Friday, September 26,
2008
One of the most amazing lives I know of has come to an end. My aunt, Elsie
Bridgman Proudfoot, went to her heavenly home last Monday. She was one of
my dad's older sisters and someone whom I have grown to see as a spiritual
giant in my family and an encouraging presence to all who knew her. She did
not ever just let life go by her, she was always affecting her surroundings
for the spiritual good. She announced at 9 years old that she was going to
be a missionary. And she was for the rest of her life, overseas, at home,
in her family, in her church, and in her community. A brief obituary of her
selfless and loving life is presented below. We'll see you soon, Aunt Elsie
Elsie Marie Bridgman Proudfoot of Midway, TX, closed her earthly Book of
Life and opened a heavenly Book of Life on Monday, September 22, 2008. She
was born January 31, 2008 to Stoddard Franklin Bridgman and Rosa Mabel
Zuspann near Ewing, Lewis County, MO.
She attended Gilead
Elementary school east of Ewing and Graduated from North Central Bible
College in 1943 and Central Bible College in 1946 majoring in Child
Psychology.
She was the second born
child of what became a family of twelve. The oldest, a son, died at birth.
She saw 6 more brothers and 4 sisters grace the family and assisted in
washing the last born, Lena.
As a young lady in 1946,
she embarked by ship to what was then India, which became East Pakistan and
is today Bangladesh, as a missionary to children from the Assembly of God
Church in Palmyra, Marion Co., MO. She spend 1946-1961 in that foreign
country coming home to visit and go back to her calling. In 1948, she
received news that her father had passed away.
She was married in
England on October 14, 1961 to James Proudfoot who preceded her in death in
November 1989. She and her husband came to USA and they were ministers in
various areas in Missouri as well. Her mother, Mabel, passed away in May
1979 at which time they moved to Pennsylvania. The couple had no children
but were houseparents for Bear Foundation for Troubled Youth.
In 1995, she moved to Conroe, TX to live with her youngest sister, Lena, and
be close to her other sister, Nadine, there. Over the years she often told
stories of her childhood and with the encouragement and help of Lena, she
wrote three books, “Deep in the Heart of Potatoes, Deep in the Heart of Them
Thar Hills, and Deep in the Heart of Bangladesh.” Neighborhood children and
her nieces and nephews near Conroe gathered often to hear her stories. The
first two books were of her childhood and her religious upbringing and the
third of her experiences in preparing to go to India and her experiences
there. She sold her books at grocery stores, book stores, schools or any
place that would let her sit all day and sell her books, all the while
ministering to those who cared to listen.
In January 2000, she and
one of her nieces, Carol Tatman, returned to Bangladesh for a visit. She
was excited to see the results of her labors there. She had started a Bible
School there and many of the natives remembered her.
In 2001, she moved with
Lena and her husband, Bill, to Midway, TX. In May 2008, she suffered from
bad circulation in her legs and got staph infection and spent 3-1/2 months
in the St. Joseph Hospital in Madisonville before being moved to
Madisonville Care Center, Madisonville, TX in August. On September 22, she
had a massive stroke from which she could not recover. Sharing her last
moments on earth were four generations: her sister, Lena; niece, Rose Ann
Dickey; grand niece, Bethany Greening; and great grand niece, Izabella Rose
Greening
She attended Elwood
Baptist Church for a number of years close to her home. She was everyone’s
rock and stabilizer and those who knew her will miss her.
She was preceded in death by her husband, her parents, 6 brothers, Raymond,
Joe, Robert, Glenn, Benjamin and Enoch; 3 sisters, Wanda McKinney, Emma
Paugh and Nadine Schriener. She is survived by Joshua Bridgman of Palmyra,
MO and Lena Truster of Midway, TX (Elwood community). Her many nieces and
nephews will miss her greatly as well.
Her remains were cremated
to be send back to Jonestown, PA to be scattered on her husband’s resting
place.
Memorial services with a
potluck dinner will be conducted at 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 4, 2008
at Elwood Baptist Church Fellowship near the junction of OSR and FM 2346
with Rev. Glenn Conner in charge of services. Those who knew her will share
their marvelous experiences of having known her.
The public is invited to attend.
In lieu of flowers,
please make a donation to your church missionary group or your favorite
charity.
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