Harvey L. Polley, American Baptist Foreign Mission Society (ABFMS) alumnus passed away on April 30, 2019 in Spokane, Washington at the age of 94.
Harvey was born in Wapato, Washington on August 14, 1924 to Edward and Alda Polley. He grew up in a Christian farm family. The family was poor, without electricity, phone service, or plumbing. They burned tumbleweeds in the winter and heated rocks to stay warm. Harvey worked on the farm from the time he was ten years old. He was involved in the Sunday School Union that met in a schoolhouse in Wapato, and in Young Life. He was an excellent student, graduating from high school as salutatorian. He got along with everyone. As a teenager he took part in local mission work to the Yakima Indians, to the homeless of the day, and with gospel teams. It was out of the influences of home and youth mission organizations that he dedicated his life to God’s service.
Harvey’s faith commitment was strengthened by many experiences in the armed services where he served both before and after college. After graduating from high school Harvey enlisted in the 82d Airborne as a paratrooper. His experiences in the Army deepened his conviction of man’s need of God. Upon discharge from the Army, Harvey attended Whitworth College in Spokane, WA, aided by the GI Bill. There he found not only spiritual nurture, but also an acquaintance with Corinne Weber, his future wife. Harvey was a member of Knights of Columbus at Whitworth.
At Whitworth Harvey ran out of money, so he joined the Air Force reserves, stationed at McChord Air Force Base. In 1951, Harvey graduated with his Bachelor of Science in education. Harvey and Corinne were married on May 18, 1952. Shortly after, Harvey was called up to active reserve duty due to the Korean War. He served in California. Upon completion of his military service Harvey and Corinne moved to Quincy, where he worked on the farm of Jake Weber, Corinne’s uncle. He eventually obtained a position with the Quincy public schools teaching seventh grade math and science. While teaching there he commuted to Central Washington College in Ellensburg, WA, receiving his Master’s Degree in Education in 1958. While in Quincy Corinne gave birth to their first three children, Cathy, David, and Corinne “Peanut,” each about one year apart.
In 1957, Harvey and Corinne were appointed as missionaries by the American Baptist Foreign Mission Society and designated to service in the Belgian Congo. The family first went to Berkeley, CA, where Harvey studied for one year at the Berkeley Baptist Divinity School. The family was then sent to Brussels, Belgium for French language study. Their stay was extended due to the uprising for independence in Congo.
Upon arriving in Congo in 1960, Harvey taught in Kimpese at the Ecole de Pasteurs et Instituteurs (EPI), which was both a high school and a school for pastors. Harvey taught mathematics, physics, biology, and chemistry, all in French. Their fourth child, Robert, was born during their first furlough in 1963. During Harvey’s last three years at EPI, 1969-72, he also served as the director of the school. Harvey and Corinne then served one year as Baptist hostel parents in Kinshasa. They had served nine consecutive years before their next furlough, after which they returned to Congo, which had by this time been renamed Zaire. Starting in 1975 they served with the Lusekele Agricultural Project which was administered by the Western Zaire Baptist Community. The Lusekele team abandoned a previously failed attempt to introduce industrialized North American agricultural methods. Instead the team focused on village agricultural development trying to improve farming practices, introducing small animal production, gardens, cattle care, developing a better strain of manioc, and the training of extension workers. These agents would learn new techniques at Lusekele, after which they were assigned to villages in the region where they shared their new knowledge by example. Harvey wrote and disseminated agricultural guides in the Kituba language.
For their final tour of service, Harvey and Corinne chose to do evangelism in the Bateke Plain, a large unchurched region not far from Kinshasa. They introduced the gospel, and they also spoke about agricultural development. At that time, a French businessman was attempting to purchase all the hardwood in the area. Harvey and Corinne were instrumental in educating the villagers about the dangers of this to their well-being and livelihoods.
Harvey and Corinne served in Congo/Zaire for 31 years in a remarkable and effective ministry which had major emphases in education, evangelism, and agricultural development. They showed by their example how agricultural development is necessarily linked with evangelism.
Upon retirement in 1989, Harvey and Corinne settled in Corinne’s family home in Spokane. They enjoyed gardening and caring for wild birds. They also cared for Corinne’s mom during her last years. Harvey and his son Rob extensively remodeled and expanded the house in the 1990s. Harvey and Corinne served as deacons at Grace Baptist Church and later at Whitworth Presbyterian Church. Both also sang in the choir.
Harvey will be remembered by his family, colleagues, and friends as having a keen intellect, as evidenced by his education and the variety of work he was able to do. As recently as a month before his death the Spokesman Review published one of his letters to the editor. He seemed to have near total recall. He was also able to relieve tension with humor and sudden outbursts of laughter. He was notorious for trilingual puns. He stayed fit and healthy, driving himself daily to work out at the gym until days before his death. We will also remember his fervent mealtime blessings. Harvey and Corinne travelled frequently across the Cascade mountains to visit their children and grandchildren, up until the last few years when these visits became less frequent.
Corinne passed away on August 18, 2016. Harvey is survived by his sister, June Everly, four children: Catherine (Terry) Lawton, David (Peggy) Polley, Corinne “Peanut” (Paul) Brassey, Robert (Sue) Polley; Charles and Jean Pierre Diawaku, who lived with the Polley family in Zaire for three years; eleven grandchildren, and twenty-eight great grandchildren.
A memorial service will be held at the Five Mile Community Church in Spokane at 12:00 noon on June 2.
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