State Representative David Bly, MN District 25B

My aunt Marjorie Ingeleiv Bly passed away April 8th, after suffering from numerous ailments. She was 87. At the time she was being cared for at the Taiwan Naval Hospital in Penghu. Memorial services will be held in Penghu and in Northfield on Saturday, May 3rd. The service in Northfield will be at 1:00pm in St. Johns Lutheran Church, 500 3rd St. West. Donations may be sent to China Service Ventures to support the nurses training program. My aunt led a rich full life of service. It was summed up very well in a letter I received from the ELCA office in Chicago:

The whole church is profoundly grateful to Marjorie, who served officially for 43 years in public health ministry, first in China and then in Taiwan. Commissioned as a missionary by the Norwegian Lutheran Church of America in 1946, Marjorie served for three years in China, during what she called her “wandering” and learning period.

In 1952 Marjorie was called to Taiwan to provide care for leprosy patients and families through an outreach clinic. In 1954, she moved to Penghu Island, where she was completely at home among the people. She immersed herself not only in the care of people suffering from leprosy but also advocated for their inclusion in society, demonstrated by the leprosy clinic that was included in the general hospital program at Municipal Penghu Hospital. This was considered a radical idea at the time, and many doubters said it couldn’t’ be done. But it was. Marjorie established a dermatology clinic through the outpatient department of the hospital and provided follow-up care and treatment for patients and families.

Marjorie continued her ministry well beyond her official retirement from service with the American Lutheran Church in 1989, remaining in Penghu among the people whom she deeply loved. This love and deep affection was mutual and the people of Taiwan honored Marjorie by giving her the Chinese name “White Pearl”, paying tribute to her with awards and a visit from the President of Taiwan and then by caring for Marjorie in her last years. In 2007, she received the highest civilian award from President Chen Shui-Bian, President of the Republic of China, Taiwan.

We know Marjorie’s work made a significant contribution in the lives of the people whom they touched, and her life and ministry bear witness to God’s amazing grace in Jesus Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria
The Rev. Rafael Malpica Padilla
Executive Director
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Global Mission

My brother, two cousins, and I went to visit Marjorie in 2001 and got to see her clinic (Seen in this photo with two co-workers) and the community she lived and worked in. We witnessed first hand the mutual affection and could appreciate the relationship she had with the proud people of the Pescadore Islands. For all of my life my aunt has been a presence in my life and a reminder of how much one person can do to improve the lives of others around her. A number of years ago I asked Marjorie to put down on paper the story of her efforts in a brief piece she called “Wanderings” you can download a copy of it here: Wanderings.