In Memoriam
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Pastor Fritz Sylvan
Anyone who knew pastor Fritz understood his love of
conversation, his great sense of humor, his compassion, and
how much he loves his ministry. He was the pastor of the district
of Lori for thirty five years. He spent countless hours ministering
to young people, couples, unsaved, and his family. He set an
example for all other pastors and us with his selfless ways, his
generosity and his sacrifice. He died of a heart attack on
December 16th, and his funeral was on for December 23rd. He
left a wife and 5 children. Pastor Fritz will be missed by the
entire faith mission family.
Anyone who knew pastor Fritz understood his love of
conversation, his great sense of humor, his compassion, and
how much he loves his ministry. He was the pastor of the district
of Lori for thirty five years. He spent countless hours ministering
to young people, couples, unsaved, and his family. He set an
example for all other pastors and us with his selfless ways, his
generosity and his sacrifice. He died of a heart attack on
December 16th, and his funeral was on for December 23rd. He
left a wife and 5 children. Pastor Fritz will be missed by the
entire faith mission family.
| Pastor Jack Robbins |
Pastor Marcelin St Jean
Pastor in Jeremie
Pastor in Jeremie
Doris Correll
Doris and Gene were invited to Haiti in 1984. While there they had a burden to return to the Mission field of
Mission par la Foi in Jeremie. Haiti, and become missionaries for the mission. Doris and Gene returned few
months later, but before they returned Doris prayed and asked the Lord to give her the gift of Creole
language. She was very dedicated to learn the language as she knew they were the only ones that would be
on the field and that she would not always have an interpreter to speak for her. The Lord granted her
prayers, and she was able to speak and relate to the Haitian people. Doris had a true love for the people in
Haiti, especially the children. They all came to know her as Madame Gene.
Doris and I spent many times together in Haiti, mostly in the kitchen preparing food for the work groups,
beds to get ready, meal to serve, and cookies for the children. Quite time came late at night many times, but
there was always time for the Lord, reading the Bible, studying books, journals, witnessing, and praying for
health and strength to serve Him another day, and to serve the people in Haiti. Her love for the people in
Haiti was a large part of her life, even until she went to be with the Lord.
Doris was loved by all they knew her. She was an inspiration, a servant, counselor, prayer warrior, mom,
cool, good listener, teacher, and most of all a friend. She set an example for all of us with her selfless ways,
her generosity, and her sacrifice.
~ Linda Hollinsheads
Doris and Gene were invited to Haiti in 1984. While there they had a burden to return to the Mission field of
Mission par la Foi in Jeremie. Haiti, and become missionaries for the mission. Doris and Gene returned few
months later, but before they returned Doris prayed and asked the Lord to give her the gift of Creole
language. She was very dedicated to learn the language as she knew they were the only ones that would be
on the field and that she would not always have an interpreter to speak for her. The Lord granted her
prayers, and she was able to speak and relate to the Haitian people. Doris had a true love for the people in
Haiti, especially the children. They all came to know her as Madame Gene.
Doris and I spent many times together in Haiti, mostly in the kitchen preparing food for the work groups,
beds to get ready, meal to serve, and cookies for the children. Quite time came late at night many times, but
there was always time for the Lord, reading the Bible, studying books, journals, witnessing, and praying for
health and strength to serve Him another day, and to serve the people in Haiti. Her love for the people in
Haiti was a large part of her life, even until she went to be with the Lord.
Doris was loved by all they knew her. She was an inspiration, a servant, counselor, prayer warrior, mom,
cool, good listener, teacher, and most of all a friend. She set an example for all of us with her selfless ways,
her generosity, and her sacrifice.
~ Linda Hollinsheads
Esther Marie Rosentrater Rocourt
Born to Fred & Mildred Rosentrater, of Tabor, Iowa, on August 14, 1917, their second
child and only daughter. She had four brothers: David the oldest, and three younger –
Paul, John, & James. A baby sister, born premature after James, lived only a few days.
