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Frank Henry Westphal

By Eugenio Di Dionisio

Introduction

The first Adventist pastor, remembered by his intense spiritual and missionary life for the good of the countries in the territory of today’s South American Division of Seventh-day Adventists was Frank Henry Westphal (1858-1944), who had to do with the beginnings of Adventism in this part of the world.

For about 24 years he carried out with unwavering dedication the task of evangelization in different countries, climates, regions, languages, means of transportation and diverse circumstances. Nothing stopped him in his eagerness to share the good news of salvation.

His articles for denominational magazines, reports to General Conference sessions, correspondence, his book Pioneering in the Neglected Continent (today, the Spanish version is titled Hasta el fin del mundo) and works by different authors allow us to know his course.

Throughout the development of this chapter, his background and preparation, works and career, methods and results, traits and the transcendence of his work.

Background and Preparation

Frank Henry Westphal was born on December 15, 1858, in New London, Wisconsin, USA.1 His grandparents emigrated from Pomerania, Germany, in 1847 because of economic and political conditions in his country, what led them to settle in the United States, in a farm located by the Erie Canal, New York, near North Tonowanda. They professed the Lutheran faith. The youngest son, Gustav (1834-1912), was only 13 by that time.

In his youth, interested in a better future, he moved to Wisconsin State, where he married Henrietta Maas (1836-1892). Eleven children brightened the home, five boys and six girls. The second of them was Frank Henry Westphal. Widowed, his father married again and from that marriage a last daughter was born.

The life of the family took place in virgin lands, in a forest region, dedicated to farm tasks. They were the first inhabitants of New London, Wisconsin, where they lived in a simple log cabin, spending their days in hard work and arduous activities.

During the Civil War, Gustav enlisted as a volunteer in the Union army for three years (March 1862-April 1865) and said goodbye to his wife and three little boys, Albert, Frank y Joseph. Those were difficult years for Henrietta since her husband was away, and she had to take care of home and the little children. In the winter of 1879, a diphtheria epidemic stroke viciously the family and three of the younger children died.

On reaching adulthood, the older brothers established themselves as farmers and workers in their own limekilns.

Through the work of itinerant preachers of the Evangelical Association, the family had a deeper religious experience. They were members of this church until 1878. At that time Whipple, a colporteur from Fremont, made a good work handing out publications and preparing the place for future lectures. Adventist pastor H. W. Decker put up a tent at the south of the town in one of the main streets and began a series of evangelistic meetings for eight weeks. Generally, the attendance was very good. It was the most active phase of farm life and, however, few were the meetings the Westphal family did not attend. The slow transportation of the day and the bad roads did not prevent them from traveling the three miles (almost five kilometers) on the way and another three back. Those meetings brought them a new spiritual experience, both parents being baptized by immersion in the autumn of 1878.

The great interest aroused by preaching allowed the beginning of a Sabbath School in New London on November 23, 1878, and by March 11, 1879, it was organized as a church. In that moment they signed the statement: “Brethren, with this complete organization you are commissioned by Christ to go to all the world and preach the gospel.”2

Gustav and Henrietta were among the founding members. They never imagined that many of their descendants, from their children and the next generations, would be active participants of this Christian mission.

During 1879, Frank Westphal decided to get baptized, when he was 20, and was the first of the children to take this step, later imitated by all his siblings. Frank became very soon a dynamic leader and elder of his church. This experience was of such magnitude that he was invited to work as pastor from 1883.3 He completed his primary studies and then theological formation attending Battle Creek College, Michigan, USA.4 He attended as delegate several sessions of the General Conference, the most transcendent being the 1888 one in Minneapolis and the 1901 that took place in Battle Creek, Michigan, USA.5

He married Mary V. Thurston (1860-1931), born in Deerfield, Wisconsin, USA, on May 11, 1877. The children born in the United States were Carlos Edgardo in 1890 and Elena in 1893; in Argentina Earl was born and died in 1899; then in the Unidos States Ruth Evangelina was born in 1903, and the youngest, Grace Hazel, was born in Chile in 1905.6

Westphal wrote: “the father of my wife was the first president of the Wisconsin Conference [Adventist Encyclopedia says he was the second, actually]. For several years she was secretary of the Tract Society of that conference. He also worked in the same task in Argentina, South America, for several years. Besides, she was Sabbath School secretary almost the whole time I lived in South America. In Chile, she was Missionary Secretary and home school teacher and several hard tasks for the cause, until her health broke.”7

His Work and Career

The vast career of Frank Westphal is reflected in his service record, written by himself on August 22, 1930:

