Lora Mae Toedter

Lora Mae "Mae" Toedter, 86, a resident of Presbyterian Homes in Bloomington, Minnesota, entered into the presence of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on July 14, 2026. Throughout her life she was guided by a quiet but steadfast conviction that every person should have the opportunity to read God's Word in their own language. That conviction shaped the course of more than three decades of service with Wycliffe Bible Translators and the Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL). Mae was born on May 4, 1940, in Marion, North Dakota, the tenth of Walter and Lora Toedter's twelve children. When she was eight years old, the family moved to a farm near Staples, Minnesota, where she attended country school before graduating from Staples High School in 1958. After high school she worked in Minneapolis before enrolling at Bethel College, where she earned a bachelor's degree in English Education in 1966. While at Bethel, she first encountered the work of Wycliffe Bible Translators. Learning that many language communities still had no written language and no Scriptures available in their own tongue profoundly affected her. She came to believe that Bible translation was foundational to the spread of the Gospel and dedicated her life to that calling. Following three years of teaching high school English in Minnesota and Hawaii, and with support from First Baptist, Thomastown Covenant, and Wooddale Church, Mae completed linguistic training and joined Wycliffe Bible Translators. She began her first assignment in Mexico in 1973. Although she never served as a full-time translator, she became an indispensable part of the Bible translation movement through administrative leadership, personnel care, and encouragement of field translators. She traveled extensively throughout Mexico, supported translators working in remote communities, helped oversee personnel and field programs, participated in sociolinguistic survey work in Guatemala, and spent many years ensuring that translation teams had the practical support they needed to continue their work. Her ministry was built on the conviction that faithful service behind the scenes could be just as essential as work in the field. Mae served Wycliffe and SIL for more than 35 years, primarily with the Mexico Branch, in roles including Executive Secretary, Personnel Coordinator, and Assistant to the Supervisor of Field Programs. During this time she also earned a Master of Arts in Social Science from Azusa Pacific University. Colleagues often remarked that she willingly accepted whatever position needed filling, because, "In Wycliffe you do what needs doing." Her years of service were marked by significant health challenges, including multiple heart surgeries, breast cancer, and a brain hemorrhage. Even so, she continued serving as long as she was able. From 2002 until her retirement in 2010, Mae worked at the administrative center for the Mexico Branch of SIL in Catalina, Arizona. Looking back, she expressed deep gratitude that she had been able to play a part in providing God's Word to the people of Mexico and counted it a privilege to work alongside translators, administrators, and fellow missionaries. Although Mae never married or had children of her own, family remained one of the great joys of her life. She maintained close relationships with her brothers and sisters and their families and took an active interest in the lives of her 37 nieces and nephews. She was a faithful, supportive presence across generations. Mae was preceded in death by her parents, Walter and Lora Toedter; brothers Robert, John, and James; sisters Lois, Barbara, Margaret (Hewitt), and Joy (Snyder). She is survived by her brothers David, Phillip, Wendel, and Daniel, along with many nieces, nephews, and extended family members. Funeral service to be held on Saturday, September 26th at Thomastown Covenant Church in Staples, MN, at 2PM, with a visitation an hour before. Interment will take place immediately following. Memorials are preferred to Wycliffe Bible Translators - specifically the Mexico Branch of SIL.

Lora Mae Toedter

May 4, 1940 - July 14, 2026

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