Susanne Ileen Powers retired American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS) missionary who served in India for 41 years, passed away March 26, 2011 at the age of 84 in Mission, Texas.
Susanne (Sue) was born on February 16, 1927, in Appleton, Wisconsin to Luther and Lulu Powers. Sue was one of five children – she had four brothers. Sue received her early religious training in a Christian home from her devoutly Christian parents. At the age of eleven Sue was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Appleton. Throughout her high school and college life she was active in church and Sunday school. Her other activities included responsibilities in athletic and literary societies and serving on the staff of the school paper and as a counselor for the girls dormitory. In college, her interests moved toward sociology and religion and led her to theological training.
She earned a B.A. degree at Shurtleff College in Alton, Illinois. She went on to earn a M.R.E. degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago and a M.Sc. in guidance and counseling from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
It was in church camps that Sue came under the influence of missionary leaders and speakers who opened her eyes to the ‘field white unto the harvest’. Step by step she was drawn to overseas mission work. Her appointment for educational service in Bengal-Orissa, India by the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society came in May 1952. After a period of further study and field experience Sue sailed for India in the fall of 1953.
Sue found in India a warm welcome and a needy field. Her first letter written from Balasore tells of her feeling of at-home-ness in spite of its many unaccustomed sights and sounds, of her language study which included an hour or more each day spent in the kindergarten class as a learner of spelling, writing and arithmetic and especially of her gratitude to God for his place for her in India.
Sue’s missionary career was spent at the Mission Grade School and Mission Girls’ High School in Balasore, Orissa. She served on the Board of the Christian Medical Hospital and College in Vellore, and as mission correspondent. Her work also included the translation of Theological Education by Extension and Vacation Bible School training materials into Bengali. Sue also taught English to students who needed tutoring, English grammar to grades 11 and 12 and Bible to all of the Christian girls in the high school.
In 1979 Sue began a program under the state government to integrate deaf children into the grade school. She also helped to develop resources for the training of deaf children. Another significant project which Sue undertook was the establishment of a YWCA in Balasore.
Sue served faithfully, accepting many responsibilities beyond her work at the Mission School. She took on the job of contact person for the Christian Agency for Social Action to handle relief supplies and gave time to vacation Bible school work and women’s work.
Many Sunday afternoons Sue would fill the car with hostel girls or college young people and they would sing hymns and choruses at the top of their voices as they traveled to nearby villages to worship with Christians and distribute tracts to non-Christians. Going to the churches gave encouragement to the Christians there and also as the young people shared their love of Christ with others they realized that Christ came for the villagers as well as the city folks.
Sue is survived by her adopted daughter Dorcas Lulu Das (Bihti) and grandchildren Shirley, Sharon, Susanne, and Mark. She is also survived by her brother, Carlton and many nieces and nephews and their children.
A Memorial Service was held at the First Baptist Church in Mission, Texas on March 29, 2011.
Susanne (Sue) was born on February 16, 1927, in Appleton, Wisconsin to Luther and Lulu Powers. Sue was one of five children – she had four brothers. Sue received her early religious training in a Christian home from her devoutly Christian parents. At the age of eleven Sue was baptized at the First Baptist Church of Appleton. Throughout her high school and college life she was active in church and Sunday school. Her other activities included responsibilities in athletic and literary societies and serving on the staff of the school paper and as a counselor for the girls dormitory. In college, her interests moved toward sociology and religion and led her to theological training.
She earned a B.A. degree at Shurtleff College in Alton, Illinois. She went on to earn a M.R.E. degree from Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Chicago and a M.Sc. in guidance and counseling from the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee.
It was in church camps that Sue came under the influence of missionary leaders and speakers who opened her eyes to the ‘field white unto the harvest’. Step by step she was drawn to overseas mission work. Her appointment for educational service in Bengal-Orissa, India by the Woman’s American Baptist Foreign Mission Society came in May 1952. After a period of further study and field experience Sue sailed for India in the fall of 1953.
Sue found in India a warm welcome and a needy field. Her first letter written from Balasore tells of her feeling of at-home-ness in spite of its many unaccustomed sights and sounds, of her language study which included an hour or more each day spent in the kindergarten class as a learner of spelling, writing and arithmetic and especially of her gratitude to God for his place for her in India.
Sue’s missionary career was spent at the Mission Grade School and Mission Girls’ High School in Balasore, Orissa. She served on the Board of the Christian Medical Hospital and College in Vellore, and as mission correspondent. Her work also included the translation of Theological Education by Extension and Vacation Bible School training materials into Bengali. Sue also taught English to students who needed tutoring, English grammar to grades 11 and 12 and Bible to all of the Christian girls in the high school.
In 1979 Sue began a program under the state government to integrate deaf children into the grade school. She also helped to develop resources for the training of deaf children. Another significant project which Sue undertook was the establishment of a YWCA in Balasore.
Sue served faithfully, accepting many responsibilities beyond her work at the Mission School. She took on the job of contact person for the Christian Agency for Social Action to handle relief supplies and gave time to vacation Bible school work and women’s work.
Many Sunday afternoons Sue would fill the car with hostel girls or college young people and they would sing hymns and choruses at the top of their voices as they traveled to nearby villages to worship with Christians and distribute tracts to non-Christians. Going to the churches gave encouragement to the Christians there and also as the young people shared their love of Christ with others they realized that Christ came for the villagers as well as the city folks.
Sue is survived by her adopted daughter Dorcas Lulu Das (Bihti) and grandchildren Shirley, Sharon, Susanne, and Mark. She is also survived by her brother, Carlton and many nieces and nephews and their children.
A Memorial Service was held at the First Baptist Church in Mission, Texas on March 29, 2011.