1. Wisconsin Conference (1883-1890): Minister

2. Union College, Nebraska (1891-1892): Minister, Professor of Bible and History

3. Illinois Conference (1892-1894): Minister

4. East Coast of South America (1894-1901): Minister, Superintendent

5. Union Collage, Nebraska (1901-1904): Minister, Professor of Bible and History

6. West Coast of South America (1904-1907): Minister, Superintendent

7. Chile Union Mission (1907-1918): Minister, President

8. Preacher in Chile (1918-1921): Minister

It also includes his pastoral work in the city of Los Angeles, California, United States, until 1929, to add up 47 years of active service.8

After a month of ship voyage from the United States via England, Westphal and his family arrived at the city of La Plata, Buenos Aires province, Argentina, on August 18, 1894. Richard B. Craig, a colporteur that had arrived the previous year, was waiting for them. Thus, it began a fruitful career devoted to the development of Seventh-day Adventism in present day church territory of South America, being its first pastor and genuine pioneer.

His arrival was the answer to a petition to the General Conference asking for a German-speaking minister. After a week in Buenos Aires, he continued traveling north by ship on the imposing Paraná River to the port of Diamante, Entre Ríos province. Nobody was waiting for him, there was only a person waiting for his family with a carriage, who took him over a steep hill. On arrival in the small city, he was able to find a hotel where to spend the night.9

His Method and Results

Westphal began a dynamic evangelizing and pastoral activity after traveling across, in a rented carriage, the distance to the meeting with the four Adventist families that had come from Kansas in 1890. He was interested in sharing immediately his knowledge of the Holy Scriptures with them and other families. It was advertised that night there would be a religious meeting in German and many were the ones that came to listen. Without time to change clothes, he began the first meeting, then a second and a third preaching. Between each meeting, attendants sang several hymns of their own accord and participated in prayer. Unwillingly, those present agreed to leave “in order to come back again tomorrow night.”10 In a few weeks, on September 9, 1894, the first Seventh-day Adventist Church was organized in Crespo, Entre Ríos, with a membership of 36 members. The number grew quickly from week to week.11 During that time, the brethren took Westphal to preach in different villages where he had three to four meetings per day.12

From Crespo, Westphal went to Santa Fe province, destination San Cristóbal, where he met the family of Johannes Mangold. After two weeks studying the Bible, several members of said family were baptized, organizing a church of nine members that soon grew to 18. This was the second Adventist church organized in Argentina.13 In October of 1894, he organized in the city of Buenos Aires, capital of Argentina, a third church of 12 members.14 Then, Westphal expanded his missionary action to Brazil.

In February of 1895, Westphal went to Brazil, disembarking in Rio de Janeiro. He covered 60 kilometers on foot in the suffocating tropical summer heat to then “take the way of the train” until arriving to Piracicaba and making the first baptism in that country. After eight days of study Guilherme Stein was baptized.15

While traveling south to Joinville, in the state of Santa Catarina, he organized a Sabbath School of 30 members. Always with a sense of urgency, in the city of Brusque he came across a group of believers who had received Signs of the Times magazine in German since years ago. F. H. Westphal held meetings by the river, where he baptized eight members, then another 15,16 and organized the church that quickly grew to 200 members.17

After spending five months in Brazil, he returned to his home in Buenos Aires where he found out the sad reality of the passing away of his little daughter Elena, due to measles and then scarlet fever.18

Westphal gave priority to evangelizing. His experiences in Argentina and Brazil would continue in Uruguay. On reading in Buenos Aires the newspaper Argentinische Wochemblatt [Weekly Page of Argentina], where a German-speaking Protestant pastor was requested to preach in Nueva Helvecia, he went to that place and held four meetings during a week in 1895.19 Then, a few kilometers away, in a settlement of Swiss inhabitants, he preached during five weeks in the summer of 1896 and organized a Sabbath School.20

By the end of the same year he held new meetings in Nueva Helvecia for four weeks, that concluded with the baptism of 18 people in the waters of the River of the Plate and the organization of the first church in the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.21

Westphal developed teamwork. In 1897 he devoted time to evangelizing in the Santa Fe province, Argentina, in coordination with Jean Vuilleumier, John Mc Carthy and Mary Westphal.

During the month of April, churches were organized in Felicia and Las Tunas22 and, later on, Las Garzas, to the north of Santa Fe province, where Lionel Brooking also began a school, the first in that province.23 A short while later a new church began in Malabrigo, after the preaching of Mc Carthy in Spanish and Westphal in German.24

En the countryside of Colonia Portugalete, in San Cristóbal, Westphal baptized Luis Kalbermatter and three of his children.25 Later on, so would do the mother and the other nine children.