Fred Rosentrater was a leader in his community and at the local Bible school. As an electrician & plumber,
he was responsible for keeping everything mechanical in good functioning order. As a printer, he produced all
the curriculum materials for the school and the tracts & pamphlets distributed by the evangelists &
missionaries. He & Mildred grew crops and raised animals to help feed the students & staff at the school, in
addition to their own family. In his spare time, Fred traveled by horse & buggy to revivals and tent meetings,
preaching the gospel. Quite often Esther and her brother Paul accompanied him with their guitar & accordion
to provided special music. Music was taught at an early age and all students were expected to play multiple
instruments very well.
Esther was born and raised at the Hephzibah Faith Missionary Bible School & Seminary campus at Tabor,
Iowa, graduating from their elementary, high school, and Seminary College. After graduation she taught high
school & college English until God called her to the mission field.
Her missionary journey began on January 20, 1942 at the age of 24. Her 1st assignment was to the Bahamas
as a nanny and home-school teacher for a missionary family. She was later re-assigned to Haiti along with a
former Hephzibah classmate, Marie Young. They arrived in Haiti just before Christmas 1943.
Esther & Marie taught music & English, supervised the children, and helped with administrative duties in the
mission’s school. A local preacher, Robert Rocourt, who spoke broken English, was given the job of
teaching French, Creole, and Haitian customs to the new missionaries.
Several months later, Robert left a note on Esther’s desk saying he loved her and that she should pray for
God’s will in her life. She writes in her autobiography, I’d Do It Again, “I was upset! I was the missionary,
and HE was telling ME to pray for God’s will? I was the one who was suppose to know all about God’s will.
I thought he had a lot of nerve.”
“…It never occurred to me that he was in love with me.”
“…I would have to go directly against what I had been taught; you never marry a national of the country
where you are a missionary. That is a definite No-No. It would mean saying good-bye to all that I had been
used to and adopting a new way of life for the rest of my life.”
In spite of dismissal from Hephzibah Faith Mission and opposition from both their families, Esther Marie
Rosentrater and Robert George Rocourt were united in marriage on December 23, 1945 in Tabor, Iowa.
Afterwards, they lived in Chicago where Robert studied & worked at the Chicago Evangelistic Institute
(CEI), and Esther studied nursing and worked at a near by hospital, until Robert graduated and was ordained
as a minister.
While at CEI, the Lord revealed His will for their return to mission work in Haiti. Applications to numerous
church organizations met obstacles. Feeling desperate, “…we decided to stay on our knees until we heard
from God”, Esther wrote, “His answer was Jeremiah 15:19-21. …God, Himself, was calling us. He would
be our mission board, and we were to answer to Him, not to man.” And the name shall be Faith Holiness
Mission.
They returned to Haiti in July 1946. Her book says, “…boarded the Standard Fruit & Banana Company
boat in New Orleans for St Marc, Haiti. We were on the boat four days. We landed in Haiti with $4. We
found a truck that would take us to Port-au-Prince for $6. What a way to start a new life on the mission field
- $2 in debt.”
Lodging was found on top of a mountain, Montagnac, where Robert was to supervise an agricultural program
connected with Standard Fruit & Banana Co. and the Reynolds Company. Esther writes, “We took the truck
to the foot of the mountain where Montagnac was. That was the end of the road. We got our luggage and
groceries and started (to walk) up the mountain. It was a forty-five minute climb. We reached the top and our
guide told us, “now you are here.”
“HERE”, I exclaimed. I saw nothing but trees, brush, and bushes. He pointed to the East “your house is over
there.” All I could see was a grass-roofed hut. THAT couldn’t be our new home. He answered, “Yes, that is
it.” Then I was reminded that one time I told Robert I would be willing to live with him ANYWHERE under
ANY kind of condition. Now I was faced with reality. Would I stand the test?”
