Engle, Kathryn Lucille Byer (1903-1945)

Revision as of 13:45, 5 August 2014

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1945 Dec 6 p. 4

Birth date: 1903 Jul 2

text of obituary:

In Memory of A Devoted Friend And Faithful Missionary

Kathryn Lucille Engle, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Byer, was born at Glendale, Arizona, on July 2, 1903. Her parents moved to California when she was about five years old.

At the age of 17, while attending Beulah College, she gave her heart to the Lord and united with the Brethren in Christ church, of which she remained a consistent member and servant as long as the choice was hers to make.

On Nov. 23, 1922, she was united in marriage to Charles Engle, son of Mr. and Mrs. B. F. Engle of Upland, Claifornia. To them god gave four children, three daughter, Ardys, Mary Lou and Phyllis; and one son, Wayne Norman.

She, with her husband, heard and answered the call of God to full-time service. Leaving their comfortable home for which they had worked together and in which their oldest daughter was born, they gave themselves to the church accepting whatsoever was to be offered at the time.

They were ordained as missionaries by Bishops C. C. Burholder [sic Burkholder] and J. H. Wagaman at the General Conference of 1926, at Fairland, Penna. During that summer they were in tent meetings in Canada and in that September took charge of a mission station at Mooretown, Mich. At the conference or 1927 they felt constrained to give and did give themselves to the Foreign Mission Board for India. They continued at their home mission station until the spring of 1928 while they waited for the door to open to the foreign mission field.

The year 1929 found them on their way to India. They were stationed at Saharsa. The first appointment of Mr. Engle was to take charge of the Widows' Home. Later they wre stationed at Supaul, where together they supervised the Boys' Orphanage. In 1935 they returned to Saharsa and she took charge of the Widows' Home after the death of Sister Foote, the work of the dispensary, evangelism, Girls' Orphanage all rested upon the shoulders of Bro. and Sis. Engle and Sister Gayman.

In 1937 they came home on furlough. It was during this time that their son was given to them for his very brief stay. The other two daughters were born in India.

They returned to the mission field in 1939, leaving their eldest daughter, Ardys, age 14, with friends in the homeland. They were stationed at Mudhipura, where Sister Engle had charge fo the Bible women's work until in 1942 the dangers attending the political unrest in India made it advisable for her and the two daughters to return to the United States.

This separation from her husband was not pleasant but she accepted it nobly and bore it bravely, knowing that her husband was needed in God's service in India. Again they committed all things unto their heavenly Father who had not failed them thus far.

The same zeal for God, passion for the cause of missions and faithfulness as a servant of the church was manifest at home that had been demonstrated on the mission field. During this time she spoke more than 40 times to various church groups and organizations. She served as president of the Missionary Prayer Circle. Her soul burden for missions lent inspiration to those who knew her in this capacity. Her heart pulsated with India's suffering millions.

She caused others to sense this same need. Her chief burden was that some one, some young couple would hear the call of God that they might be sent to the Santals, an aboriginal tribe of India who were dying without Christ. She also served as superintendent of the primary department at Upland. Wherever she placed her hands she left an imprint for God and good. Only failing health, which made it impossible for her to continue, could cause her to lay down her labors for her Lord.