L. Brooking wrote that Mary Westphal promoted the study of the Bible through Sabbath School, visiting San Cristóbal, Felicia, Grütli, Esperanza and Las Tunas, an activity greatly appreciated.26

At the end of 1897, John Mc Carthy held meetings for several weeks in Malbertina, near the city of San Francisco.27 Jean Vuilleumier preached in French y F. H. Westphal baptized the first 15 people and organized the church on February 9, 1898, the first in the province of Córdoba, Argentina.28

Even with his health weakened, Westphal kept the sense of mission and his interest in the Republic of Paraguay. When it was known about people that had accepted Adventism through Adventist publications, it was decided to send Elwin Winthrop Snyder, one of the first colporteurs in South America,29 who before beginning the trip from Buenos Aires, along with his wife Estelle, on July 18, 1900,30 was ordained as evangelic minister.31

In Colonia Nacional, Paraguay, Snyder visited a persona that had received from Uruguay a material titled “Der Cristliche Hausfreund” [The Christian Friend of the Home]. By the end of 1901, that interest was realized with the baptism of five people.32

His physical condition worsened, F. H. Westphal returned to the United States along with his wife and his son Carlos for a period of three years,33 with a feeling of great gratitude to God because the Adventist Church and its salvific message were already present in Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay. In the future, Frank Westphal would extend his evangelizing ministry along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, from Chile to Ecuador.

Once recovered, Frank H. Westphal and his family returned to the South American continent in 1904. They resided in Chile since their arrival on November 4. Frank soon held a series of meetings in Chanco that closed on December 31 with the baptism of five people, some members of the Aeschlimanns among them.34 Westphal continued his dynamic action holding new lectures, meetings, missionary tours and organizing churches.

When giving his report in the General Conference session, on May 30, 1913, Westphal expressed: “The first worker in Ecuador was Brother F. H. Davis, who arrived in 1906 and worked for two years in canvassing. Last year, Brother Davis passed away in Argentina, but his works continue. Last year I baptized two people in Quito and organized a church of eight members. This is the first Adventist church in Ecuador.”35

In the year 1918, in the city of Punta Arenas, at the southern tip of Chile, the ad in a newspaper changed the life of Luisa Paulentz and his sons Niels and Paul Wensell, because it led them to attend from the beginning the evangelizing lectures it announced; from then on, they did not miss any of the meetings, although the temperature some times reached 20 degrees below zero.

An event that took place in those days shows the ingenuity of this first Adventist pastor residing in South America. Pastor Niels Wensell wrote: “One time my mother was the only person present in the lecture by pastor Francisco Westphal. He sang, prayed and preached as if the room was full. My mother was baptized on October 12, 1918, and her two sons on December 5, same year.”36 In new baptisms another ten believers were added, what led to their being organized as a church.37

Westphal used different means of transportation to carry out his missionary travels. By ship he moved with his family to South America, arriving at the port of Diamante, Entre Ríos, Argentina; to Brazil and Chile, visiting during the voyage the Malvinas Islands and in another time to reach the austral Chilean city of Punta Arenas. The wooden horse-drawn carriage was used to reach the first Adventists in Crespo and on long travels in Entre Ríos, Argentina. The horse was useful to sort long trips in Brazil and Chile. The train was very convenient while traveling through vast plains and mountains in Argentina, while going to Antofagasta in Chile, also in traveling from Guayaquil to Quito in Ecuador. The cart was efficient to travel in the forests in the north of Santa Fe in Argentina. The difficult crossing of the high mountains in the Andes he made it twice riding a mule. More than once he walked long distances. In Brazil, to reach Piracicaba, he walked 60 kilometers; in Chile his feet hurt a lot on traveling to Cañete and to go to Comuy he traveled 40 kilometers on foot.38 To visit the family of Jorge Lust in Entre Ríos, he used a bicycle with a big wheel and another small one, at a time when the settlers of the end of the 19th century considered riders as devil worshippers.39

Westphal took a special interest in church publications and colporteurs. He said: “Because the distribution of our publications, it has emerged promising interest in many places and now there are numerous requests for a live testimony.”40 Westphal worked with colporteurs and valued their pioneering activity in diverse countries of South America.