They lived in THAT hut, farmed the land, planted coffee & cocoa, and started ‘Mission Par la Foi’ by
sharing the word of God and bringing one sole at a time to salvation. Later, they built a much larger &
stronger home. The walls, still made of woven sticks, were plastered to provide better shelter from the rain. It
still had a thatched roof but the floor was cement instead of dirt - a welcomed improvement for the expecting
parents. The larger home also served as a place of worship where the Gospel was preached and hymns were
sang. Esther’s accordion fascinated the local people whose only prior exposure to music was voodoo drums.
To Robert & Esther, 3 girls were born: Micheline, Esther, and Adelaide.
As a family they weathered many trials and tribulations. There were hurricanes, floods, drought, typhoid,
malaria, other challenges, and voodoo. Their lives were often threatened. Political unrest caused evacuation,
exile, and family separation.
But Robert & Esther’s faith and their commitment to God remained steadfast.
Mission Par la Foi grew & flourished. Wherever they went, they sowed seeds of kindness, seeds of hope,
and seeds of salvation through Jesus Christ. Churches, preachers, & congregations multiplied just like the
crops they planted on Montagnac - and their harvest was mighty. By 1965, the coffee & cocoa exports
supported most of the mission’s building & expansion projects. Other crops fed the mission staff, plus 23
orphans & 12 Bible School students. And Esther’s medical program held clinics three times a week, in
various villages on market day.
On January 22, 1966, Robert was returning from a business trip to Port-a-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The
plane took on extra cargo at its stop in Les Cayes. The overloaded aircraft could not gain altitude to clear a
mountain range. The Lord called his dedicated servant,‘Pastor Rocourt’, home to his early reward.
Esther writes, “The memorial service was held at the headquarters church, Peniel Chapel. This had been his
last construction project and had been dedicated nearly a month before. There were government officials,
heads of departments of state, church leaders both Catholic and Protestant, Robert’s spiritual children from
his years of service, and hundreds of friends both rich and poor, plus several of his family members. It was a
sad time for us all. I was so grateful to all who stood by so faithfully in those days of shock, bewilderment,
and loss. A special thanks for those who laid aside their own loss and sorrow to comfort me.”
In February 1967, the Haitian government granted permission and Robert’s body was moved from the
mountain crash site to the headquarters of Mission Par la Foi. He was laid to rest under the mango tree, next
to Peniel Chapel. And there he patiently awaited his faithful bride.
Esther remained committed to the Lord’s work, and Mission Par la Foi. Except for a short furlough of
deputation after Robert went home, she remained active on the mission field – saving one sole at a time,
feeding one mouth at a time, sponsoring one school child at a time, and doing whatever the Lord asked of
her. Because of declining health and mobility, her family requested she return to the United States. Esther
reluctantly complied in March 1998.
Initially, she lived in Round Rock, Texas near her brother, David. Six months later, the Lord called him home.
In the spring of 1999, Esther became very ill. After eight months of hospitalization in Texas, she moved to St.
Paul, Minnesota in February 2000 to convalesce near her daughters, Esther & Adelaide. She thoroughly
enjoyed ‘assisted living’ at Central Towers Presbyterian Home where she continued her ministry, spreading
God love and His message of hope and salvation.
Esther fell asleep and sometime before dawn on September 22, 2005, the Holy Spirit descended from
Heaven and said to her, “Well done, good and faithful servant; …enter thou into the joy of they lord.”
Matthew 25:23.
Esther devoted her entire life to spreading the gospel and brightening the world wherever she was. She kept
her promise to Robert and to God. She “lived ANYWHERE and under ANY kind of condition” – a
missionary to the very end.
In accordance to her notarized last will & testament, her family returned Esther to Mission Par la Foi (any
way possible). Delegates and choirs from every district & church gathered to celebrate her life well lived.
After receiving a tribute fit for a queen, Esther Marie Rosentrater Rocourt was laid to rest on November 5,
2005 under the mango tree, near Peniel Chapel, next to her beloved Robert, in Jeremie, Haiti.
Born to Fred & Mildred Rosentrater, of Tabor, Iowa, on August 14, 1917, their second
child and only daughter. She had four brothers: David the oldest, and three younger –
Paul, John, & James. A baby sister, born premature after James, lived only a few days.
