Jean Kellerman

Jean Kellerman graduated from Waterloo College (Western University) in 1940. She worked at Dominion Life Assurance Company for five years when she answered the call to become a Missionary to China from the Evangelical United Brethren Church. She attended the United Church Training School (1945-46) and Yale University (1946-47) where she studied Chinese. Her first posting in China was in the small town of Liling, Hunan Province. In the spring of 1949 the Communist government/army of Mao Tse Tung gained control of that area causing a co-worker and Jean to evacuate to the larger city of Changsha. There they carried on some work until being forced out of China in the fall of 1950. She very reluctantly returned to Canada.

Two years later Jean went to Japan, studied Japanese, taught Bible classes in Tokyo until she was appointed the pastor of a church on the island of Hokkaido. Her service in Japan then stretched over 25 years. After returning to Kitchener in 1977, she became the Associate Minister at Calvary Memorial United Church, responsible for pastoral care, later being named Minister Emeritus.

Photograph by Belair, Kitchener.