John Sawyer Marsh
John Sawyer Marsh
1898 – 1993
Rev. John S. Marsh was born in Schroon Lake, New York, July 1898 to William D. and Lillian A. Sawyer. Rev. Marsh studied at Oberlin College, 1917-1919, Yale College, graduating 1922 and at Hartford Theological Seminary, 1922-1925. At Hartford, he met his wife, Dorothy Louise Van Wie. She was born April 1901 in New York. They married June 1926. Both were ordained at the Oxford, Connecticut Congregational Church and commissioned for missionary service in Southern Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions.
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- 00.11.1927
The Marsh’s served in Southern Rhodesia between 1926 and 1956. They were stationed primarily at Chikore Mission. Rev. Marsh had a number of responsibilities over the years, including Supervisor of the Chikore Mission Circuit (village schools), mission chairman, secretary and treasurer. He was President of the Southern Rhodesia Missionary Conference in 1952.
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- 1941
After 30 years the Marsh’s returned to the United States and served at churches in New Hampshire and Vermont, retiring as pastor of West Newbury Congregational Church in 1972. Dorothy proceeded in death in 1984. Rev. John Marsh died November 1993 in Bradford, Vermont.
References
- John and Dorothy Marsh, Missionaries to Rhodesia for 30-years, 1926-1956
- John Marsh obituary, Journal Opinion, Bradford, Vermont, December 8, 1993
- The John S. Marsh Papers, Talladega College Private Collection
Contributor
- Keith Harrop
- Mark Loomis