Williams, Agnes (1872-1951)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Jun 14 p. 6

Birth date: 1872 Mar 7

text of obituary:

. . .

— Miss Agnes William [sic Williams], 79, died Monday afternoon at the Bethel Home for the Aged. She was a Mennonite missionary among the Cheyenne Indians of Oklahoma and Montana for many years. Funeral services will be held at Home Thursday forenoon.

---

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1951 Jun 21 p. 8

text of obituary:

MISS AGNES WILLIAMS

Miss Agnes Williams was born March 7, 1872. Her father was Willis Scott Williams and her mother Mary A. Brainard. The Williams’ were of fine New England stock, who originally came from England.

Miss Williams was raised by her grandmother Williams at Gustavus, Ohio. She attended the county public schools. Through an uncle, Prof. C. C. Case, who was a Gospel singer she came to know P. P. Bliss, director of evangelistic music and hymn writer; also James McGranahan. These were instrumental in sending her to the Dwight W. Moody’s school for girls at Northfield, Massachusetts, where she graduated in 1897.

She had very distinct recollections of the great evangelist as his home was nearby and she saw him often in his daily walks and listened to his ministries in the school.

Having completed her course at Northfield, and having dedicated her life to Christian service, she continued her studies at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago. In 1898 G. A. Linscheid, who taught at our Cantonment mission school, resigned in order to continue his studies at Bethel college. Bertha Kinsinger, who taught the primary pupils for two years, took his place, leaving a vacancy in the school. Miss Kinsinger had spent the summer of 1897 at the Chicago Bible School, and knew the dean of women, so she wrote and asked for a volunteer teacher.

This letter was read to a large group of girls and Miss Williams responded. Thus she and Miss Bertha Kinsinger taught together at Cantonment, Okla. for the school year of 1898-1899.

Then, because of her special capabilities, Miss Agnes Williams was asked by S. K. Mosiman, then superintendent of the school, to take the matron’s position, though that meant a reduced salary allowance. She consented and mothered this large family of Indian girls. Soon great improvement was noticed in the dress, general appearance and deportment of the girls.

Later when Miss Kinsinger had been released from the school and had taken up her new duties as assistant to the Petters in the Cheyenne field, the school was closed. The Board then asked Miss Williams also to take up the study of the Cheyenne language in order to do Bible work in the camps and help conduct religious instruction classes in the government schools. She served thus at Cantonment, also at Hammon with the H. J. Kliewers, and when Clinton was suddenly vacated she and Miss Kinsinger held that station until the arrival of the Edigers. She also served Busby, Mont., for a time.

Everywhere she endeared herself to the Indians and whites and ever consistently preached and taught the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, her Lord.

Later circumstances beyond her control induced her to quit the mission field and rejoin a very dear aunt in Oberlin, Ohio. There she often served as practical nurse and did special night duty for Dr. King, ex-president of Oberlin college, for several years, up to the time of his death.

On Sept. 23, 1942, she came to make her home at the Bethel Home for the Aged where she enjoyed the fellowship of former co-laborers in the mission field and loving care in the days of her infirmity and illness.

She was for many years a member of the Apostolic Mennonite church, Trenton, Ohio and transferred her membership to the First Mennonite church, Newton, Kans., July 8, 1945, and remained a faithful member to her death.

Having so often cast her bread upon the waters in loving service to the needy on the mission field and at Oberlin, the Lord willed that in turn she should receive a similar service to her helplessness at the Bethel Home. Even here the charm of her personality and her life for the Master was a continual witness to all who served her and to many who came to visit her.

Funeral services were held Thursday, June 14, 10:00 a.m. in the chapel of the Bethel Home for Aged, Newton, conducted by Rev. D. J. Unruh and Dr. J. H. Langenwalter. Iterment [sic] was in Greenwood cemetery, Rev. D. J. Unruh having charge of the committal service.