1869 - 1948 Person Name: Lina Z. Ressler Topics: Children's Songs Service for Children Author of "The Joy-Life" in Life Songs Lina Z. Ressler (1869-1948) and her husband, Jacob, were Mennonite missionaries in India during the early part of the twentieth century. Prior to her work in India, Lina had worked in home missions in the Chicago area, and after their return from the mission field the couple worked for a Mennonite publishing house.
Archived papers, Mennonite Church USA Archives-Goshen; Mennonite Library and Archives, Bethel College, North Newton, KS
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Ressler, Lina Zook. (Wayne County, Ohio, September 26, 1869--August 17, 1948, Scottdale, Pennsylvania). As a youth she became a member of the Oak Grove Mennonite Church, Smithville, Ohio. She served the church faithfully and well until the time of her death.
She was one of the pioneer city missionaries at the Home Mission in Chicago, serving from 1895 to 1900. In the educational work of the church, she served as preceptress and teacher at the Elkhart Institute, Elkhart, Indiana, from 1900 to 1903.
While at Elkhart Institute she married Jacob Andrews Ressler, a missionary on furlough from India. They went back to India that same year and served there until 1908, when due to her health they had to return to the States. They lived in Wayne County, Ohio, for two years before moving to Scottdale, Penn., to assist at the Mennonite Publishing House. At Scottdale she became known throughout the church as "Aunt Lina" through assisting "Uncle J.A." in the editing of Sunday School literature. She served as editor of some of the children's papers until the time of her death. She became the outstanding literary woman of the Mennonite church for her time. She was also active in other women's activities in the church, such as Sewing Circles and home mission activities.
She did a pit of poetry writing, from which two poems, "Hold Thou My Hand" and "Teach Me to Pray" were selected as hymn texts for the book Songs of the Church, edited by Walter E. Yoder, and published by Herald Press, Scottdale, Penn., in 1953.
She was interred in the Scottdale Mennonite Church cemetery.
--Martin E. Ressler, DNAH Archives
Lina Zook Ressler
My Starred Hymns
My FlexScores
My Hymnals
My Purchased Files
