Lois Anita Pederson

Lois Anita PEDERSON 11/5/1927 - 2/14/2006 Lois passed away after a long battle with a rare form of leukemia, and is now with her Lord in a better place. She was born in Minot, ND to Richard and Ida Pederson, and was raised on the family farm. She attended a one-room elementary school nearby, was graduated from Hillcrest Lutheran Academy in Fergus Falls, MN, and completed a 2-yr Bible study course later at the same school. After obtaining a nursing degree from Trinity Hospital in Minot in 1949, she practiced nursing there for several years before making Seattle her home in 1954. She was employed by Swedish Hospital from 1954 to 1963. She also obtained a BS degree in Nursing from the University of Washington in 1960. As a young girl she much admired her aunt, Milla Pederson, who spent her life as a missionary in Madagascar. This inspired her to become interested in the work of the Wycliffe Bible Translators. In 1963 she joined that organization and went to Ecuador, where she spent 19 years working as a nurse in Wycliffe's jungle camp at Limon Cocha. Some may have seen the current film "End of the Spear", where one of the incidents portrayed is the polio epidemic among the Auca Indians. Lois worked with the Aucas at that time, and was instrumental in devising a way to keep their lungs working by rigging hammocks that were continually swung by attendants. During her time in the jungle she was frequently called upon to do minor surgery, dental work, etc., since there was no physician. In 1982 when the Eduadorian government took over the Wycliffe base at Limon Cocha she returned to Seattle, where she worked as an office nurse for a family practice. In 1984 she went to Irian Jaya, Indonesia for another assignment with Wycliffe. She established and managed a small clinic to serve the expatriates, as well as worked with several ethnic groups in the rural areas. She trained over 100 village men and women as healthcare providers in their villages, wrote the basic materials used in the courses, put together materials that could be adapted for training village women about their health care needs and that of their children, and wrote a number of health-related stories to teach hygiene or first aid. These stories also served as literacy materials to improve reading skills in their own language. She was also involved with an extensive immunization program for villages that had never received any kind of immunization. In 1992 she returned to Seattle, where she worked as a private duty nurse until recently. During her time with Wycliffe and afterwards, Lois much appreciated the financial and prayer support she received from the University Presbyterian Church, her family, and her many friends throughout the world. She is survived and will be greatly missed by her siblings and their families, Dr. Rollin Pederson of Billings, MT, Arthur Pederson of Bellevue, WA, Doris Pederson of Minot, ND, and Richard Pederson, Jr. of Minot, ND. A Memorial Service will be held at the University Presbyterian Church in Seattle at 1:30 p.m. on Friday, February 24, followed by a Reception. Remembrances may be sent to the University Presbyterian Church (Missions Dept.), or to Wycliffe Bible Translators, Orlando, FL.