Into Life Eternal

Jean Holman

October 4, 1927 to November 23, 2002

Jean Holman died after a battle with cancer diagnosed last autumn. Jean and her husband Stan were married 53 years ago on June 4, 1948 , and were appointed ABWE missionaries on October 10, 1950 . They served faithfully in the Philippines for more than four decades.

Jean Holman often said that the "later" years of her ministry were the most productive and rewarding. She joked that only after her hair turned grey did she receive the full extent of Filipino respect for elders.

During those years, she traveled and conducted teacher training seminars, often for pastors who had been her college students 20 years earlier. When she returned to the United States for retirement, she continued to have an impact, working with Chinese and Koreans at the University of Toledo in Ohio . Even in the hospital and hospice, she had a profound influence on the nurses, doctors, and volunteers who cared for her.

At her memorial service, her son Tim said that if he were to describe her life in two words, they would be "heritage" and "legacy." One of the many letters which poured in to Jean's family following her death came from a Filipino in Nevada, who wrote:

"You don't know me, but I hear so much about what your mother did in my native country.I just want to let you know that many of my fellow Filipinos back home are now believers because of God's ministry through [Jean]."

From the Philippines to the U.S., Jean Holman has touched many lives. Her husband, Stanley; their children Timothy, Mark, and Stephen; and nine granddaughters survive her.

Mildred Crouch

November 14, 1924 to December 4, 2002

Millie Crouch was born in Woburn, Massachusetts . During her training at Providence Bible Institute in Rhode Island , she met Priscilla Bailey. Millie and Priscilla became inseparable friends, known to everyone as "The Aunties."

Millie and Priscilla were appointed by ABWE in 1950 and spent 39 years in the Philippines . They ministered to children, young people, and women, endearing themselves to the national brothers and sisters. Later, they were instrumental in beginning the Sogod, Leyte, church where they worked closely with their national partner, Femia.

From 1983-1989, Millie and Priscilla served as hostesses at Doane Rest where they offered loving hospitality to hundreds of vacationing missionaries. Millie and Priscilla retired in 1990 and settled in Lillian, Alabama, where they continued their ministry to neighbors, and helped to strengthen an ABWE church plant in nearby Pensacola , Florida .

Millie is remembered not only for her loving, playful spirit and wonderful sense of humor, but as a writer and poet. On November 30, 2002, Millie wrote the following reflection and poem on Philippians 4:4:

"Rejoice in the Lord always, and again I say, Rejoice! This is worth repeating. Sometimes we get bogged down and we lose our joy. Paul is emphatic here-whether you feel like it or not-do it! The secret that makes joy possible is the nature of the Lord: throughout the Bible we see again and again that the believer's experience of the Lord is one of joy. In Habakkuk 3:18, the author writes, 'Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.'

Read Habakkuk 3:18 and His Word explore-
You'll find a burst of sunshine the moment you open this door.
Don't just say, 'I want to'; look to God and say 'I will.'
He's the God of our salvation, and with joy our hearts will fill."

To learn more about Millie and her extraordinary life, read Me? A Missionary? her delightful autobiography, or A Poetic Interlude, a beautiful collection of Millie's reflective and humorous poetry about her experience in the Philippines.