Dale and Alma Bjork papers, 1946-1965

Collection

Identifier: MSS-Miss-6

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Bjork papers date between 1946 and 1965, covering two boxes.

The Newsletters folder contains newsletters to donors and supporters of the Bjorks' mission.

The dated folders contain mostly correspondence, with some additional materials, such as receipts.

Dates

1946 - 1965

Creator

Bjork, Dale Winton, 1921-1984 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

This collection is open for researcher use.

Biographical Note

Dale Winton Bjork was born in 1921 in Cambridge, Minnesota. Alma Iblings was born in 1923 in South Dakota. He graduated from Bethel Seminary in 1944. Dale and Alma met at Bethel and married in 1945, later having five children. Dale was ordained in 1946, and the family moved to China that year to become missionaries in Tsingtao. In 1948, Alma and daughter Lois evacuated China to the United States, while Dale stayed to work with the Chinese church until 1950, when he was forced to leave by the communist regime. In 1952, the family became missionaries in Japan, where they served until 1962. From 1963 to 1981, Dale worked for the Baptist General Conference world missions office. In 1981, Dale and Alma returned to China to visit former acquaintances. Dale died of ALS in 1984 in Cambridge. Alma later married Virgil Olson. She died in 2023.