Commun ty Matters Wichita Presbyterian Manor
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August 21 National senior citizens day
July 2018
Evelyn Calderwood with a few of the reminders of the time she spent in Pakistan.
On a mission: Evelyn Calderwood’s career in Pakistan At the age of 25, resident Evelyn Calderwood and her husband, Don, were given the opportunity of a lifetime. “We were asked by the mission board of the Presbyterian church to go to Pakistan for five years and start a school for the children of missionaries. I don’t think we had an original plan. We were just going to do it and see how it turned out,” said Evelyn. They stayed for 34 years. The school was located in the foothills of the Himalayas and “was a beautiful setting. We had children of all denominations and nationalities. We started the school up to the eighth grade, and every year we added another grade, so that it eventually went up through high school.” Don started out as the principal of the school, but his role changed as the school grew. Evelyn focused her teaching on junior high math. PAKISTAN, continued on page 2
PAKISTAN, continued from page 1
“Usually when people hear ‘junior high’ and ‘math’ they throw up their hands. I often say, ‘junior high kids want to act like children, but be treated like adults.’ I really enjoyed teaching math. I’ve always enjoyed figuring out ways to make it understandable for kids.” Evelyn’s experience overseas taught her that there’s a big difference in teaching at a boarding school versus teaching at a public school—which she did for three years in Abilene before moving to Pakistan. “The actual classroom teaching wasn’t much different. The difference was that overseas we
were well-acquainted with not only the students but with their parents. We knew them on different levels because we were involved in all the activities with the kids because we lived with them.” Over time, the Calderwoods learned to speak the main Pakistani language, Urdu, and raised three children there. They also enjoyed escaping the Himalayas for warmer climates when the school went on winter break.
were so big the kids would take rides on them!” Evelyn’s path to becoming a teacher wasn’t quite as adventurous. “Back in those days, there were only two or three professions that educated women could do. One was teaching, one was nursing and the other was secretarial. I thought I would be a teacher, and after I started, I liked it.”
“In the winter, the Himalayas would get feet and feet of snow, so we had the whole winter as our summer vacation and then started school again in March.
Evelyn grew up in Kansas City, Kan., and was married to Don for almost 59 years before he passed away in 2015. Together, they had three sons, 11 grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.
“For vacation, we’d go down to the Indian Ocean and rent a beach hut with another family. The sea turtles
Today, Evelyn enjoys getting her fix of Pakistani food at the Passage to India restaurant in Wichita.
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Wichita Presbyterian Manor by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Learn more at PresbyterianManors.org. Courtney Wolfe, executive director Melody Dodge, marketing director To submit or suggest articles for this publication, contact Amy Watson, life enrichment director, awatson@pmma.org. Telephone: 316-942-7456 Fax: 316-941-3806 Address: 4700 W. 13th St., Wichita, KS 67212-5575
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Community Matters August 2018
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