'Aunt’ Elsie Marie Bridgman Proudfoot 88,
of Midway, Texas

Local author and missionary to Bangladesh, “Aunt” Elsie Marie Bridgman Proudfoot, 88, of Midway, Texas, met her Savior face to face on Monday, Sept. 22, 2008.

She was born Jan. 31, 1920, to Stoddard Franklin Bridgman and Rosa Mabel Zuspann near Ewing.

She graduated from North Central Bible College, Minneapolis, in 1943 and Central Bible College in 1946 majoring in child psychology.

As a young lady in 1946, she embarked by ship to what was then India, which became East Pakistan and is today Bangladesh, as a missionary to children from the Assembly of God Church in Palmyra. She spent 1946 to 1961 there, then left to be married in England on Oct. 14, 1961, to James Proudfoot.

She and her husband came to USA, and they were ministers in various areas in Missouri. In 1979, they moved to Pennsylvania and were pastors. The couple had no children but were house parents for Bear Foundation for Troubled Youth.

He preceded her in death in November 1989.

In 1995, she moved to Conroe, Texas, to live with her youngest sister, Lena, and be close to her other sister, Nadine. While in her 70s, she wrote three books, “Deep in the Heart of Potatoes,” “Deep in the Heart of Them Thar Hills” and “Deep in the Heart of Bangladesh.” She self-promoted her books at grocery stores, book stores and schools, all the while ministering to those who cared to listen.

In January 2000, she returned to Bangladesh for a 50-year reunion of former missionaries. She was honored as the first woman missionary to Bangladesh, starting a Bible college there, translating Bible material into Bengali and making her home among the peoples there.

In 2001, she moved with Lena and Bill, to Midway, Texas.
In May 2008, she suffered from poor circulation in her legs and got staph infection. She spent 3.5 months in the St. Joseph Hospital before being moved to Madisonville Care Center, Madisonville, Texas, in August. On Sept. 22, she had a massive stroke from which she could not recover.
She attended Elwood Baptist Church, Midway, for a number of years and was active in VBS, Sunday School and visitation. She was everyone’s rock and stabilizer, and those who knew her will miss her.

She was preceded in death by her husband; her parents; six brothers, Raymond, Joe, Robert, Glenn, Benjamin and Enoch; and three sisters, Wanda McKinney, Emma Paugh and Nadine Schriener.

She was survived by Joshua Bridgman of Palmyra and Lena Truster of Midway, Texas, (Elwood community). Her many nieces and nephews will miss her greatly as well.
A memorial service was held in Midway on Oct. 4, and another in Pennsylvania at a later date.

Her remains were cremated to be sent back to Jonestown, Pa., to be scattered on her husband’s resting place.