Fred Rosentrater was a leader in his community and at the local Bible school. As an electrician & plumber,
he was responsible for keeping everything mechanical in good functioning order. As a printer, he produced all
the curriculum materials for the school and the tracts & pamphlets distributed by the evangelists &
missionaries. He & Mildred grew crops and raised animals to help feed the students & staff at the school, in
addition to their own family. In his spare time, Fred traveled by horse & buggy to revivals and tent meetings,
preaching the gospel. Quite often Esther and her brother Paul accompanied him with their guitar & accordion
to provided special music. Music was taught at an early age and all students were expected to play multiple
instruments very well.
Esther was born and raised at the Hephzibah Faith Missionary Bible School & Seminary campus at Tabor,
Iowa, graduating from their elementary, high school, and Seminary College. After graduation she taught high
school & college English until God called her to the mission field.
Her missionary journey began on January 20, 1942 at the age of 24. Her 1st assignment was to the Bahamas
as a nanny and home-school teacher for a missionary family. She was later re-assigned to Haiti along with a
former Hephzibah classmate, Marie Young. They arrived in Haiti just before Christmas 1943.
Esther & Marie taught music & English, supervised the children, and helped with administrative duties in the
mission’s school. A local preacher, Robert Rocourt, who spoke broken English, was given the job of
teaching French, Creole, and Haitian customs to the new missionaries.
Several months later, Robert left a note on Esther’s desk saying he loved her and that she should pray for
God’s will in her life. She writes in her autobiography, I’d Do It Again, “I was upset! I was the missionary,
and HE was telling ME to pray for God’s will? I was the one who was suppose to know all about God’s will.
I thought he had a lot of nerve.”
“…It never occurred to me that he was in love with me.”
“…I would have to go directly against what I had been taught; you never marry a national of the country
where you are a missionary. That is a definite No-No. It would mean saying good-bye to all that I had been
used to and adopting a new way of life for the rest of my life.”
In spite of dismissal from Hephzibah Faith Mission and opposition from both their families, Esther Marie
Rosentrater and Robert George Rocourt were united in marriage on December 23, 1945 in Tabor, Iowa.
Afterwards, they lived in Chicago where Robert studied & worked at the Chicago Evangelistic Institute
(CEI), and Esther studied nursing and worked at a near by hospital, until Robert graduated and was ordained
as a minister.
While at CEI, the Lord revealed His will for their return to mission work in Haiti. Applications to numerous
church organizations met obstacles. Feeling desperate, “…we decided to stay on our knees until we heard
from God”, Esther wrote, “His answer was Jeremiah 15:19-21. …God, Himself, was calling us. He would
be our mission board, and we were to answer to Him, not to man.” And the name shall be Faith Holiness
Mission.
They returned to Haiti in July 1946. Her book says, “…boarded the Standard Fruit & Banana Company
boat in New Orleans for St Marc, Haiti. We were on the boat four days. We landed in Haiti with $4. We
found a truck that would take us to Port-au-Prince for $6. What a way to start a new life on the mission field
- $2 in debt.”
Lodging was found on top of a mountain, Montagnac, where Robert was to supervise an agricultural program
connected with Standard Fruit & Banana Co. and the Reynolds Company. Esther writes, “We took the truck
to the foot of the mountain where Montagnac was. That was the end of the road. We got our luggage and
groceries and started (to walk) up the mountain. It was a forty-five minute climb. We reached the top and our
guide told us, “now you are here.”
“HERE”, I exclaimed. I saw nothing but trees, brush, and bushes. He pointed to the East “your house is over
there.” All I could see was a grass-roofed hut. THAT couldn’t be our new home. He answered, “Yes, that is
it.” Then I was reminded that one time I told Robert I would be willing to live with him ANYWHERE under
ANY kind of condition. Now I was faced with reality. Would I stand the test?”
