Loyd and Marjorie Wickstrom came to First Baptist Church in the middle 1940’s.  Loyd directed the choir, worked with youth, and served as Sunday School Superintendent.  In 1950, they went to Nigeria, West Africa, to serve as missionaries with Sudan Interior Mission.

The Wickstroms spent twenty-six years in Africa. They began by opening a mission station in Northern Nigeria. They spent sixteen years in the city of Kano where their ministry consisted of co-pastoring a church, teaching an Evening Bible School, and being a compound manager.  In 1969, they moved to the city of Lagos, and Loyd served in administration there.  In addition to Loyd serving in administration, Loyd and Marjorie opened their home and outside facilities for a Sunday afternoon church service. Also, they had an evening open air gospel service in their front yard, as well as a mid-week Bible study.  Marge was bookkeeper of the business department and also was hostess to 20-30 people each day as they traveled through Lagos.

Before returning to the states, they both taught in the Aba Bible College in the bombed region of southern Nigeria, due to the civil war that lasted 3 years.  In 1976, they came back to the United States and became managers of the SIM Retirement Village in Sebring, Florida.  They served the Lord together for many years and touched many lives.

In December 2008, Loyd went home to be with the Lord.  Marjorie went home to be with the Lord and Loyd on March 26, 2010.  The Wickstrom's continue to serve as a shining example of service to the Lord in our Church, our community, the communities in Africa where they touched so many lives, and to the other missionaries that we support who learn from the lives of the Wickstroms.