From his arrival in 1894, he contacted Richard B. Craig in Argentina. He contacted W. H. Thurston and A. B. Stauffer in Brazil; he also worked with E. W. Snyder, who was sent to Paraguay and later canvassed in Argentina. From Chile he highlighted the valuable work of Thomas Davis, F. H. Bishop, Eduardo and Víctor Thomann and C. A. Nowlin.41 He supported Eduardo Thomann in extending his work in Bolivia and Peru, and Thomas Davis in moving to Ecuador.42 In 1897, pastor Nelson Z. Town began a missionary publication of 12 pages in Spanish entitled El faro [The Lighthouse]; pastors J. Vuilleumier and F. H. Westphal were its first directors.43 In Chile, Westphal devoted efforts to insure the building of church offices, publishing association and print, located in the city of Valparaíso. He visited 11 companies before finding one willing to cover the risks. A short time later a fire destroyed everything and with the insurance money a new property was bought. When a devastating earthquake shook the city of Valparaíso in the year 1906, neither the building nor the staff or the tasks were affected. On this matter, Westphal wrote: “We went to work immediately on the publication of a special issue of ‘Señales de los tiempos’ [Signs of the Times], presenting the issue of the earthquake and pointing to its meaning as a sign of the coming of Christ.”44 He said: “Our blessed books rescue people.”45

Westphal noted and highlighted the aspects of the work relating good health. In 1897 he wrote: “The issue of temperance is also being established in our work here.”46 In the first days of the church in Entre Ríos, he presented the need to avoid drinking alcoholic beverages. The answer was: “Everybody joined in quitting liquor and prohibiting it in their homes.”47 When expounding the principles regarding the care of the human body as temple of the Holy Spirit to the Kalbermatters, he mentioned that tobacco and liquor contain substances damaging to health.48 Ignacio Kalbermatter wrote that pastor “Westphal knew when was the time to make us see how harmful smoking was to Christians. So, on Saturday, after having talked to us about the harmfulness of this vice, at the end of the meeting, we decided, the four brothers and dad, to hang our pipes and thank God we did not go back to that vice.”49

Westphal noted that “in Argentina, the city of Mendoza, located in the Andean region, is in a district with vast fruit orchards.”50 Likewise, he estimated that “water is of the first class in Chile”51 and that “in the central part it has a pleasant climate, a land of plenty and flowers.”52 On visiting Ecuador traveling to Quito it caught his attention that “fields of pineapples and orange trees, banana tree bushes and the big forests of walnuts form a beautiful landscape.”53

The Westphals placed their interest and dedication in the development of Adventist education, intended for the children and youth of the church, for the good of their training for life and specially in the preparation of missionaries. During the year 1893, in Estación Solá, south of Buenos Aires city, it began the first Adventist school in South America. Mrs. Craig was the first teacher taking care of a great number of students. When the Craigs returned to the United States, the new teacher was Edelvina Threadgold, who had accepted Adventism thanks to the ministry of the Craigs. Classes moved to one of the rooms in the house where the Westphals lived. His house was a school. During the school year, some students fell with measles and scarlet fever. The daughter, Helen Westphal, became seriously ill and died. His brother, Carlos, saved his life miraculously. The mother waited for the arrival of her husband from his first visit to Brazil to share the pain of the events.54 Event with these grave difficulties, the Westphals gave their backing and support to the school.

The Westphals also began the first school in the province of Entre Ríos, Argentina. In the plots of land rented from the Racedos, near the Ander Egg waterfall, still in 1901 there lived the families Roscher, Bernhardt, Keip, Brunner, brothers Jorge and Federico Maier, while others had already moved.55 There taught the first Adventist teacher in Entre Ríos: Ana Saller.56 Her daughter Ema mentioned that her mother was transferred to the school in Crespo by the Westphals. She arrived with part of her furniture from Buenos Aires and was introduced to the good brethren, who in that time lived in very humble abodes.57 She was a widow of only 27 year with three small children under her care.58 the school was open during 1896-1989, until Anna Suller married the widow Jorge Lust, that by that time had already offered the first lands of what today is the campus of the Universidad Adventista del Plata.59

Frank Westphal placed his decided interest in the emergence of the current Universidad Adventista del Plata. At a general meeting of Adventists held in Crespo, Entre Ríos, at the end of September of 1898, with the presence of missionaries and the brethren that were able to attend, at the beginning of the last session, a young Luis Ernst arrived from Nueva Helvecia, Uruguay, with the purpose of attending an Adventist college. This had such an impact on the delegates that they decided to begin a school to train future missionaries.60

School activity in 1899 took place in Las Tunas, Santa Fe. With great efforts and trusting God, on April 20, 1900, classes began in Entre Ríos, in the 17 hectares donated by neighbor Jorge Lust.61 Egil H. Wensell wrote: “It was proper to give Francisco Westphal the title of father of the River Plate Adventist College. It can be said that, also, that he was the first teacher as Luis Ernst was the first student.”62

When Frank Westphal returned to the United States, it was his brother, pastor Joseph W. Westphal, who arrived to the college on October 8, 1901, with his family, when there was only one building.63 He supported resolutely the development of the college by living in the same place during 1901-1927.64

Just like in Argentina, Frank Westphal was an active participant in the origins of the current Chile Adventist University. In 1901, Carlos E. Krieghoff offered as donation his family property for the building of a school, realized the following year by giving 20 hectares located in Púa.65 On his arrival, Westphal “gave decided support to the creation of the school,” bringing along donations from his country and Argentina.66 There in Púa, on August 6, 1905, was born the youngest daughter of the Westphals, Grace Hazel.67 In a tour with Eduardo Thomann, Westphal sold 22 volumes of Christ’s Object Lessons by Ellen G. White, setting the money aside for the future college.68

On April 15, 1906, began the first school year, Carlos Krieghoff being the dean and teacher and his wife was the girls’ dean.69 In 1907, Westphal wrote he was teaching in Spanish classes of Spanish, Bible and general History “along with the work of the Conference.”70 During the years Westphal stayed in Chile, he kept steady his backing and support for the college.

