In my last episode, Katrina Nilsson-Gorman shared her experience in southern India, and this week’s story from Annette Stixrud is partly based in Tamil Nadu as well. Annette spent much of her life working overseas as an educator and public health nurse. I call her Saint Annette.
Annette's father was a Lutheran pastor who earned a meager salary and had six children. She went to Pacific Lutheran University, where she met her husband Neal. After they got married, she began her career as a teacher in Bellevue, WA. “They gave me children with health risks, and I decided I needed to learn more because I was scared to death the whole time something would happen to them.”
After teaching children with medical needs, Annette began nursing school. Their first daughter, Lindsey, was born 44 hours after Annette graduated. “We call that planned parenthood,” Annette jokes.
Annette comes from a family of missionaries, which inspired both her and her brother to pursue public health and work in developing countries. Annette and Neal became missionaries. They were sent to Tanzania to teach.
I asked Annette about working outside the home for most of her life. She worked a lot as a volunteer in the mission school, but she was able to spend a lot of time with her children.
After they came back to the states, they moved to Eugene, OR. For the next few years she worked with young mothers, helping them be mothers to their babies.
I asked Annette if she got push-back from others, going back to work when her children were young. When they were first married, she told Neal she wanted eight children ad he responded, “Really? You’re not going to work?” His mother had been a working mom, so he has always supported Annette’s life of work and service.
Then the mission board called and asked if they would go to Kodaikanal, India, where they taught at Kodaikanal International School in Tamil Nadu. They formed strong bonds at the school and had many wonderful adventures there. Now their son Corleigh, who met his wife Nandita there, is principal, and their grandson Tarun is a student.
Their last mission experience was in Egypt, where Annette worked with the Coptic Orthodox church, finding programs for women. Annette has a different outlook on what it means to be a missionary. The people in the villages taught her a lot about listening.
Annette shared stories about working with the Tamil repatriates in Tamil Nadu. About 30,000 Tamils were living in the hills in horrific conditions behind where they lived. Annette was appalled and could not believe how they were living. She recruited 10 girls and 10 boys to go to school. When people told her she should be educating all boys, she shut them up: “If you say one more word to me that I should have all boys, I will find all girls.”
Annette has always been brave in speaking truth to power and speaking out if she sees injustice. She was one of the first people who shared the plight of the Palestinians, which is similar to the way the Tamils have been treated. “It makes me ache that people have to be subjugated to such horrible living conditions and hunger and watch their children grow up like that. It’s such a huge problem when the Israelis cannot see the harm they are doing to another group of people.”
We also spoke of the parallels with Black Lives Matter. At the time the interview was conducted, federal troops had been sent into Portland to quell the demonstrations here and they were brutally oppressing the peaceful protests.
I admire her huge heart, and I believe if anyone deserves canonization, it’s this Lutheran pastor’s kid who thinks nothing of standing up to the powers that be to help someone who does not have a voice.