Elsie Charlese Spencer

Age 90, of Albuquerque, New Mexico passed from this life on Monday, May 26, 2014, and was received into the care of her Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Charlese Spencer received the UNM College of Nursing Distinguished Alumni Award in 2007. At the age of 13 she knew that she wanted to be a missionary in Africa. She acquired her missionary training at a college in Texas and then turned her attention to a lifelong career in nursing. She completed her RN at the Regina School of Nursing (University of Albuquerque) in 1952. Before she went to Africa in 1954, she trained as a midwife in London. Charlese obtained her bachelor of science in nursing at UNM. She taught nursing rotations to Native American students for the BIA and later went on to a MSN program at the University of Mississippi, graduating in 1973. Charlese and a co-worker went to Ghana to staff a previously closed missionary medical clinic serving the medical needs of several bush tribes. The nearest doctor was 40 miles away, and the clinic was 100 miles from the nearest food store. The outpatient general medical clinics were scheduled Monday, Wednesday and Friday, the leprosy clinic on Tuesday and the pregnant women's clinics on Thursday with many birth deliveries occurring at night. Since they were well accepted by the local populations, Charlese and her co-worker treated 50-100 outpatients per day. The data she collected was evidence that the prenatal care and medical treatments were saving lives. Charlese and her nurse co-workers provided nursing services in Africa during the '50s, '60s and '70s. Retired from her missionary work, she was again a nurse educator at the University of Albuquerque, the Luna Vocational/Technical School, and Highlands University. A medical condition forced her retirement from teaching in 1983. Since that time, she has written and published her memoirs. Her motivation for doing all of this was so that others would come to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ. Charlese was preceded in death by her parents, Charles and Edna Spencer; sister, Luella Mae Lynch and husband, Dave; and her brother, Royce Ray Spencer. She is survived by her brother, Calvin Lee Spencer and wife, Yvonne; her loving niece, Roxanne Piatt and husband, Dan; dear friends, William Lock, Betty Olson, and Kathy King, who stayed by her side until her death; and many other loving family members and friends both here and in Ghana. Charlese was an active and loyal member of the Assemblies of God and maintained her close friendships with many fellow pastors. The Memorial Service for Charlese will be held on Friday, June 13, 2014, at 10:00 a.m., at Harvest Fellowship of Albuquerque, located at 5331 Montano Road NW, Albuquerque, NM 87120. In lieu of flowers, please send contributions to support the work of the Saboba Medical Centre in Ghana, Africa where Charlese served. Please forward these gifts to the New Mexico Ministry Network, 6640 Caminito Coors NW, Albuquerque, New Mexico 87120 or through their website .