Posted 7/1/2017
Dr East - Temple History - Temple Baptist Church
Dr. Erik Hjalmar East
Erik
Hjalmar Österholm was born on February 2, 1866 in Vikbolandet, Styrestad
Parrish, Östergötland, Sweden. This is near Norrköping. The original family name was Österholm. In
English Öster means "One from the East", and holm is
"island" or "peninsula."
When
his father joined the Swedish army, the family name was shortened to Öster,
When Hjalmar's older brother, Fred, immigrated to the United States in 1882 and
applied for citizenship, he changed his last name to East, Hjalmar did the same
when he came to the United States.
After
being educated in the parish's public schools, at age 14, Hjalmar left home and
learned the blacksmith trade. Three years later, he worked on sailing ships as
a fireman and oilier. Later, back on land, he found a job in a blacksmith shop.
During this time, he corresponded with Fred, who asked him to come to the
United States. After arriving in Philadelphia in April, 1885, Hjalmar traveled
by train to Kansas City, where he found a job in the blacksmith shop of Fred's
employer, Union Pacific Railroad.
Fred
was "under the influence of the Holy Spirit and surrendered and accepted
Jesus as his Savior. This led to my conversion!" In November, 1885,
Hjalmar was converted in Armstrong, Kansas, and baptized in January, 1886, in
Kansas City, Missouri, by C. A. Sandvall, wrote Hjalmar in Burma Manuscript.
Hjalmar
worked in Kansas City for four years before years before moving in July, 1889,
to Portland, where he was a blacksmith for five years with the Oregon Railway
& Navigation Company railroad shop.
While
in Portland, he attended what is now Temple Baptist Church. The church records
indicate in 1892, he was the church's Sunday School secretary.
In
fall 1895, Hjalmar asked his shop foreman for a letter of recommendation to
attend seminary. He asked his foreman if his life has been such that he could
recommend him for preparation to Christian work? The foreman replied,
"...If any man is worthy, you certainly are." He wrote a wonderful,
supportive letter.
Following
his quest to serve Christ, Eric entered Swedish Baptist Theological Seminary at
Morgan Park Academy, in 1895, in Chicago, Illinois. It was the preparatory
school for Chicago University. He also attended Moody Bible Institute for
one year. Hjalmar is listed in the class of 1886, in the book "Seventy
Five Years--Bethel Theological Seminary."
He
then entered Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.
After graduating from the seminary and being ordained in Kansas City, he
attended the Kentucky School of Medicine in 1898, then the Kentucky University
School of Medicine in 1899, 1900, and 1901, graduating with a Doctor of
Medicine degree in 1901. East family records say he was president of his class.
He fulfilled his internship at Skin and Cancer Hospital in New York City.
In
early 1901, he was appointed as a medical missionary in Haka, Chin Hills,
Burma. The appointment was by the Northern Baptist Missionary Union, later to
become the American Baptist Missionary Union, today the Board of International
Ministries of the American Baptist Church.
During
the summer of 1901, Hjalmar traveled among Baptist churches to, in his words,
"stimulate the missionary spirit among them." During the fall
and winter of 1901, he did postgraduate work in Chicago, at Chicago Polyclinic
and also in New York City.
On
December 11, 1901, he departed Boston on a ship and it arrived a short time
later in Liverpool, England. Then, after a ship change, he arrived January 26,
1902, in Rangoon, India, He waited there and did missionary and medical work
for the Baptist in India until his medical supplies came, he repacked and sent
them ahead of him.
He
arrived in Haka on March 21, 1902, and immediately began his evangelical
Christian work and tending to the Chin people's medical needs.
But,
Hjalmar's initial missionary and medical efforts were impacted by ill health,
In early April, 1902, he had an acute case of appendicitis. On June 3, 1902,
just 75 days after arriving, he left Haka on a stretcher with weeping villagers
following him. He left Rangoon on June 24, 1902, and arrived in New York City
on August 7, 1902. Five days later his appendix was removed. He recuperated
quickly, but the next month he contracted malaria. While still recovering from
his health problems, The Baptist Mission gave Hjalmar permission to visit
churches in Missouri to raise money to build a small hospital in Haka. His
fund-raising was successful. In addition to a hospital, a missionary home was
also built.
Another
success came while he was in the United States. Hjalmar was introduced to Emily
Johanson Johnson in Chicago. She was born January 28, 1877 in Sundsvall, Sweden
and raised in Moline, Illinois. Emily was working at Marshal Field and Company
department store when they met. Hjalmar was taking a course at Chicago
Polyclinic Hospital. They married on August 5, 1903 at Chicago's First Swedish
Baptist Church, of which she was a member and church organist.
The
History of the American Baptist Chin Mission, said Hjalmar "realized that only
with a wife beside him to help could he make the full impact that was needed to
turn Chins of both (genders) to Christ. He had made a fine choice, and
Emily East certainly became a missionary in her own right, especially in
working with women and children." They were a wonderful team. The
fact they both learned and spoke the Haka Chin language helped them rend to
needs of the Chin people.