Frank and Mary Westphal gave a valuable contribution to medical activity backing the academic training of their son Carlos Edgardo Westphal (1890-1965), realized after seven years of study with his graduation from the Chile University as physician on August 18, 1919.71

Dr. Marcelo Hammerly, who succeeded Dr. Carlos Westphal when he retired, stated:

In 1920 came to work to the River Plate Sanitarium and Hospital, institution he served during 35 years. El Dr. Westphal worked with Dr. Roberto Habenicht, but when Dr. Roberto Habenicht had to return to the United States, he took up the responsibility of director of the Sanitarium until March 1955.

During a period of 15 years he was the authorized physician of the Sanitarium, he had to act in a difficult time of economic crisis that devastated the country with the rest of the world in 1930 and the following years. One of the great merits is to have kept alive the Sanitarium, with much struggle, during that period.

Pioneer whose noble character, medical calling, spirit of sacrifice and life devoted to the study of the Sacred Scriptures can confirm all of us who know him well.72

Qualities and Motivation

Héctor J. Peverini stated that by sending Frank Westphal, the challenge was that he be “a man having conditions of an authentic pioneer, humble, sincere and determined, a really decent person, that would not back down in the desert nor sink in the sea; that respected the humble and would not fear the great, that loved his neighbor and trusted in God.”73

Joseph W. Westphal wrote of his brother Frank the “he was an ardent missionary from the beginning of his spiritual experience”.74 Ignacio Kalbermatter stated that “good pastor Westphal... was very prudent”.75 Santiago Mangold declared that he “was a very devoted and persuasive man” and Guilherme Stein mentioned once that he “was a really holy man, without a hint of pretense.”76

Although he initially did not know neither the Portuguese nor the Spanish language, he was able to convey clearly and guided by God the great Biblical truths, using appropriately the English and German languages. He spent a long time until using the first phrases in the local language.77

One of the first sessions of the South American Union held in 1918 in Lo Espejo, Chile. Among the sitting, center, stands out Frank Westphal.

It was his duty to be superintendent in charge of the development of the church in the east coast of South America (1894-1901), that comprised Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay; the in the west coast of the same continent (1904-1907) that comprised the countries of Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru, and later on as president of the la Chile Conference (1907-1918). However, administrative tasks did not divert nor stop him from the urgency and undivided dedication to evangelizing and preaching. During many years he kept a system of three daily meetings to share the study of the Bible: at 9 a.m., in the afternoon and in the night. Thus, happened in Crespo, in San Cristóbal, with the Kalbermatters and in many other places.78 He made of personal relationship without distinction of persons a clear line of action and behavior.

He taught to sing, pray and study the Bible as a powerful means to worship.79 One of his favorite hymns, that he translated into Spanish and personally sang in his morning missionary visits, was “Lord, in the morning thou shalt hear my voice ascending high; to thee will I direct my prayer, to thee lift up mine eye.”80 Situations of difficulty and physical risk did not weaken his dedication, but enabled him to value the way God transformed those facts for good.81

His brother, Joseph W. Westphal, being the president of the church in the present church territory of the South American Division and then of the Austral Union (that included Argentina, Chile, Paraguay and Uruguay), both had an appropriate relation with the mission of the church and of deep family warmth. Frank, in closing a letter to José, he stated affectionately, “your brother with much love”.82

With his wife, Mary, they developed coordinated action; she was an effective partner in missionary action and Sabbath School.83 She “was with him in spirit and soul in his ambitions and work”.84 Westphal also valued actions carried out by the brethren and missionaries with whom he shared the years spent in South America.85

It is said that pastor Westphal “talked with such conviction and fervor that the coming of Christ seemed to be about to happen, at the door”;86 that rallied and stimulated his action. It can be stated that Frank Westphal has a significant place in the beginnings and following years of Adventism in South America. His surrender to God, his virtues and his resolution will always be a guide for new generations in the evangelizing mission stipulated by Jesús for his disciples.

