Lail, Robert Luther Jr.

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Lail, Robert Luther, Jr.

b. 9/22/1926, West Palm Beach, FL, U.S.A.

d. 12/22/1967, Vancouver, WA, U.S.A.

Spouse/Family

Wife: Ruth Dorothy (nee Schroeder), b. 6/13/1926, Mankato,MN; m. 12/18/1949; d. 10/21/2000, Vancouver, WA

Children: Christopher Joel (1951); Terence Mark (1954); Cynthia Joan (Linnemann) (1958); Rebecca Dawn (Eaton) (1960); Theodore Scott (1962)

Service

Dates of Service	Field	Call Assignment
1950-65	Nigeria	Evangelistic Missionary
1965-67	Portland. Oregon	NOW District Treasurer

Biographical Summary

Robert Luther Lail, Jr. was born on September 22, 1926, to Rev. Robert Luther Lail, Sr. and his wife, Florence Walstrom Coyner, at West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S. A. After graduating from elementary school in Taylorsville, N.C. in 1939, he attended Concordia College, Bronxville, NY to begin his preparation for the LCMS ministry. Graduating from Concordia College in January, 1945, he attended Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, MO, beginning in February, 1945, to continue his training for the LCMS pastoral ministry. Because of Synod's need for schoolteachers following World War II,he, together with a number of his classmates, took an early vicarage to teach in a parochial school for one year. He was assigned to teach in a parochial school in western Nebraska. At the end of the first semester of his fourth year, he took a short term vicarage (February to August, 1949) and served Calvary Lutheran Church, Silver Spring, MD. Returning to the seminary in September, he took a full year's classes, graduating in June, 1950. On Dec. 18, 1949, he was married to Ruth Dorothy Schroeder in Thief River Falls, MN. Upon graduation from the seminary, he received the Call from the Synodical Conference Mission Board to serve as a missionary in Nigeria, the Call that both he and his wife Ruth had been praying that he would receive.

The Lails left New York on a freighter, traveling with another newly called missionary, Aileen Krueger, who had been Called to serve at one of the two girls' schools operated by the Lutheran Mission. They arrived in Lagos, Nigeria on Oct. 9, 1950, and travelled from there to the mission headquarters in Obot iidim in southeastern Nigeria. After a period of orientation at Obot Idim, the Lails were assigned to serve in the Nung Udoe field. On September 9, 1951, they welcomed into their family son Christopher Joel. They left Nigeria on Sept. 9, 1952, for furlough in the United States.

Reentering Nigeria on April 4, 1953, they continued their work with the Lutheran Mission. During part of this tour Robert served as Superintendent of the Lutheran schools, with the office at mission headquarters in Obot Idim. On April 20, 1954, their second son, Terence Mark, was born. After having served about 3 1/4 years, the Lails returned to the United States for furlough.

On June 6, 1957 they returned to Nigeria to continue their work there. Robert was assigned to take over the work that had been started earlier by Missionary Ottemoeller in Ogoja Province. They moved into the metal prefabricated building which had been erected by Missionary Ottemoeller to be used as his and his family's home until it could be determined where a more permanent (and comfortable) building could be erected. The village Wanakande had been selected, and Missionary Lail supervised the erection of a stone-walled house there, into which he and his family moved after the work was completed. The Lord used his ministry to expand the Church in Ogoja and to bring more people to saving faith in Jesus as their Savior. During this term of service two more children were born to the Lails, Cynthia Joan on (date), 1958, and Rebekah Dawn on (date), 1960. In June 1961, after serving four years at Wanakande, the Lail family returned to the United States for a much needed furlough. During this furlough Theodore Scott was born on (date) 1962.

Robert Lail and his family returned to Nigeria on June 29, 1962. This time Robert was assigned to serve in Calabar. Beginning in September, 1962, according to his passport, until May, 1964 he made frequent trips to Buea, Cameroon, staying each time from between three to ten days. Although this writer has no evidence about the nature of these trips, it is safe to assume that the trips were work related, meaning they had to do with the spread of God's Word in that part of the world. In June, 1965 the family left Nigeria for furlough in the United States. For medical reasons, Robert Lail informed the Missionary Board that he would not be able to return to Nigeria.

Nota Bene

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Phase 2 Information

Biggest missiological issue faced?

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Connection to today’s mission?

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Phase 3 Information

Inspiration for entering foreign missions?

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Interview Questions:

1. Full name, date and place of birth

1. Date and place of death, if interviewing a family member of a deceased missionary
2. Spouse or spouses’ name, date and place of birth, date of marriage, date of death if applicable
3. Children’s full names, including any married names, and years of birth (and death, if applicable)
4. Dates of service, field, assignment(s) during service
5. Biographical summary of mission work (focusing on time spent in mission, although other relevant biographical details are encouraged)
6. Nota bene: publications, special service
7. What was the biggest issue - the biggest problem, or the issue you encountered most often - while you were serving in foreign missions?
8. What was your most significant contribution (to the people served, other missionaries, the mission field, mission work as a whole, etc.) during your time in missions?
9. What is the connection between your mission and today’s mission? Are there structures, publications or practices that you helped found or maintain that remain today? How did your work help to create or maintain ties between the mission field (or independent national church) and the LCMS? Did your work influence mission work today beyond the field to which you were called, and how?
10. What were the most important lessons you learned during your foreign mission service?
11. What were some of your best practices - the things you and others did that “worked” for your mission of spreading the Gospel and caring for God’s people? What should be emulated by missionaries to come?
12. How were you inspired or called to enter foreign missions?
13. Any particular quotations or anecdotes you would like to share from your time in missions. Any important, poignant or funny stories that should be shared. Spouses can share quotations about each other, or children about their parents.