The
newlyweds sailed from New York City on September 23, 1903, for Burma by way of
England, according to the History of the American Baptist Chin Mission.
The arrived in Haka on December 28, 1903.
In
those days, it took six weeks for Hjalmar and his new bride to travel to their
Chin Hills home. The trip, included riding ponies on mountainsides, which was
especially challenging for Emily as she was expecting their first son, Allan.
During
their time in Burma, three of their six children were born all delivered by
Hjalmar. Sons, Allan Wallace, Paul Warren and Kenneth Hjalmar were the first Americans born in the Chin Hills.
May 20, 1904, was the birth date of Allan, the first born.
Health
problems plagued the Easts: In late 1908, Emily and sons were forced to return
to the United States as Hjalmar diagnosed her with incipient appendicitis.
Mother and the East boys arrived in New York City on December 21, 1908. They
continued to Emily's parents' home in Chicago. Later, she had a successful
surgery.
In
September 1910, Hjalmar was stricken with heart troubles. As a consequence, he
said goodbye to Haka forever. He departed Rangoon on December 10, 1910. On
January 27, 1911, his ship arrived in New York City, where Emily greeted him at
the dock. They traveled on to Chicago, where the family was united. Alan was
age six, Paul was four, and Kenneth two.
As
Hjalmar's health improved, he felt he could return to Burma. In April, 1912, he
wrote the mission offices: "In May I plan to go to Oregon with a view of
locating there until I shall be able to resume my beloved work in Haka. Our
hearts are mostly there and the good news from the Hills makes us feel that our
lives out there were not in vain; ever district we visited is giving forth
harvest. Praise the Lord!"
However,
returning to the high altitudes of the Chin Hills and the risk of malaria
infection finally convinced Hjalmar he could not return to Haka.
In
total, Hjalmar served more than nine years in Haka and Emily almost five. Their
time in Burma was eventful. He baptized the first Northern Chin believers
in Christ and established the first Baptist church among them, according to the
History of the American Baptist Chin Mission. He also helped establish
the first Christian organization, The Chin Baptist Association. They gave their
love to the Chin people and the Chin's returned the love.
In
1912, the family moved to Portland. Daughters Eleanor Charlotte, Marjorie Emily
and Elizabeth Eva were all born there. As with their brothers, all were
delivered by their father. When the East family returned to Portland they
reunited with Temple Baptist Church and Hjalmar had a successful medical
practice in Portland. Hjalmar died in1939 and Emily in 1943. Both are buried in
Portland.
The
original account of Dr. East on this page was from the book "Seventy
Five Years--Bethel Theological Seminary." In 2003, East family
members revised the account, using as sources, "History of the American
Baptist Chin Mission:" by Rev. Robert G. Johnson; "Burma
Manuscript" by Rev. E. H. East, M.D.; and a brief biography, written
by Emily East for her children. The original account is incorporated into
the revised account with permission of Tim Marsh, one of Dr. East's
grandchildren.
The
following is text copied from a website of Burma history.
Rev.
Carson and his wife started their mission works among the Asho-Chins in
1888. They chose Thayetmyo for their mission station. But, they moved
their mission station to Hakha, Chin State, in 1899. The British administrators
already were there for 10 years. Unfortunately, the British administration and
jurisdiction were exercised only among the Chins in the Northern part of Chin
State of the Union of Burma (Myanmar). The British empire was not extended into
the Southern part of Chinland in those days. They called it "unexplored or
unadministrative area". The Carson's dedicated themselves for education,
evangelism, literature, agriculture, and other kinds of development programs.
The Karen teachers and evangelists helped them in
their programs. Dr. Tilbe, a friend of Arthur Carson, reinforced their efforts
to establish their new mission field in 1900-1901. They were joined by a
medical doctor, Dr. East and his wife in 1904. Dr. East was not only a
physician, but also a real evangelist. Rev. Carson died in 1908 just after
he finished creating a written language for the Chins in the Roman alphabet
system. He was buried in Hakha.
There
are three major places within the Union of Burma today, the Asho-Chins, the
Arakan Chins (now Rakhaing Chins) and the Hill-Chins of where Dr. East and
family served.
Note:
A century of Chin Christianity is just a reminder that all of us need to know
"How lovely are the messengers that preach us the Gospel of Peace."
The Karen people of north west Thailand are one of several
hill tribe ethnic groups which also include the Hmong and Lisu tribes. The
Karen number some 400 000, and there are 5-6 million Karen living over the
border in Myanmar (Burma). The history of the Karen in Thailand can be
traced back to the 12th century.
"If
I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
even there you hand will guide me,
your right hand will hold me fast."
Psalm
139:9,10
.............
PHOTO INFO
--Dr. East in younger years. Taken from the book- "Seventy-Five Year History of Columbia Conference." Pg. 15
--An older Dr. East shown in photo received from his family.
Hjalmar were the first Americans born in the
Chin Hills. Allan being the first was born on May 20, 1904.
