Research Topics: China Missionaries
When one thinks of Concordia’s historical connections, China does not often come to mind. However, Concordia has a unique, unsuspected link to China dating back nearly 100 years: five women that eventually came to work at Concordia served as missionaries there, predominately in the 1920s.
The China Missionaries collection includes oral history interviews, autobiographies, photographs, and biography files about the missionaries and their work in China. The materials in this collection can be used individually or holistically. For example, you may want to investigate the experience of one of the missionaries. Even better, study the materials from more than one individual and compare and contrast their experiences.
The China Missionaries collection includes oral history interviews, autobiographies, photographs, and biography files about the missionaries and their work in China. The materials in this collection can be used individually or holistically. For example, you may want to investigate the experience of one of the missionaries. Even better, study the materials from more than one individual and compare and contrast their experiences.
Ruth Gilbertson
Biography Ruth Gilbertson, who came to Concordia in 1949 to serve as the Residential Head of Fjelstad Hall and later served as Postmistress from 1960 to 1973, was a missionary from 1920-1949. Gilbertson’s interest in missionary work began in her youth, particularly after a severe case of scarlet fever. In an oral history interview, she recounts that her mother and her grandmother prayed by her bedside, bartering that if her health improved, they would help her become a missionary. After graduating from St. Olaf College, she embarked to China. Her main duty was teaching at Kikungshan in Honan Province, which was a school for missionaries’ children. During World War II, specifically from December 1941 to February 1945, she was imprisoned in a Japanese prison camp in the Philippines along with many other missionaries. A 1959 Concordian article summarized Gilbertson’s experiences and concludes that if she could withstand the trials and tribulations she experienced while abroad, the challenges of being a residential head of a dormitory would be minimal. Primary Sources: 1. Individual Picture Files: Gilbertson, Ruth 2. Biography File: Gilbertson, Ruth 3. Oral History: Gilbertson, Ruth E. Midwest China Oral History and Archives Collection 00/01-88. Secondary Sources: R.M. Haugen, “Dorm Head Recounts Vast Past,” The Concordian, may 8 1959. Vertical Divider
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Hannah Hoff
Biography An instructor in the sociology department, Hannah Hoff taught social work courses at Concordia from 1955 to 1966. Similar to Gilbertson, Hoff’s interest in Missionary work began in her youth. Her father, a clergyman in the Church of Lutheran Brethren, was a significant source of inspiration for her as were visits from missionaries that she encountered. Hoff went to China in the 1920s before she completed her undergraduate studies and taught courses at missionary schools in Honan Province. When she returned to the United States, she earned a master’s degree in social work. While she taught social work courses at Concordia, she also served as Director of Social Work Services with the Lutheran Welfare Society of North Dakota. Primary Sources: 1. Individual Picture File: Hoff, Hannah. 2. Biography File: Hoff, Hannah B. 3. RG 9: Hannah B. Hoff Collection (“He Walks with me” Autobiography) Martha Kulberg
Primary Sources RG 34: Martha Kulberg Collections (Letters to Concordia Faculty and Staff and autobiography) |