Ella Campbell Ewing

(February 13, 1883 – May 17, 1907)

Eureka College alumnus (Class of 1905); Christian missionary

"She hath done what she could." – These words are inscribed on the bronze tablet placed above the Women's History display cases found on the second floor of Burgess Hall. The tablet, a memorial to Ella Campbell Ewing's life and work, is also a powerful symbol and it has its own history. Several years ago Chaplain Terry Ewing discovered the memorial in a storage closet, nestled next to a wash basin. Hidden from public view for many years, the tablet had been neglected and the ravages of dust, grime, and a thick patina had faded its once vibrant luster. After being carefully cleansed and restored by Chemistry professor Karl Zachary, the memorial tablet was once again put on public display in 2005. In similar fashion, the story of Eureka College's missionary efforts once shone brightly, but over time, interest dimmed and the valiant efforts were closeted. Let's just say that today's story is a mission statement.

Born in Jacksonville, Illinois, and raised in a Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) household, Ella Campbell Ewing was brought up knowing the importance of service to others. When she attended Eureka College she was influenced by many to direct her interests toward the work of the Christian missions. Members of the Christian Woman’s Board of Missions (CWBM) regularly encouraged support of missionary efforts, and several young women of Lida’s Wood residence hall unofficially designated Room 12 as “The Africa Room” because it was where they planned and prepared for their future service to those in need. She was also strongly influenced by Royal and Eva Dye of Eureka who had spent much time as missionaries in the Belgian Congo. After graduating from Eureka College in 1905, Ella Campbell Ewing began to prepare for missionary work in Africa with the Foreign Christian Missionary Society (FCMS).

On May 17, 1907, Ella Campbell Ewing died at Bolenge, in the Belgian Congo, while serving there as a Christian missionary. She had only been in Africa since December 1906. Her death at such an early age was a true shock to the Eureka College community, but it served to inspire many of her fellow classmates to dedicate their lives to the field of missionary work. Ella Campbell Ewing's dying words were reported as being, "Tell them to come and take my place."

The college community learned of her death on May 22 after the news had been transmitted by the transatlantic cable. There was silence and disbelief on the campus. The Pegasus of May 31 published what few facts were known at the time and offered a preliminary eulogy. It was said of Ella Campbell Ewing that “in the class room, in the social circle, and in the church she was a joy to all who lived truth and kindness and who had in their hearts reverence for God.” The article concluded by correctly predicting that “others of like spirit will be raised up to do the kind of work to which her life was dedicated.”

The memorial tablet described earlier also bears an African inscription - “Wuteji. Nk’ onto ol’elango loleki loe.” Yoane 16:13 – This verse, likely written in the Lomongo language that was common around Bolenge, refers to the biblical passage of John 16:13 – “But when he, the spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.”