Frank H. Westphal and his family. His wife, María Thurston, and his children: Carlos E. Westphal, who was director of the River Plate Adventist Sanitarium and Hospital (standing in center); to his right, Grace Westphal, and to his left, Ruth Westphal.

1 Arthur E. Thomann, “Progress Report”, The Westphal Family Letter 3, No. 2 (1962): 100; this material is found in the personal archive of the author of this article. The Westphal family tree covers from the year 1780 until 1962. It allows to know diverse data from Frederick Westphal, grandfather of Frank H. and Joseph W. Westphal. In the year 2005 it was updated. F. H. Westphal died on February 24, 1944, in Glendale, California.

2 Enrique J. Westphal, “The 1879 Backround”, Centennial-New London Church (document, May 12, 1979), 4. There is a copy of this document in the personal archive of the author.

3 Ibid. Pastor J. W. Westphal, on December 14, 1943, and his children, pastors Arturo Leroy in 1953 and Enrique in 1979 wrote about family history and its relationship with the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

4 SDAE (1966), see “Westphal, Frank Henry”.

5 “Delegados que asistieron al Congreso de Minneapolis [Delegates Attending the Minneapolis Congress]”, Ministerio Adventista 36, No. 212 (March-June 1988): 46. Westphal was one of the 96 delegates. The subject dealt with was justification by faith. N. Z. Town and F. H. Westphal, “Argentina”, The General Conference Bulletin 4, No. 14 (April 18, 1901): 324. The 1901 session was dedicated to a worldwide reorganization of the church.

6 Carlos Edgardo Westphal (1890-1965) is buried in Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos, Argentina, in the local cemetery, row 18, grave 17 (his wife, Amalia Schimpf, is buried in row 18, grave 18); Elena and Earl are in the British Chacarita Cemetery, City of Buenos Aires, Argentina, Road 37, 2 C grave 12. Earl died on June 15, 1899 (Registro Civil de la Capital, República Argentina, No. 188), “at half past nine in the night was born in his residence a male and is dead.” F. H. Westphal was the witness. Mary V. Thurston died on October 27, 1931, in Glendale, California, USA. F. H. Westphal married again to Miss Dena Barr (1866-1952) on May 30, 1934.

7 F. H. Westphal, service record written by himself on August 22, 1930, in Los Ángeles, California.

8 Ibid.

9 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 1-5. The territory of the South American Division covers Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru and Uruguay. F. H. Westphal, “Journey to Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic”, Review and Herald 71, No. 41 (Oct. 16, 1894): 645.

10 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 5-6.

11 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 56-57; F. H. Westphal, “Argentine Republic”, Review and Herald 71, No. 43 (Oct. 30, 1894): 678. Notes he also went on September 18, 1894, to San Cristóbal, Santa Fe. The Crespo Church, that is in the countryside, was the first to be organized in the territory of the South American Division.

12 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 5-6.

13 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 56-57; Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 12; F. H. Westphal, “Argentina, South America”, Review and Herald 73, No. 48 (Dec. 1, 1896, supplement): 3. F. H. Westphal, together with Johannes Mangold, in August of 1896, went from San Cristóbal to Ripamonte, Lehmann and Felicia, Santa Fe province. Federico Mangold, “Algunas anotaciones de la familia Mangold [Some Annotations of the Mangold Family]”, (family biographic notes, June 28, 1956), 12. In Ripamonte, Johannes visited a “relative” Guillermo Mangold. On August 6, 1896, F. H. Westphal baptized the parents, Guillermo and Elizabeth, and the children: Elisa, Santiago and Ana.

14 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, chapters 1 and 2; R. B. Craig, “South American”, Review and Herald 71, No. 51 (Dec. 25, 1894): 805. Correspondence dated Friday, November 1, 1894, mentioning that the organization of the Buenos Aires Church took place two weeks before. F. H. Westphal, “Argentina”, Review and Herald 72, No. 4 (Jan. 22, 1895): 54.

15 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 17-18; Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 59.

16 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 22-24. F. W. Westphal arrived at Brusque on May 30, 1895. A week later, on June 8, eight people were baptized in the Itajaî-Mirim River. Three days later, in Gaspar Alto, another 15 people. The first church in Brazil was organized with the 23 recently baptized people. Associação Catarinense da Igreja Adventista do Sétimo Dia, 100 anos de fe, pionerismo e missão [100 Years of Faith, Pioneerism and Mission] (São Paulo, BR: Casa Editora Brasileira, 2006), 26.

17 N. Z. Town and F. H. Westphal, “Argentina”, General Conference Bulletin 4, No. 14, (April 16, 1901): 328. F. H. Westphal mentioned that in Brusque he organized “a 23-member church”. F. H. Westphal, “Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina”, Review and Herald 72, No. 40 (Oct. 1, 1895): 636; F. H. Westphal, “Brusque, Brasil”, Home Missionary Supplement (Oct. 1895): 1; Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 23-24.

