South African ‘Missionary Mother’ among dead in US church massacre

Thelma Rina Armstrong, a 54-year-old woman born in Klerksdorp, South Africa, was among those tragically killed in a targeted act of violence at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday, 28 September 2025.

The South African expat was among the four people who lost their lives, and eight others injured, after Thomas Jacob Sanford, 40, allegedly rammed his pickup truck into the church, opened fire on congregants with an assault rifle, and set the building ablaze during worship. Sanford was shot dead at the scene by police.

She was laid to rest in the US on 11 October 2025.

Thelma Rina Armstrong: ‘Missionary Mother’

Armstrong, who had immigrated to the US in 2019, had a deep connection to her South African roots. Before moving, she worked in retail and eventually became the manager at Food Zone in Klerksdorp, where she was renowned for her kindness, loyalty and willingness to listen to anyone who needed a friend.

A convert to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 2011, Armstrong’s faith was described as unbreakable. She earned the cherished title of “Missionary Mother” because she loved every missionary who visited her Christ-centered home and made an effort to maintain contact with them and their families. Within the Grand Blanc church community, she served joyfully as a teacher for the five-year-old class.

In the US, Armstrong held a position as a Quality Technician at American Axle, where she was celebrated for always looking her best, greeting everyone with a smile, and remembering names.

Obit

Her greatest joy, according to a US funeral home, was found in her family, especially her beloved grandchildren, Cassius, Amaryllis, and Rhiannon Lichtenberg, who knew her affectionately as “Yia Yia”.

Armstrong is survived by her children, Charne’ (Shane) Lichtenberg (of Grand Blanc) and Damon Du Bruyn (who resides in South Africa), along with siblings and a stepmother.

While investigators are still searching for a definitive motive, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the attacker was “an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith”.