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Photo Friday: Sunshades in the Summer

Arthur Climenhaga (far left) would eventually become president of Messiah and Upland Colleges, bishop of the Brethren in Christ Church in Zambia and Zimbabwe, executive director of the National Association of Evangelicals, and general secretary of the Brethren in Christ Church in North America. Here, as a youth, he and his brothers pose for a picture while growing up in Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe). (Courtesy of the Brethren in Christ Historical Library and Archives.)

Brethren in Christ missionaries John and Elizabeth (Smith) Climenhaga raised their three sons — Arthur, David, and Joel — in Southern Rhodesia (present-day Zimbabwe). Today’s Photo Friday installment shows the young trio in a moment of light-hearted revelry.

As their mother has captioned the picture: “Arthur has my sunshade [umbrella] which I used when a little girl. David and Joel have their Indian sunshades which Muslin got for me. They also have their topees [hats] on which we bought in Bombay.”

By the close of the summer, the two eldest boys had left for boarding school in Bulawayo.

For more on the early life and times of Arthur Climenhaga, including information about him and his brothers, see Harvey R. Sider, “Casting a Long Shadow: A Biography of Arthur Merlin Climenhaga,” Brethren in Christ History and Life 27 (August 2004).

2 responses to “Photo Friday: Sunshades in the Summer

  1. One other comment–Arthur was the only one of the brothers to go to boarding school. David never did, instead going to a missionary children’s school at Mtshabezi Mission.

    1. Thanks for the comments, KGMom. Since I was using Arthur’s biography as my source for this post, I must have misinterpreted the writer’s comments about boarding school as pertaining to all three children. I’ll make the correction.

      Glad to have you commenting on the blog and sharing your insights!

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