18 Helen Westphal, second daughter of Frank Westphal and Mary Thurston, was born in New London, Wisconsin, USA, on December 7, 1893, and died on June 15, 1895, in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina (Registro Civil de la Capital, Novena Sección, República Argentina, No. 953). The decease occurred at 0:30 a.m. on June 15, 1895, in his residence located in the street Australia n.n. The witness was Juan Mc Carthy, of English nationality and 28 years old. John Mc Carthy, “Obituary Notices”, Review and Herald 72, No. 33 (Aug. 13, 1895): 527; Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 25-26.

19 Wasiuk, Reseña histórica de la Iglesia Adventista…, 8; F. H. Westphal, “Uruguay”, Review and Herald 72, No. 41 (Oct. 8, 1895): 652.

20 John Mc Carthy, “Echoes from South America”, The Home Missionary 8, No. 4 (April 1896): 89-90; F. H. Westphal, “South America, Argentine and Uruguay”, Review and Herald 73, No. 27 (July 7, 1896): 424-425.

21 F. H. Westphal, “Argentine and Uruguay”, Review and Herald 74, No. 6 (Feb. 9, 1897): 89.

22 Vuilleumier and Mc Carthy, “Argentina”, Review and Herald 74, No. 24 (June 15, 1897): 379. The Felicia Church was organized on April 10 with 20 members and the next Sabbath, April 17, a church was organized in Las Tunas comprising 12 members.

23 F. H. Westphal, “Argentina”, Review and Herald 74, No. 24 (June 15, 1897): 378-379; L. Brooking, “Argentina”, Review and Herald 74, No. 32 (Aug. 10, 1897): 509.

24 Westphal, “Argentina”, 507.

25 Ignacio Kalbermatter, “El principio de la Iglesia en Portugalete y San Cristóbal [The Beginning of the Church in Portugalete and San Cristóbal]”, 4-5; this material is in the personal archive of the author of this article as biographic notes of the family and church. Ignacio Kalbermatter (1878-1952) worked as pastor in Paraguay, Bolivia, Peru, Argentina.

26 L. Brooking, “In perils of waters in Argentina”, Review and Herald 74, No. 24 (June 15, 1987): 379.

27 John Mc Carthy, “Argentina”, Review and Herald 74, No. 52 (Dec. 28, 1897): 832.

28 John Mc Carthy, “Argentina”, Review and Herald 75, No. 16 (April 19, 1898): 255.

29 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 69-70; “Brief mention”, The Missionary Magazine 12, No. 9 (Sep. 1900): 430-431.

30 “Notas [Notes]”, El faro, August 1900, 23, quoted in Brown, “A Historical Study of the Seventh Day Adventist Church in Austral South America”, 1:106.

31 “Editorial” (col. 2, para. 3), Review and Herald 77, No. 40 (Oct. 2, 1900): 640.

32 Utz, “Origen y desarrollo de la Iglesia Adventista en Paraguay”, 18; E. W. Snyder, “Asunción, Paraguay”, The Missionary Magazine 14, No. 1 (Jan. 1902): 41; E. W. Snyder, “The Work in Paraguay”, Review and Herald 78, No. 24 (June 11, 1901): 382.

33 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 65.

34 Westphal, Sustentation Fund Application (Service Record) (August 22, 1930). It is a record made by F. H. Westphal himself, with data regarding his family and career; Zambra Ríos, No con ejército…, 82; F. H. Westphal, “Chile”, Review and Herald 82, No. 9 (March 2, 1905): 15; F. H. Westphal and Carlos E. Krieghoff, “Chanco”, La Revista Adventista 5, No. 2 (Feb. 1905): 6.

35 F. H. Westphal, “The West Coast of South America”, General Conference Bulletin 7, No. 14 (June 1, 1913): 212. The date of organization was June 15, 1912 (SDAE [1996], see “Ecuador”).

36 Wensell, Semblanza de un misionero adventista, 10-11 and 18; Paul E. Wensell, “Aquellos tiempos […]”, La Revista Adventista 104, No. 3 (March 2004): 28.

37 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 102-103.

38 Ibid., 2, 4, 6, 20-21, 29, 35, 61, 79, 101, 103, 110, 113, 115, 129-130.

39 Santiago Lust (1900–1986), interview by Eugenio Di Dionisio in 1975 to the seventh son of Jorge Lust, who donated the first lands for what today is the Universidad Adventista del Plata.

40 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 141.

