View source for Gehman, Ernest G. (1901-1988)

Ernest Gehman was for 50 years (1938-1988) a minister of the gospel in the [[Northern District (Virginia Mennonite Conference, Mennonite Church USA)|Northern District]] of the [[Virginia Mennonite Conference (Mennonite Church USA)|Virginia Mennonite Conference]] ([[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church]]); taught German and other subjects for 49 years (1924-1973) at [[Eastern Mennonite University (Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA)|Eastern Mennonite College]], and was associated with the periodical <em>[[Sword and Trumpet, The|The Sword and Trumpet]] </em>for almost 60 years.

Born 26 November 1901 at [[Bally (Pennsylvania, USA)|Bally]], Pennsylvania, Gehman was the son of Daniel and Elizabeth (Gehman) Gehman. He studied at Eastern Mennonite School, [[Goshen College (Goshen, Indiana, USA)|Goshen College]], and took his baccalaureate and MA degrees from Franklin and Marshall College. In 1949 he received his doctorate from Heidelberg University in [[Germany|Germany]]. In his teaching career he distinguished himself as a master of German and English composition which became his special fields.

On 26 March 1938 he was ordained to the Christian ministry at [[Zion Mennonite Church (Broadway, Virginia, USA)|Zion Mennonite Church]] near [[Broadway (Virginia, USA)|Broadway]], [[Virginia (USA)|Virginia]]. He was pastor of [[Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church (Pendleton County, West Virginia, USA)|Pleasant Grove Mennonite Church]], Fort Seybert, WV (1939-1945), and at [[Morning View Mennonite Church (Singers Glen, Virginia, USA) |Morning View Mennonite Church, Singers Glen, VA]] (1946-1975). He served in various offices and on numerous committees in the Virginia Conference and on the Publication Board of the [[Mennonite Church (MC)|Mennonite Church (MC)]].

Always of a conservative turn of mind he was associated with the <em>Sword and Trumpet </em>periodical from its beginning in 1929. He was office editor for many years and was a member of its corporate board. In the early years he illustrated the magazine with original gospel cartoons.

He was interested in the preservation of the Pennsylvania German [[Dialect Literature and Speech, Pennsylvania German|dialect]]. He frequently offered classes in the dialect at Eastern Mennonite College and gathered stories, poems, and anecdotes which he preserved in a tape collection.

He was married twice. He and Gertrude Nissley became the parents of three sons and two daughters. After her death, he married Margaret Martin, a fellow teacher at Eastern Mennonite College. He died 29 June 1988.
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[[Category:Persons]]