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Authority record
Missionary

Brandt, Edwin Cornelius, 1921-2019

  • CA-MHA-2016-235
  • Person
  • 1921-2019

Edwin Brandt was born August 21, 1921 in Altona, Manitoba to new immigrants from Russia, Johann Brandt (1891-1972) and Anna Thiessen (1897-1992). Edwin spent his growing up years in Saskatchewan and after primary school attended Herbert Bible School in Saskatchewan and then Prairie Bible School in Alberta. During the Second World War Edwin sought conscientious objector status and performed alternative service (Sep. 1943 - Feb.1945) as a teacher in the Day School in Island Lake (now Garden Hill) in Northern Manitoba. After the war he married Margaret Enns (1920-1963) in 1945 and they had five children. Edwin continued his work in Indigenous communities, first with the United Church (two years in Oxford House, MB. Jul. 1945-1947), Northern Canada Evangelical Mission (Oct. 1947-Feb 1948 in Buffalo Narrows, SK and Jul. 1948- Jul. 1957 in Grand Rapids, MB) and Mennonite Pioneer Mission, later Native Ministries of the Conference of Mennonites in Canada (five years in Loon Straits, MB (Aug. 1957- Aug. 1962), and five in Winnipeg, MB May 9163-Jun. 1968). Margret Brandt died in 1963 in Winnipeg. Edwin married Anne Thiessen in ca. 1964 and two more children were born.
After his work in Loon Straits he attended Canadian Mennonite Bible College (Sep. 1962-Apr. 1963) and then began to make connections with Indigenous people moving into Winnipeg from rural areas. Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Y.O.U.) was begun in 1965 to provide education and training for Indigenous people in Winnipeg.
Edwin then took a pastorate in Meadow Lake, Saskatchewan (Jul. 1968-Jul. 1971), taught Bible school at Swift Current Bible institute, SK ( Aug. 1971-May 1975) and Okanagan Bible Institute, BC (1975-1976). In 1972 he pastored at the Zion Mennonite Church in Swift Current. Edwin returned to mission work with a three-year period of service for the General Conference of Mennonites Commission on Home Missions among the Mennonites in Mexico (1976-1979). Returning to Canada, from 1980-1985 he was the first pastor at the Mennonite Church of Vernon. Edwin died December 15, 2019.

Buckwalter, Lois Miriam, 1921-2024

  • Person
  • 1921-2024

Born in Chicago, Lois grew up in Argentina, the daughter of missionaries Ada (Ramseyer) and Nelson Litwiller. She attended Goshen (Indiana) College and graduated in 1944, with majors in education, English and Spanish. She met Albert at Goshen College, and they were married in 1947. Three years later, they began their ministry in Argentina.

Miller, Eunice Arlene Litwiller, 1926-2023

  • Person

Eunice was born February 5, 1926, in Pehuajó, Province of Buenos Aires, Argentina, to Ada (Ramseyer) and Nelson Litwiller, who had been appointed by Mennonite Board of Missions (MBM) in 1925 to serve in Argentina. Eunice married Daniel W. Miller in 1947. MBM is a predecessor agency of Mennonite Mission Network.

Daniel and Eunice became long-term missionaries/fraternal workers from 1950 to 1985, serving in Argentina, Uruguay and Mexico under MBM, and the Franconia Mennonite Conference. She also served as a translator for Mennonite World Conference, working as a team with her daughter Marisa from 2003 to 2021.

Daniel and Eunice retired in 1986 in Buenos Aires, where they became members of the Iglesia Anabautista Menonita de Buenos Aires (IAMBA).

Eunice died on March 24, 2023. Surviving her are son Robert Kent (Houston, Texas), daughter Marisa (Buenos Aires, Argentina), six grandchildren, and 10 great-grandchildren (U.S. and Argentina). She was preceded in death by her husband Daniel and her son Gregory. Eunice's remains were cremated on March 25, 2023, and interment of her ashes will be held at a future date in a special memorial ceremony in the British Cemetery in Buenos Aires.