Lorraine Waite

Waite, Lorraine Waite, Lorraine Crossed over to her heavenly home on Wednesday, February 21, 2018 at the age of 91. Beloved Aunt of Kenneth (Kathy) Johnson, James (Marsha) Johnson, Mary Johnson (Ken Allen), Philip (Robin) Johnson, Jane (Mark) Quanbeck and Connie (Steve) Johnson-Evers. Dear sister of the late Dorithy (Harry) Johnson. Born in Muskegon, Michigan to parents Edith (LaPorte) Waite and Russell Waite. Further survived by other relatives and friends. Lorraine worked most of her adult life as a missionary nurse in Zimbabwe, Africa (formerly known as Rhodesia). She worked in many capacities during her 34 years there, including clinic nurse, public health educator, housemother, hospital nurse, and evangelist. She loved Jesus so much and wanted to share her faith whenever she could. In preparation for her years of ministry in Zimbabwe, she completed nurses training at Hackley Hospital School of Nursing, in Muskegon, Michigan, earned an undergraduate degree at Wheaton College, Wheaton, Illinois, and did graduate study at Columbia Bible College in South Carolina. For her work, especially in the area of Public Health, she received a Distinguished Service to Society Award from Wheaton College in 1991. Early years growing up on a family farm in New Era, Michigan, also prepared her for some of the work she was most passionate about. She had many fond memories of life on the farm: caring for chicks in the kitchen, where the wood stove kept them warm; tapping maple trees for syrup; fishing and swimming in a nearby lake; gathering wild berries from the fields and fruit from the trees around their home to bring home for her mother to put up as jam or to bake into a pie; the whole family sitting around the kitchen table busy processing fruits and vegetables; trampling hay to prepare it for bundling; and riding in a horse-drawn sleigh to town to see the Christmas lights. Each sister had particular duties on the farm: Lorraine raised chickens while her younger sister, Dorithy, raised pigs. Lorraine would walk to town pulling a wagon filled with fresh eggs to sell to neighbors and the local grocer. The sisters worked for neighboring farmers, in addition to their chores at home. They picked cherries, peaches, asparagus and other produce. They passed the hours as they worked by making up stories. Lorraine always loved a good story and has written up some of her own from her time in Zimbabwe. The family moved back to Muskegon, Michigan, where Lorraine and Dorithy had been born, so that the girls could attend high school there. Apart from her missionary work, Lorraine was a treasured sister to Dorithy and aunt to her six nieces and nephews. She maintained a regular correspondence with Dorithy, her only sister, the many years they were apart. The family could easily spot the blue airmail letter among the other pieces of mail. Lorraine would stay with the family in Upper Michigan for part of her furlough time back in the states. While there, she helped in the garden, sewed special clothes and gifts, cooked and baked treats. She always brought gifts from Zimbabwe with her, such as drums, animal carvings and bright cloth prints, which the children found exciting and exotic. Her stories often featured snakes and crocodiles so they also held a sense of adventure and excitement for them. Her years in Zimbabwe provided another extended family for Lorraine, especially fellow missionaries and their families, and Zimbabwean co-workers. They experienced joys and sorrows together, including the turmoil and aftermath of civil war in the country, droughts, and other hardships and challenges. Lorraine was continually learning about health promotion and prevention strategies, and was relentless in sharing them with the communities she worked in. Some of these efforts were developing low cost incubators for premature babies, guiding mothers in keeping their babies alive during this time; sharing how to make homemade dehydration solution especially for sick babies, and also how to add local protein from peanuts and eggs to their diets to prevent malnutrition. She shared methods of making stoves from local clay that would conserve wood used for cooking. And she promoted more sanitary latrines, teaching about keeping local water sources cleaner, as well as ways to prevent parasites. She helped start a prenatal care clinic that prevented many emergency hospital trips. Her work in education was in words and deeds. She helped develop a nutrition village at Karanda Hospital, particularly for mothers of young children. This included vegetable and peanut gardens, cooking strategies, fertility trenches for composting, and raising small animals, such as chickens and rabbits. Patients in need learned skills and took home starters to help nourish their families. Her care for the people she worked with was not limited to their physical well-being, but overarching all of it was her care for their spiritual condition. Upon her retirement, she received a plaque from the Zimbabwe Ministry of Health which read, In honour of Lorraine Waite, whose goal was to see every child immunized, improved water and sanitation in community development, and a vision of health for all, from 1957-1991. During retirement in Bradenton, Florida, Lorraine volunteered in the health clinic at Bradenton Missionary Village, where she resided. She enjoyed working in her garden and visiting her neighbors and friends. She also took up oil painting and completed numerous paintings, mostly of African scenery and animals. Those paintings helped keep her stories alive during her stay in assisted living in Muskego, Wisconsin, for her last three years of life. A Memorial Gathering will be held at Calvary Evangelical Free Church-Muskego ( W182 S8470 Racine Ave., Muskego, WI) on Saturday, March 17 starting at 1PM until time of Memorial Service at 2PM. In lieu of flowers, memorials in Lorraine's name would be appreciated to the TEAM Mission, designate the gift to Karanda-Water Project, Phase 5 (visit www.donors@team.org or mail to TEAM, PO Box 1986, Grapevine, TX 76099) or to Angels Grace Hospice (www.foundation@phci.org).