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Wilting, Ruth M. (1926-1968)
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1968 Feb 8 p. 3
Birth date: 1926
text of obituary:
At Ban Me Thuot, Vietnam
THE FIANCEE of Paxman Daniel Gerber of Kidron, Ohio, missing in Vietnam since 1962, was among six missionaries of the Christian and Missionary Alliance church reported in press releases to have been slain at Ban Me Thuot on Feb. 2.
Miss Ruth Wilting, 42, of Cleveland, Ohio was listed among those killed in a Viet Cong attack on the C.M.A. proscenium at Ban Me Thuot, about 170 miles north of Saigon. Three men and another woman died int he attack, and a daughter of one of the victims died later.
Daniel Gerber was stationed at the leprosarium under the MCC. On May 30, 1962, he and Miss Wilting were seized while walking near the leprosarium. Miss Wilting was released, but Gerber along with Dr. Eleanor Vietti of Houston, Texas and Archie Mitchell of Ellensburg, Wash. were taken into captivity.
No definite word of their fate has been received since that time, although on several occasions there have been "grapevine" reports that they were still alive.
THE KIDRON (Ohio) News reported last week that Mr. and Mrs. Nathan Gerber, parents of Daniel, continue to write letters to their son at least every three months. They began this effort at communication in October 1966 after the U. S. State Department furnished them with an address through which mail might possibly reach their son. There has been no indication that any of the letters have reached Daniel.
Miss Wilting had visited the Gerber home here in October 1966 during a furlough. She was a nurse.
Mrs. Archie Mitchell wrote the Gerbers that she had recently returned to her home at Klamath Falls, Ore. after a trip to Vietnam, during which she wrote to Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia, requesting him to try to contact her husband and the other two missing Americans in Vietnam. He replied that he would attempt to do so through the president of the National Liberation Front, but was uncertain about the effectiveness of such an inquiry.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1968 Feb 15 p. 5
text of obituary:
Had Christmas Letter From Missionary Killed in Vietnam
The following sidelight on the recent tragedy at Banmethuot, Vietnam comes from John E. Kauffman. Review correspondent of Atglen, Pa. Mr. Kauffman's children, Luke and Mary Martin, are missionaries in Saigon.
Last Friday, Feb. 2, my heart was deeply touched as I read again the unanswered Christmas greetings and letter of Dec. 20, 1967 that we received from Vietnam. Word had just come about six missionaries being killed by the Viet Cong, and among them was the writer of this letter, Ruth L. Wilting [sic Ruth M. Wilting] from Cleveland, Ohio.
Ruth's letter told of the hostel that she was responsible for near the town of Banmethuot. Nineteen girls ranging in age from nine to 16 were staying there with her. She had two bedrooms, a kitchen, living room, and toilet upstairs, and the lower floor evidently was used for teaching. She also took care of all their medical needs.
She had also worked with the girls in the rice fields, and it is likely that the homemade Christmas greeting cards were made by the girls. The card held six grains of rice with the statement, "From the harvest fields of Vietnam."
This was not the first time that Ruth had a bitter experience with the Viet Cong. On May 30, 1962 she was talking with her friend, Daniel Gerber, to announce their engagement to be married. Suddenly the Viet Cong caught Daniel and tied his hands behind his back, and Ruth noticed the expression of fear on his countenance. In spite of the serious circumstances Ruth began to sing, "Jesus, Lover of My Soul," and Daniel's countenance suddenly relaxed in peace as they led him away. Neither Ruth nor his parents at Kidron, Ohio have had any direct communication with Daniel since that day.
Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1968 Mar 14 p. 2
text of obituary:
NEW YORK, N. Y. — The recent Viet Cong attack of Banmethuot, Viet Nam, during which six Christian and Missionary Alliance missionaries were brutally murdered in their homes on the mission compound, also dealt a devastating blow to a leprosy program involving some 2,000 sick people.
In a letter just received by ALM's president, Oliver W. Hasselblad, m. D., asking for immediate help, Miss Olive Kingsbury, Christian and Missionary Alliance nurse now in Nhatrang, reported that the building in Banmethuot containing the leprosy clinic, and intensive care unit, all surgical instruments, all medical records, laboratory equipment and the entire stock of drugs for leprosy work in four provinces, was completely destroyed and contents burned.
Miss Ruth Wilting, one of the slain missionaries, directed the intensive care unit, and Miss Betty Olsen, wounded and captured by the Viet Cong was in charge of the foot and hand care program.
THE leprosarium itself was not attacked, and patients and national staff were unharmed. In 1962, three missionaries, Dr. Ardel Vietti, Archie Mitchell and Dan Gerber, a Mennonite, were abducted from the leprosarium and have not yet been released. After the kidnapping, the missionary personnel were evacuated from the lerosarium, which has since been staffed by local tribes personnel.
"The senseless murder of the Christian and Missionary Alliance missionaries," Dr. Hasselblad said, "is a tragic loss to medical mission work generally, and in particular to the 2,000 patients they so valiantly and skillfully treated."