41 Ibid., 4, 21, 68, 86, 92, 114.

42 J. W. Westphal, “The Organization of the Chile Conference”, Review and Herald 84, No. 27 (July 4, 1907): 15; E. W. Thomann, “Bolivia”, Review and Herald 86, No. 3 (Jan. 21, 1909): 16; F. H. Westphal, “The West Coast of South America”, 212.

43 N. Z. Town, “Buenos Aires”, Review and Herald 74, No. 32 (Aug. 10, 1897): 507; Meyers, Reseña de los comienzos de la obra en Sudamérica, 16.

44 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, chapter 11.

45 Ibid., 123.

46 Westphal, “Argentina”, 378.

47 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 7-8.

48 Ibid., 46.

49 Kalbermatter, “El Principio de la Iglesia…”, 4.

50 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 99.

51 F. H. Westphal, letter to W. C. White, January 7, 1909, Pitrufquén, Chile.

52 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 85-86.

53 Ibid.

54 Ibid., 25-26.

55 Arturo Leroy Westphal, letter to Eugenio Di Dionisio, October 5, 1978, Modesto, California.

56 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 106.

57 Ema Saller, letter to Eugenio Di Dionisio, June 15, 1982, Mar del Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

58 Eugenio Di Dionisio, family tree of the Lusts, 2008. Personal archive of the author.

59 Arturo Leroy Westphal, letter to Eugenio Di Dionisio, October 5, 1978, Modesto, California.

60 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 31-32.

61 Town and Westphal, “Argentina”, General Conference Bulletin 4, No. 14 (April 18, 1901), 325; Wensell, El poder de una esperanza, 62; Arturo Leroy Westphal, letter to Eugenio Di Dionisio, September 3, 1973, Modesto, California. On January 15, 1899, Amalia Gross died (1863-1899), wife of Jorge Lust (1856-1929), their children Emilia, Alejandro, María, Amalia, Jorge and Lydia were part of the inheritance and deed registration process of the donated lands.

62 Wensell, El poder de una esperanza, 62.

63 Arturo Leroy Westphal, letters to Eugenio Di Dionisio, June 11, 1974, and October 19, 1978, Modesto, California.

64 Heriberto Westphal, interview by Eugenio Di Dionisio on April 16, 2006, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

65 Zambra Ríos, No con ejército…, 96-104.

66 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 132; Conferencia del Río de la Plata, Registro de informes, Gualeguay, Entre Ríos, Argentina (Oct. 1907), 85. These documents are in the personal file of the author.

67 Arturo Thomann, Supplement to the Westphal Family Letter 3, No. 2 (May 1962), 100-101; this material is filed in the personal archive of the author of this work.

68 F. H. Westphal, “Iquique y las Pampas, Antofagasta y Copiapó”, La Revista Adventista 5, No. 8 (Aug. 1905): 10.

69 F. H. Westphal, “Noticia”, La Revista Adventista 6, No. 3 (March 1906): 8; F. H. Westphal, “La Misión de la Costa Occidental [The West Coast Mission]”, La Revista Adventista 6, No. 9 (Sep. 1906): 4-5.

70 F. H. Westphal, “Chile, South America”, Review and Herald 84, No. 33 (Aug. 15, 1907): 18-19.

71 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 125-127: Registro de Servicios de Carlos Edgardo Westphal, Unión Austral de la Iglesia Adventista del Séptimo Día (Sep. 14, 1953). This is the personal, family and service record. He was physician (November 1919 to March 1923) and director (March 1923 to March 1955) of the River Plate Adventist Sanatorium and Hospital, Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos, Argentina.

72 Marcelo Hammerly, “Necrología”, La Revista Adventista 65, No. 7 (1965): 19.

73 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 53.

74 J. W. Westphal, “Genealogy of the Westphal-Maas Family, beginning with Gustave Westphal and Henrietta Maas Westphal” (Dec. 14, 1943), 6. Biographic notes of the family.

75 Kalbermatter, “El principio de la Iglesia…”, 4-5.

76 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 57; Renato Gross, Colegio Internacional de Curitiba [Curitiba International College] (Rio de Janeiro, BR: Collins Editora, 1996), 25.

77 Plenc, Misioneros en Sudamérica, 33.

78 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 5-6, 40-41; Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 58.

79 Wasiuk, Reseña histórica de la Iglesia Adventista…, 9.

80 It is hymn No. 47 of the Himnario Adventista [Adventist Hymnal] (Florida oeste, AR: Asociación Casa Editora Sudamericana, 2009).

81 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 6-7, 24.

82 F. H. Westphal, letter to J. W. Westphal of 1908, Santiago, Chile.

83 F. H. Westphal, service record (1930).

84 Westphal, “Genealogy of the Westphal-Maas Family…”, 6.

85 Westphal, Hasta el fin del mundo, 57-58.

86 Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia, 59.