Welcome to GAMEO
Encyclopedia Index
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
0-9
(special chars)
Featured Article: "Esau, Elma Elisabeth (1917-2009)"
 Elma Elisabeth Esau was born 14 September 1917 to Edward and Clara (Claassen) Esau near Whitewater, Kansas, USA. She was the second child and eldest daughter in a family of four sons and two daughters. Elma grew up on the family farm; she never married. Elma Esau died on 16 November 2009. Elma graduated from Whitewater High School in 1935 and attended Bethel College for two years. She returned to Bethel and completed her BA degree in 1969. Prior to World War II she was a school teacher for two years in Logan County and two years in the Whitewater community. From 1943 to 1981 she volunteered and then worked for Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and its subsidiary, Menno Travel Service (MTS). Elma Esau began her MCC service at the Ypsilanti, Michigan, relief training unit in 1943. She then worked to set up and manage relief clothing centers in Ephrata, Pennsylvania; Kitchener, Ontario; and Newton, Kansas. In April, 1945 she went to the MCC Center in London, England, and from there on to serve in Amsterdam and Copenhagen. In the summer of 1947 she traveled around the USA speaking to women’s groups at Mennonite churches about MCC’s relief work in Europe, and then she remained at Akron until April 1949, when she went to Gronau, Germany, for additional relief service. In 1951 she escorted Mennonite refugees to Brazil and Uruguay. After two years in the MCC Personnel Office in Akron, she began her work for Menno Travel Service in Newton in 1953 and continued there until 1958. In 1959 she ran the MTS office in Amsterdam. From 1962 through 1965 she directed the MTS office in Beirut, returning from mid-1966 to 1967, when the office was evacuated during the Six Day War. She worked in numerous other locations for brief terms before returning to the MTS Akron office from 1969 to 1980, where she directed the tour department and lead many tours. She retired to her family farm near Whitewater in 1981 and moved to Kidron-Bethel in 1991. She was a lifelong member of the Emmaus Mennonite Church. Elma Esau traveled in more than 70 countries, was an artist, photographer, painter, woodworker, author, translator, historian, lifelong student and teacher, storyteller, independent woman, advocate for all refugees and for peace in the Middle East, and had a special love for Lebanon. Bibliography"Elma Elizabeth Esau." Find a Grave. 18 November 2009. Web. 5 February 2020. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/44548848. GRANDMA (The Genealogical Registry and Database of Mennonite Ancestry) Database, 20-01 ed. Fresno, CA: " California Mennonite Historical Society, 2020: #104199. ArchivesElma Esau Papers, 1893-2000 Papers, 1940-1980. MS.308, Mennonite Library and Archives, Bethel College, North Newton, Kansas. http://mac.libraryhost.com/?p=collections/controlcard&id=113.
Cite This ArticleMLA style Haury, David A. "Welcome to GAMEO." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. February 2020. Web. 18 Dec 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Welcome_to_GAMEO&oldid=166754. APA style Haury, David A. (February 2020). Welcome to GAMEO. Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 18 December 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Welcome_to_GAMEO&oldid=166754.
|
Our MissionThe Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online provides reliable, freely-available English-language information on Anabaptist-related congregations, denominations, conferences, institutions and significant individuals, as well as historical and theological topics. Secular subject articles from an Anabaptist perspective and full-text source documents are also included.
DonationsIf you would like to make a donation to help sustain GAMEO in its mission to provide reliable information about the whole spectrum of Anabaptists we'd be glad for your help! Clicking on one of the images to the right will take you to the Mennonite World Conference donation page for credit cards in either U.S. or Canadian currency. Go to the bottom of the page to donate to "Other Project" and fill in "GAMEO" as the project to be supported. The volunteers who help GAMEO continue to exist thank you for your support! Corrections and SuggestionsIf you have specific corrections to articles or suggestions that should be added to the encyclopedia send them to the GAMEO's email address at admin@gameo.org. As a volunteer organization we are unable to respond to questions on Mennonite history or genealogical questions of any kind. For questions of that type, please contact a local genealogical society, or check with a Mennonite historical library or archives. About UsTo learn more about GAMEO, click the link.Other Mennonite EncyclopediasGAMEO works together with the editors of other Mennonite encyclopedias to make their content available in the English language. These encyclopedias include: Mennonite Historical AgenciesAs a volunteer organization we are unable to respond to questions on Mennonite history or genealogical questions of any kind. For questions of that type, please contact a local genealogical society, or check with a Mennonite historical library or archives. For a list of Mennonite historical society or archives near you, please consult the Directory of North American Mennonite Historical Agencies. Like us on Facebook | ||||||||||||
GAMEO falls under the umbrella of the Mennonite World Conference Faith and Life Commission. Members of the Management Board include: Mennonite Historical Society of Canada, Mennonite Church USA Archives, Mennonite Brethren Historical Commission, Mennonite Central Committee, Mennonite World Conference and the Institute for the Study of Global Anabaptism