Gladys Graber served with her husband, Harold, in what is now, the Democratic Republic of Congo, from 1951-1964. She lived through chaotic times with courage and continued to serve God in many ministries when she returned to the United States.
Gladys Carolyn Gjerdevig Graber, 96, entered the presence of her Lord and Savior on November 15, 2024, in Newton, Kansas. She died of natural causes.
Gladys, and her husband, Harold, served in Zaire — now the Democratic Republic of Congo — through Africa Inter-Mennonite Mission (AIMM) from 1951-1964.
After Zaire gained independence, in 1960, Mennonite church leaders felt a pressing need for higher education, to make up for Belgium’s colonizing tactic of refusing higher education to the people they dominated. The Kalonda Bible School’s academic year had been brought to a standstill by political upheaval twice in three years, 1961- 1963. Gladys and Harold assumed direction of the school, when it was moved to what seemed like a more stable setting at the Kandala Mission Station in 1963.
However, on the evening of Jan. 20, 1964, the Graber children were in their pajamas and listening to their bedtime stories when Jeunesse rebels attacked. This movement of disillusioned Congolese youth accused North American workers of being collaborators with the corrupt national government and destroying African culture with the introduction of Western education and values.
“Looking out of our windows, we could see flames leaping skyward and, against the red backdrop of burning homes, the running figures of the attackers brandishing bows and arrows,” wrote Jim Bertsche in CIM/AIMM: A Story of Vision, Commitment and Grace.
After four days of uncertainty in the hands of the rebels, the missionary families, including the Grabers, were evacuated by United Nations helicopters. After this experience, Gladys and Harold began ministries in the United States.
More than 50 years later, the Kandala community invited Mennonite mission workers to a ceremony of reconciliation. Two of Gladys’ sons, Brad and Stan, were present and shared a letter written by their mother, which read in part:
“As God alone can do, he turned this experience into blessing … through [the events of 1964], my faith has grown. What is retained in my memory are the blessings we received from those who love and follow God. May the Spirit of God assure you today that we are one in Christ, who offers forgiveness to each one of us.”
Gladys, born to Helena (Walde) and Lars Gjerdevig on October 3, 1928, in Alsen, North Dakota, was the youngest of four children. Two years after her salvation, at age 14, she was baptized in the Swiss Mennonite Church of Alsen. She attended Grace Bible Institute, in Omaha, Nebraska, where she met Harold. They were married in 1947.
Gladys and Harold served in Zaire for 13 years. After their return to the United States, Gladys participated in four Mennonite churches where Harold pastored, including Hutterthal (Freeman, South Dakota), Zion (Elbing, Kansas), Central Heights (Lehigh, Kansas), and Hebron (Buhler, Kansas).
In the U.S., Gladys entered the world of higher education and shared her gifts with many Kansas academic institutions. She received a bachelor’s degree from Wichita State University, in 1971, and a master’s in accounting from Emporia State University, in 1976. During that time, she taught accounting and general business at Hillsboro High School, while also serving as an adjunct professor at Tabor College and, later, Hutchinson Community College. Starting in 1976, Gladys served as faculty chair of the Business and Economics Department at Hesston College. In 1986, she became tenured as an Associate Professor of Business and Economics at Bethel College.
Beyond her academic career, Gladys served as a member and trustee of the Division of Administration of the General Conference Mennonite Church. She also served as a member of the Western District Conference Audit Committee, and the Board of Control of the Mennonite Library and Archives.
Gladys was a dedicated mother and grandmother. With her education and career, she added bold colors to the traditional picture of a “pastor’s wife,” and by her resilient faith, she challenged her children and grandchildren to boldly embrace God’s plans for them. Her passion and care extended to her accounting students, who saw her as a role model in corporate ethics and an encourager, amid the intricacies of accounting. She shared her mother’s passion for Sunday school, which she was still teaching at age 83.
Gladys was preceded in death by husband Harold, her parents and siblings, and son-in-law Gary Klassen. She was survived by her five children: Stan (Bonnie) Graber of Burns, Kansas; Carolyn Klassen of Newton, Kansas; Brad (Sharon) Graber of Glen Ellyn, Illinois; Emily (Mike) Klassen of Cedar Falls, Iowa; and Jeannette (Steve) Jantz of Newton, Kansas. She was also survived by 14 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren and 2 great-great grandchildren. A celebration of life wase held at First Mennonite Church, Newton, Kansas, Nov. 23, 2024. Donations can be made to Berean Academy or AIMM — specify “Hope for Congo” on the memo line.