They lived in THAT hut, farmed the land, planted coffee & cocoa, and started ‘Mission Par la Foi’ by
sharing the word of God and bringing one sole at a time to salvation. Later, they built a much larger &
stronger home. The walls, still made of woven sticks, were plastered to provide better shelter from the rain. It
still had a thatched roof but the floor was cement instead of dirt - a welcomed improvement for the expecting
parents. The larger home also served as a place of worship where the Gospel was preached and hymns were
sang. Esther’s accordion fascinated the local people whose only prior exposure to music was voodoo drums.
To Robert & Esther, 3 girls were born: Micheline, Esther, and Adelaide.
As a family they weathered many trials and tribulations. There were hurricanes, floods, drought, typhoid,
malaria, other challenges, and voodoo. Their lives were often threatened. Political unrest caused evacuation,
exile, and family separation.
But Robert & Esther’s faith and their commitment to God remained steadfast.
Mission Par la Foi grew & flourished. Wherever they went, they sowed seeds of kindness, seeds of hope,
and seeds of salvation through Jesus Christ. Churches, preachers, & congregations multiplied just like the
crops they planted on Montagnac - and their harvest was mighty. By 1965, the coffee & cocoa exports
supported most of the mission’s building & expansion projects. Other crops fed the mission staff, plus 23
orphans & 12 Bible School students. And Esther’s medical program held clinics three times a week, in
various villages on market day.
On January 22, 1966, Robert was returning from a business trip to Port-a-Prince, the capital of Haiti. The
plane took on extra cargo at its stop in Les Cayes. The overloaded aircraft could not gain altitude to clear a
mountain range. The Lord called his dedicated servant,‘Pastor Rocourt’, home to his early reward.
Esther writes, “The memorial service was held at the headquarters church, Peniel Chapel. This had been his
last construction project and had been dedicated nearly a month before. There were government officials,
heads of departments of state, church leaders both Catholic and Protestant, Robert’s spiritual children from
his years of service, and hundreds of friends both rich and poor, plus several of his family members. It was a
sad time for us all. I was so grateful to all who stood by so faithfully in those days of shock, bewilderment,
and loss. A special thanks for those who laid aside their own loss and sorrow to comfort me.”
In February 1967, the Haitian government granted permission and Robert’s body was moved from the
mountain crash site to the headquarters of Mission Par la Foi. He was laid to rest under the mango tree, next
to Peniel Chapel. And there he patiently awaited his faithful bride.
Esther remained committed to the Lord’s work, and Mission Par la Foi. Except for a short furlough of
deputation after Robert went home, she remained active on the mission field – saving one sole at a time,
feeding one mouth at a time, sponsoring one school child at a time, and doing whatever the Lord asked of
her. Because of declining health and mobility, her family requested she return to the United States. Esther
reluctantly complied in March 1998.
Initially, she lived in Round Rock, Texas near her brother, David. Six months later, the Lord called him home.
In the spring of 1999, Esther became very ill. After eight months of hospitalization in Texas, she moved to St.
Paul, Minnesota in February 2000 to convalesce near her daughters, Esther & Adelaide. She thoroughly
enjoyed ‘assisted living’ at Central Towers Presbyterian Home where she continued her ministry, spreading
God love and His message of hope and salvation.
Esther fell asleep and sometime before dawn on September 22, 2005, the Holy Spirit descended from
Heaven and said to her, “Well done, good and faithful servant; …enter thou into the joy of they lord.”
Matthew 25:23.
Esther devoted her entire life to spreading the gospel and brightening the world wherever she was. She kept
her promise to Robert and to God. She “lived ANYWHERE and under ANY kind of condition” – a
missionary to the very end.
In accordance to her notarized last will & testament, her family returned Esther to Mission Par la Foi (any
way possible). Delegates and choirs from every district & church gathered to celebrate her life well lived.
After receiving a tribute fit for a queen, Esther Marie Rosentrater Rocourt was laid to rest on November 5,
2005 under the mango tree, near Peniel Chapel, next to her beloved Robert, in Jeremie, Haiti.
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