Sand, Beryl Phyllis (1918-2015)
SAND, RAMSEY, NELSON, GABRIELSON, PRAML, CHOMILO, VALDER
Posted By: Paul Nagy (email)
Date: 5/11/2015 at 18:30:13
Beryl Phyllis Sand
(February 2, 1918 - April 15, 2015)Beryl P. Sand, age 97, of Lake Mills, Iowa, died on Wednesday, April 15, 2015, at the Lake Mills Care Center.
Beryl Phyllis Ramsey, the oldest child of Theodore and Wilma (Nelson) Ramsey, was born on February 2, 1918, at their farm home in Worth County, Iowa. Her father arranged for the local pastor to come to their house to baptize her on her eighth day. She was confirmed by Pastor Kleppe at Beaver Creek Church on July 3, 1932. As a teenager, she went through a typical period of rebellion, but in a definite experience of conversion, on July 18, 1933, she returned to the faith and immediately dedicated her life to serve the Lord as a foreign missionary. After she told her father of her decision, he responded, “I prayed that one of my children would become a missionary.” Consequently, he did all he could to encourage her to take the necessary training for this work.
After a year at Waldorf College, Beryl taught country school for two years—an experience which she found very useful during her subsequent missionary work helping many Africans to learn to read.
After graduating from the Swedish Hospital School of Nursing, she was accepted by the Gunderson Mission to go to Cameroun to work. There, she met and married Pastor Lloyd V. Sand, who had already served for seven years. This union was blessed by the birth of three girls: Carole, Linnea, and Wanda, and a son, Mark. All four of the children took their elementary education at the boarding school in Garoua-Boulai, Cameroun.
During their missionary career, the Sands moved from one station to another several times. Wherever they lived, Beryl would set up a dispensary where she treated hundreds of patients, helping to bring them physical healing and introducing them to the Good Physician.
Having learned to use the mimeograph machine, Beryl put out many study guides for students at the Bible School in addition to teaching classes during their stay at Baboua in the Central African Republic. She was always teaching them to sing as well.
Interspersed with medical work, Bible teaching, and caring for her family, she also assisted Lloyd in his translation of the Bible into the Gbaya language. Readying the first edition of the New Testament, Beryl typed the whole manuscript before taking it to Amsterdam where the Netherlands Bible Society printed it. Later, they worked on the Old Testament, and after retiring to Lake Mills, they put in many hours of proof-reading the computer print-outs sent to them from Africa. They had hoped to participate in the celebration in Africa after completing their translation of the Gbaya Bible. Unfortunately, however, their declining health would not permit such a journey. But their son, Mark represented them and accepted the honorary copy of the first complete Bible in the Gbaya language.
Back here in Iowa, Beryl was happy to work as a nurse, first at the hospital in Forest City for four years and then at the Lake Mills Care Center for another eighteen years.
Beryl loved the Bible and always made herself available to teach classes, to lead studies in her own Circle, and to conduct a Bible study and to sing for the residents of the care center the first Friday of each month.
During her years of service in Africa, Beryl had a secret ambition to write a book about her experiences, so she kept the carbon copies of letters she wrote. These letters have been an invaluable resource for her book: SINGING I GO!
A resident of the Lake Mills Care Center for the past eight years, Beryl is survived by her four children: Carole (Ronald) Gabrielson, Linnea (Joe) Praml, Wanda (Fredrick) Chomilo, and Mark (Alisa) Sand; her grandchildren, Michelle, Ron (Soniel), Jr., and Jim Gabrielson; Nathan (Jenny), Njoya, and Phyllis Chomilo; and Isaac and Caleb Sand; her sister, Wava Valder; and a sister-in-law, Norma Ramsey; as well as many other relatives and friends.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Theodore and Wilma Ramsey; her husband, Rev. Lloyd V. Sand; a brother, Lynn Ramsey; an infant brother, Dean; and a brother-in-law, Palmer Valder.
A funeral service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, April 25, 2015, at Salem Lutheran Church in Lake Mills with Pastor Melinda McCluskey officiating. Visitation will be from 10:00 to 11:00 AM at the church on Saturday. Inurnment for both Beryl P. Sand and Rev. Lloyd V. Sand will be at 1:00 PM on Sunday, April 26, 2015, at Beaver Creek Lutheran Cemetery, rural Joice, Iowa, Pastor Kevin Olson presiding. The family suggests that memorials be directed to Global Health Ministries, 7831 Hickory St., NE, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55432; to the Wycliffe Bible Translation, 11221 John Wycliffe Blvd. Orlando, Florida 32832; or to Gideons International, PO Box 140800, Nashville, Tennessee 37214-0800.
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