Martin J. Beversdorf

Martin was born to Rev. James and Deaconess Bonnie Beversdorf on November 12, 1969 in Shawano, Wisconsin and became God's child through baptism on November 23, 1969. Martin entered from death to life and found peace in the arms of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on September 30, 2015 in his home where he died after a courageous battle against sinonasal cancer. In 1970 Martin went to Manila, Philippines where his parents studied the Cebuano language that later enabled them to serve as Lutheran missionaries in the southern Philippines from 1970-1982. Martin attended preschool at Redeemer Lutheran Church, Iligan City, Philippines. His mother home schooled him for grades 1 and 2, then, he went to Xavier University Grade School in Cagayan de Oro City. He was in Grade 4-6 at St. Peter's College Elementary School in Ormoc City, Leyte. Back in the United States Martin studied one year at St. James Lutheran School in Shawano, Wisconsin. His Jr. High and High School studies were in Paris, TX where he was part of Future Problem Solving Team that won international recognition. Martin attended the 1986 Texas Governor's School and was in the Texas All State Choir. He graduated as Valedictorian of his class at Paris High School in 1988 and went on to get a BA in Asian Studies in 1992 from Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, where he was a member of the Cornell Glee Club. During high school he spent two months in Hokkaido, Japan and later during college he did study abroad at Japan's Waseda University. After graduation from Cornell University he was awarded the Mumbushao Scholarship to study at Tokyo University for 18 months. He received a MA in Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley and in 1999 did Fulbright Scholarship graduate studies in the Philippines. Martin spoke the Japanese, Chinese and Indonesian languages. He met his loving wife, Katarina Teguh in Jakarta, Indonesia, where they were language partners. Martin and Katarina were married July 5, 1998 at Pacific School of Religion Chapel Berkeley, California. The Beversdorf's enjoyed visits from Katarina's parents and the trips they took together to Colorado and Michigan. Martin's great joy was homeschooling their 10 year old son, Caleb, through Grade 4. He got training in the teaching methods of Maria Montessori. In a letter Martin wrote to his not yet born child he said, "We are here on earth for short time. How can a few days or years compare with eternity? That's why we need to reflect on our world view – which one, looking at heaven from earthly eyes, or at earth with a heavenly perspective. As an earthly father, I hope you get to know your heavenly father. I also hope that you diligently learn from the Holy Spirit. May you faithfully serve Jesus Christ. I pray that you may have wisdom to be light and salt to the earth. May the joy of the LORD be your strength. May you have spiritual strength to be a faithful servant of God." Healthy eating and exercise were important to Martin, as well as observing a Sabbath day of rest. Martin is survived by his three brothers, who all were born in the Philippines; Michael, Tampere, Finland (Jaana) daughters, Hanna and Thelma, Matthew ,Tempe, Arizona, (Beth Hagen) daughters, Emma and Eleanor and Melvin, Milwaukee, Wisconsin (Jaclyn) children, Mabel, Gabriel, Sebastian, Charolette, Pearl and Willa, his paternal grandmother, Concordia and Katarina's parents, Mesach and Diana Teguh, her sister Esther (Indra) daughters, Monica and Deandra, her brother Ruben (Carolyna) sons, Adhie, Serafio, and Hosea.