Voices of Holland’s Women Missionaries

Exhibition Related Program: “In Service to Others: A History of Holland’s Women Missionaries”

In connection with the museum’s newest exhibition In Service to Others: A History of Holland’s Women Missionaries, hear the real-life stories of former missionaries Judy Estell, Sarah Unzicker, Jeanette Beagley, and Kathleen Beal.

Watch the recorded program now!

This program took place on Thursday, August 25, 2022 at the Holland Museum

About the Presenters

Judy Estell

Judy Estell grew up in Falmouth, a small, rural town in northern Michigan. Two years after graduating from Hope College, she responded to God’s call to serve as a missionary to Taiwan and was sent by the Reformed Church in America. She taught missionary children in a one-room school, grades K-6, for three years, and then met and married Bill, a widower with four sons. Moving to where the family lived, Judy began teaching English and giving piano lessons at Yu-Shan Theological Seminary in Hualien, Taiwan, where her husband was a full-time faculty member. Bill and Judy had three daughters. Once the children were all in school, Judy taught English Bible studies at home, at the local YWCA and in a maximum-security prison. Throughout the years, the family enjoyed hosting many guests, both local and those from overseas. In the summer of 2013, she retired after having served in Taiwan for 42 years.

Sarah Unzicker

Sarah Unzicker grew up on a farm near Franklin, IN and in the American Baptist church. After graduating from Franklin College and getting her RN at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Sarah went to Casper, WY where she was commissioned by the American Baptists to go to Assam, India as a nurse. In 1962 at an ecumenical missionary linguistic training program in New Jersey, she met Bill, a graduate of Western Seminary who was going to Japan with the RCA. After they married, they left for Japan in 1963 eventually settling on Otaru, Hokkaido, the northern island. They were there until retirement in 1993. Sarah kept her nursing license and worked during their home assignments and after retirement from Japan as a visiting nurse and then at Rest Haven Care Center.

Jeanette Beagley-Koolhaas

Jeanette Beagley-Koolhaas is a Reformed Church in America ordained minister, a graduate of Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. Jeanette served as a missionary teacher in Taiwan, the years of service encompassed the years of 1978-1994 including several years as a volunteer. She served with her husband Alan as co-pastor of the Williston Park Reformed Church in New York from 1997-2003. Jeanette served as ThM program director at Western Theological Seminary from 2006-2014.

Kathleen Beal

Kathleen Beal is a graduate of Cornell College and taught ESL at Fort Steilacoom Community College, Mott Community College and the University of Colorado. She is also the author of 6 published series of ESL materials (16 books) for children and adults. During her last decade of teaching, she was a missionary with the United Methodist Church and served in Singapore as a teacher/counselor, South Korea as an English conversation instructor, and in the U.S. as a Peace with Justice educator. Kathy also served as a volunteer in Haiti, Costa Rica, and India.