Ward, Mae (Yoho)

OBITUARY: Deaths and Funerals - Rev. Mae Ward Ex-Missionary

The Rev. Mae Yoho Ward, 83, Foxwood Springs, Mo., formerly of Indianapolis, a retired executive of the Christian Church(Disciples of Christ), died yesterday in a Kansas City hospital.

Rev. Ward lived here more than 40 years, moving to Foxwood Springs 15 months ago.

Her 35-year service with the Disciples of Christ included representing the organization's United Christian Missionary Society as a missionary in Argentina. She was also executive secretary of the department of Latin America and the Caribbean and executive chairman of the division of world mission.

She was vice president of United Christian Missionary Society from 1961 to 1967, when she retired. She then was executive director of educational personnel for the Disciples of Christ's board of higher education.

Until recently, she continued to speak at churches across the country.

Rev. Ward served on numerous committees during her career, including the Disciples of Christ's restructure commission and committees for the National Council of Churches. She served on the first NCC committee to travel to California in support of migrant grape workers and helped register black voters in Mississippi in 1964.

She was a consultant at Evanston (Ill.) Assembly of World Churches and a delegate to New Delhi Assembly of the council. She served seven years on the WCC's theological education committee.
A graduate of Bethany College in West Virginia and Yale Divinity School, Rev. Ward also studied at Vanderbilt and Indiana universities. She received honorary doctorates from Culver Stockton College, Drake University and Bethany College.

"We have had no more effective or influential woman in our history." said Diane Steffer, a staff member of the Disciple of Christ's Division of Overseas Ministries, of Rev. Ward.

Memorial contributions may be made to Oberlin School, Jamaica, in care of the Division of Overseas Ministries, 222 S. Downey, Indianapolis, Ind. 46219.

A memorial service will be at 3 p.m. Sunday in Downey Avenue Christian Church, where she was an active member many years and held several offices.

Survivor, son, Donald Jeff Ward.
(Source: unknown newspaper, dated Friday, August 19, 1983, included a photograph - furnished by Donald Ward)