Bonnie Jo Adolph

Bonnie Jo Adolph’s Obituary

Bonnie Jo was born to Joseph and Olive Adelsman on December 18, 1933 in Fergus Falls, MN. Her parents were preparing to go to the mission field with the Christian and Missionary Alliance Church. Her mother led her to the Lord at the age of 4. She and her three older sisters did ministry together.

Her family moved to Mason City, Iowa where she attended high school and one year of junior college. From Iowa, the family moved to Wheaton, IL where Bonnie Jo attended and graduated from Wheaton College with a Home Economics major and Education minor. While in college, she was involved with the Wheaton College Glee Club as a soloist.

Bonnie Jo graduated in 1955 and married Harold Adolph on August 19th, after Harold’s first year of medical school at the University of Pennsylvania. During the next three years, she taught Home Economics and managed the school cafeteria at Collingdale Middle School.

After graduation, they moved to The Panama Canal Zone where Harold completed one year of internship and three years of surgical training. Their son David and daughter Carolyn were born during that time. Bonnie Jo cared for her children, but was also the choir director at the Currundu Protestant church, and sang regularly at the Christian radio station.

Harold and Bonnie Jo moved to Banner Elk, NC for two more years of surgical training. During this time, they attended the SIM Candidate School in New York. She surprised the leadership by making the highest score on the theological exam, even though she had not gone to Bible School. She had been reading and studying the Bible since childhood.

They were accepted by SIM for service in Ethiopia, East Africa, but Harold had to first fulfill a commitment to the U.S. Navy as The Chief of Surgery at the Naval Hospital in Taipei, Taiwan. This was very good preparation for them both for their upcoming ministry in Ethiopia.

Their time in Taiwan ended, and the Adolphs had been advised that they should return to the U.S. to raise support for ministry in Ethiopia. However, they felt the leading of God to pray for His provision of the necessary funds without going back to the U.S. so that Harold would not lose any surgical skills. Two weeks before leaving for Ethiopia, God provided their full support and an embassy flight to Ethiopia!

They attended Amharic Language School for 9 months and then were stationed at Soddo where there was a SIM Hospital established by Dr. Lambie in 1932. Harold started working at the hospital, and 

Bonnie Jo’s ministry included serving as the hospital bookkeeper, homeschooling David and Carolyn, teaching a women’s Bible and sewing class, leading children’s Sunday school, helping as the guest house hostess as well as welcoming missionaries and visitors.

The Adolphs spent two four-year terms at Soddo. They dedicated a new 238 bed Hospital just before they left on Home Assignment. Political unrest and security concerns made it impossible for the Adolphs to return to Ethiopia following their home assignment in 1976. 

They settled in Wheaton, IL for the next twelve and a half years, where Harold worked in a surgical practice and together, they served as they were able through short-term medical mission trips around the world. After David and Carolyn finished their schooling and headed overseas themselves, Harold and Bonnie Jo proceeded to return to the mission field.

They went first to Liberia, where Harold worked in the mission hospital and Bonnie Jo taught in the mission school on the campus. Their next assignment was Galmi Hospital, where Harold again worked in the Hospital and Bonnie Jo started a Day School for the missionary children who wanted to attend. She taught Bible to the children and was in charge of the station store for missionaries which took a lot of her time. She really enjoyed ministry.

After nine years of ministry at Galmi, they returned to the U.S. where Bonnie Jo managed the scheduling and the logistics of Harold’s 145 invitations to U.S. medical schools to speak on the subject of Surgery on the edge of the Sahara Desert. This ministry continued for three years.

In the year 2000, Harold and Bonnie Jo moved to the SIM Retirement Village in Sebring, FL to retire, but their retirement only lasted two weeks before receiving an urgent message from Ethiopia asking them to come assist Dr. Nathan Barlow with 14 projects he wanted to finish. They went to help out and found that a new hospital was needed; one that would take care of patients with Mossy Foot Disease and more. This need marked the beginning of another season of ministry.

At the ages of 67 and 66 they began the process of building a new hospital, dedicated five years later as Soddo Christian Hospital (SCH). Both of them were fully involved in bringing this to fruition.

The Adolphs finally retired at the SIM Retirement Village in 2006; however, they both continued to lead in the development of SCH. Since it’s opening, the hospital has partnered with the Pan African Academy of Christian Surgeons (PAACS) to train African Christian doctors in surgery and discipleship. The hospital is being expanded to hold 340 beds.

Harold and Bonnie Jo continued to attend the annual Global Missions Health Conference in Louisville, KY for many years, recruiting and encouraging many health professionals in their journey toward medical missions and beyond. Bonnie Jo was instrumental in managing their table display at the conference.

Bonnie Jo continued her love of music by singing in the First Baptist Church of Sebring’s choir for a number of years. She was a wonderful godly wife, mother and helpmate. She is survived by her husband Harold of 70 years, her children, David and Carolyn, her grandchildren, Chuluke and Jesse, and her great-grandchildren, Dove and Gabriel.

Arrangements entrusted to:Stephenson-Nelson Funeral Home4001 Sebring ParkwaySebring, FL 33870Online condolences may be left at:www.stephensonnelsonfh.com