The Evangelical Congregational Church on Depot St. was filled with relatives and friends who came from far and wide for memorial services held Sunday at 3 p.m. for Rev. David Keith Mason, 37, medical missionary who was killed May 23 in a mountain-climbing accident in Zaire, Central Africa. The pastor, Rev. Harold E. Milner, officiated. A speaker was Rev. Marvin L. Derby, former pastor of the church.

She spoke of the diversity of the people present and explained to them: "My husband was like a catalyst. He was the agent that God used to bring many diverse people together."

Delegations were present from the Massachusetts State Police, Weightlifting Assn., fellow classmates of Gordon College, former employers and colleagues, representatives from Children's Haven, Merrimac Mission and sister churches from the New England area. The church choir provided music under the direction of Norman Clayton and Mrs. Rachel Clayton.

Four teen-age blacks sang songs in his memory who were introduced to faith by the Rev. Mr. Mason, one of whom has dedicated his life to follow him in service.

Rev. Mason, well known to Brocktonians, was the son of Mrs. Ruth (Egger) Mason and the late former Easton Selectman Lewis R. Mason.

Rev. Mason was stationed at the Evangelical Medical Center at Nyankunde, Zaire, in the northeast section of the Congo, close to Lake Albert.

Rev. Mason plunged 600 feet to his death while descending after having climbed to the top of 18,000-foot Mt. Ruwenzori. He was buried [on] the mountain by Dave Downing, a fellow missionary and mountain climber.

Mrs. Mason said today that almost all the missonary men in that part of the country climb that mountain but only get so far - it was their Mt. Everest. He wanted to get to the top, and he and his partner succeeded. It was when they were climbing down that he fell. Rolls of film in his pocket which now are being developed are expected to provide a pictorial record of his last five days, she said. The couple were with the Africa Inland Mission, which has headquarters in Pearl River, N. Y.

Rev. Mason, who trained in medical technology, worked in a hospital laboratory, taught laboratory science at the medical school and was sports coach for the medical school. Mrs. Mason worked at the mission as a secretary.

Ironically, Mrs. Mason was at the Africa Inland Mission headquarters in Pearl River, and received the international telephone call which gave the news of her husband's death two days later on May 25. She has been in this country since January under treatment for tropical diseases contracted in Africa.

She said that at this point they do not know exactly where they will live permanently or what they will do as their work.

"These things we do know: We are missionaries. We want to remain with our mission, Africa Inland Mission, with its headquarters in Pearl River, N. Y. On a temporary basis, that is our home. We will leave it to our mission leaders to assign us to a more permanent place.

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