Catherine Peeke

M. CATHERINE PEEKE WEAVERVILLE -Catherine Peeke was born on April Fool's day (April 1st 1924) in Weaverville, NC. She attended school in Weaverville, NC where she skipped the second grade. From there, Catherine attended and graduated from Columbia Bible College (now Columbia International University) with a Biblical Education major in 1946. The following year she received a B.A. from King College, a Presbyterian university in Tennessee. Miss Peeke is a descendant of the John Weaver family for whom the town of Weaverville is named. The Weavers were considered to be predominantly preachers and teachers and Catherine was true to those professions. She taught Bible courses at the Ben Lippen (a private Presbyterian school) near Leicester for two years before she was accepted by Wycliffe Bible Translators in 1949 at the age of 25. During her first assignments she and Mary Sargent laid the foundation work for the Andoa (in Peru) and Zparo (in Ecuador) languages resulting in the subsequent translations of those languages by other translators. Three Families and three single ladies (Catherine Peeke, Carolyn Orr and Mary Sargent) volunteered to transfer to Ecuador in 1953. She (and her diminutive and slender stature) faced many potential dangers including the bite of poisonous snakes and insects as well as a particular species of frogs (also highly poisonous) and Curare (a poison) derived from a plant. The Waodani were also known as Auca, a word used by surrounding tribes meaning "savage". The Waodani were a warring tribe who uses blow gun with poison darts and spears for their weapons and were responsible for the death of the five Americans missionaries in 1956. Miraculously, Catherine and fellow missionaries where not harmed. In late 1958, Rachel Saint (sister of one of the five slain missionaries) and Elizabeth Elliot went to the Waodani territory to live with Dayuma's family (Dayuma was one of the early contacts). Shortly thereafter, Elizabeth left and Catherine replaced her in studying and analyzing the Waodani language. This work became the basis for her PhD dissertation which turned out to be the definitive authority on the pronunciation structure of the Waodani language. As a result, in the mid-1960s she earned her PhD in linguistics from Indiana University. Work on the first written language for the Waodani could then begin. Catherine and Carolyn Orr were later joined by Rosie Jung of Germany and Pat Kelly, as they began translating the New Testament in 1979. They lived out in the jungle in a thatched roof hut that had no walls and a dirt floor for the first year. When walls were added they were only 4' tall and open from there to the ceiling. A totally enclosed structure was built at a later date. The Waodani provided the majority of their food which consisted of wild game, jungle vegetables and some fruit along with occasionally fish. Food was not plentiful so they supplemented their diet with soups and boiled greens made from the leaves of various jungle plants, Catherine's favorite. Unwanted weight gain was never a problem. A written language would be useless if the natives were not able to read and write. Therefore, teaching the Waodani to read and write was an essential part of the work. When their work was completed, it was sent to be printed. In June of 1992, the New Testament was dedicated in Ecuador and in the presents of the Waodani and invited guests. Their mission was completed and Catherine returned to the family farm and the house where she grew up in Weaverville, North Carolina. During her retirement, Catherine, Rosie Jung and Pat Kelly compiled an extensive dictionary in Waodani with translations in English and Spanish. On February 15th 2001, King College honor 1947 alumna, Catherine Peeke with the dedication of the newly created "Peeke School of Christian Mission". The ceremony was held on the lawn of the renovated Tadlock-Wallace building which will house the administrative offices of the Peeke School of Christian Mission. Wheaton College Archives requested Dr. Peeke's papers and documents. Presently, they are in the Billy Graham Archives at Wheaton College and will be sent to the Wycliffe Archives when Wycliffe completes their archive facility. Catherine Peeke lived out the remainder of her life tending to her flowers and chores around the house until she broke her hip. She spent the last nine months of her life striving for rehabilitation and a return to her home. Catherine passed away on Sunday, September 7, 2014 while still at the nursing home. Her funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, September 12, 2014, in First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville, with Reverend's Skip Gilliken and Sam McGuinn officiating. Burial will be in Clark's Chapel Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, P.O. Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 For: AMG Waodani (Auca) Ministry or First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville, Missions Funds, P.O. Box 247, Weaverville, NC 28787. For those who desire, condolences may be offered to the family under Miss Peeke's obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com. Her funeral service will be held at 2:30 p.m., Friday, September 12, 2014, in First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville, with Reverend’s Skip Gilliken and Sam McGuinn officiating. Burial will be in Clark’s Chapel Cemetery. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the funeral service at the church. In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to: Wycliffe Bible Translators, P.O. Box 628200, Orlando, FL 32862-8200 For: AMG Waodani (Auca) Ministry or First Presbyterian Church of Weaverville, Missions Funds, P.O. Box 247, Weaverville, NC 28787. For those who desire, condolences may be offered to the family under Miss Peeke’s obituary at www.WestFamilyFuneralServices.com.