Fiske, Fidelia (1816–1864)

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Fiske, Fidelia (1816–1864)

American missionary and educator. Born Fidelia Fisk (later altered to Fiske) on May 1, 1816, in Shelburne, Massachusetts; died July 26, 1864, in Shelburne; dau. of Rufus (farmer and cooper) and Hannah (Woodward) Fisk.

Made public profession of faith in Congregational Church (c. 1831); joined faculty of Mount Holyoke Seminary (1842); worked as teacher for Congregational mission to Nestorian Christian sect in Oroomiah, Persia (now Rezaiyeh, Iran), learning Syrian language, organizing boarding seminary for girls, and nursing sick in community (1843–58); returned to US because of illhealth (1858); compiled Memorial: Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of the Mt. Holyoke Female Seminary (1862) and published Recollections of Mary Lyons (1866); provided material for Thomas Laurie's Woman and Her Saviour in Persia (1863).

See also Daniel T. Fiske, Faith Working by Love: as Exemplified in the Life of Fidelia Fiske (1868).