her greatest joys was the lasting relationships she built over the years. She loved the people deeply, and over time she came to know generations of families, becoming part of their lives as she attended weddings, baptisms, funerals, and celebrations throughout the years.

Tillie could do almost anything and carried herself with a strong, capable spirit.

Photo by Simon Goetz on Unsplash

Camel riding? No problem.

On one visit home, she delighted in telling me about the simple shower she had managed to create in her block house. With pictures and stories, she shared the long process of making it work despite many setbacks in finding supplies. That was Tillie. Resourceful, determined, and able to create something useful with whatever she had.

When it came time for her to retire, she was uncertain where she should live. Africa had become her home, yet she also wanted to help care for her aging mother, who at 97 remains active and strong. Though it was hard for her to leave the dear friends she had made in Chad, she returned home. After only about a year, she was diagnosed with a brain tumor.

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Team Africa Coordinator, Rich Hoyt, “Tillie left an indelible mark for the Gospel on the Goz Beida Community.”

Pastor Tao Vaileck Elysee-“Because of Tillie, the missionary station and health center in Dourali, Chad functions and serves many.”

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I have always admired Tillie’s remarkable ability to adapt to a new home and to love people so fully that she became a cherished part of the community.

Tillie was truly an angel on earth. She was a gracious, loving, and faithful servant to others. She will be missed by many.

Goodbye my friend,

Cornelia S. “Tillie” Tiller

May 30, 2026

Photo by Jametlene Reskp on Unsplash