Denz, Cordélia Brandão de Carvalho (1907–1990)

Cordélia Brandão de Carvalho Denz, primary teacher and school director, was born in 1907, in the city of Aracajú, state of Sergipe, Brazil.¹ Daughter of João Mendonça de Carvalho and Isaura Brandão de Carvalho, she had six siblings: Briolanja, Leida, Cleóbulo, Newton, José, and Tenison.²

Cordélia was raised in her hometown, where in 1927 she met the Adventist message through a series of conferences held by Pastor Gustavo Storch. At the end of the meetings, she and her brother Cleóbulo were baptized, becoming some of the first members of the Aracajú church.³

Cordélia received her teaching degree from the Professional High School of Aracajú (in Brazil called the Normal course) and was an educator beginning at age 16.⁴ In 1928 the first Adventist school of Aracajú was established and Cordélia was invited to be its first teacher, serving there until 1932.⁵ Afterwards she moved to the state of Espírito Santo and was the first teacher of a local Adventist school. Also in 1932, she met her future husband, Guilherme Frederico Denz (1900-1986).⁶ She then returned to teach at Bahia Mission from 1936 to 1938.⁷

On May 4, 1940, Cordélia married Guilherme Denz in the city of São Paulo.⁸ He graduated from the first theology class of Brazil College (now UNASP-SP) and served the Church as an evangelist, teacher, and lawyer in the states of Espírito Santo, Minas Gerais, Bahia, Sergipe, Rio Grande do Sul, and São Paulo.⁹

In 1942, the couple moved to Taquara, Rio Grande do Sul, where Cordélia was a primary school teacher at Taquara Academy, today Cruzeiro do Sul Adventist Academy (IACS). On March 28, 1942, the couple’s only daughter was born, Leilanje Ivani Denz, who later married Pastor Eser Girotto. The following year, while visiting Brazil College in São Paulo city, the couple was invited to work there by the director, Pastor Domingos Peixoto.¹⁰

Having accepted the call, Cordélia taught primary school at Brazil College for almost 30 years and was also principal of the primary school.¹¹ In addition, she was a leader in the college church, giving special counsel on dealing with critics who wanted to cause a division. She preached and conducted many studies on Ellen White’s books with the members.¹² She was the founder of the library in the primary education building, which in 1986 was named Cordélia Denz Library, in recognition of her dedicated service.¹³

Cordélia retired in 1971¹⁴ and continued to live in the city of São Paulo with her husband, where they spent a lot of time with their three grandchildren: Guilherme, Gilson, and Viviane.¹⁵ On August 21, 1986, she was left a widow after 46 years of marriage.¹⁶ Cordélia died four years later on February 7, 1990, at the age of 82, in São Paulo. The funeral was conducted at UNASP-SP by Pastor César Wichert.¹⁷ Cordélia Denz made an important contribution to the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brazil by serving as teacher in Adventist schools for 47 years in several regions of Brazil.

Sources

“Ampliação da Biblioteca.” Revista Adventista, October 1986.

“Cordélia Brandão de Carvalho Denz.” Revista Adventista, November 1990.

“Guilherme Frederico Denz,” Revista Adventista, October 1986.

Halliwell, Leo. “Progresso da Obra na Missão Bahiana.” Revista Adventista, September 1927.

Lima, Benta Rodrigues de. “Vida e ministério de Guilherme Denz.” Monography. Brazil College, 1984.

Maas, Ellis. “Um ano de progresso educativo.” Revista Adventista, December 1930.

Serafino, Hélio. “Novas da Colina IAEnense.” Revista Adventista, January 1962.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1929, 1933, 1937, 1939.

Silva, Rubens José da. “Dr. Guilherme Denz.” Monography. Brazil College, 1986.

UNASP: Muito Além do Ensino: 100 anos de história (1915-2015). Hortolândia, SP: Multicomm, 2015.

Vieira, André dos Santos. “Vida e obras de Eser Girotto.” Monography. Brazil College, 1989.

Wilcox, E. H. “Notas da União Este-Brasileira.” Revista Adventista, June 1928.

Notes

1. Benta Rodrigues de Lima, “Vida e ministério de Guilherme Denz” (Monograph, Brazil College, 1984).↩

2. Leilanje Ivani Denz Girotto, e-mail massage to Suelen Alves de Almeida, April 3, 2020.↩

3. Ibid.;Leo Halliwell, “Progresso da Obra na Missão Bahiana,” Revista Adventista, September 1927, 11; E. H. Wilcox, “Notas da União Este-Brasileira,” Revista Adventista, June 1928, 10.↩

4. “UNASP: Muito Além do Ensino: 100 anos de história (1915-2015)” (Hortolândia, SP: Multicomm, 2015), 61; Ellis Maas, “Um ano de progresso educativo,” Revista Adventista, December 1930, 12.↩

5. Maas, 12; “Bahia Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1929), 231; “North East Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1933), 165.↩

6. Benta Rodrigues de Lima, “Vida e ministério de Guilherme Denz.”↩

7. “North East Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1937), 177; “North East Mission,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1939), 183.↩

8. Leilanje Ivani Denz Girotto, e-mail massage to Suelen Alves de Almeida, April 3, 2020; “Guilherme Frederico Denz,” Revista Adventista, October 1986, 29.↩

9. Rubens José da Silva, “Dr. Guilherme Denz,” (Monograph, Brazil College, 1986), 4, 10; “Guilherme Frederico Denz,” 29.↩

10. Leilanje Ivani Denz Girotto, e-mail massage to Suelen Alves de Almeida, April 3, 2020.; André dos Santos Vieira, “Vida e obras de Eser Girotto” (Monograph, Brazil College, 1989), 14.↩

11. Silva, 4, 10; Hélio Serafino, “Novas da Colina IAEnense,” Revista Adventista, January 1962, 31.↩

12. UNASP: Muito Além do Ensino: 100 anos de história (1915-2015), 61.↩

13. “Ampliação da Biblioteca,” Revista Adventista, October 1986, 32.↩

14. Serafino, 31.↩

15. Leilanje Ivani Denz Girotto, e-mail massage to Suelen Alves de Almeida, April 3, 2020.↩

16. “Guilherme Frederico Denz,” 29.↩

17. “Cordélia Brandão de Carvalho Denz,” Revista Adventista, November 1990, 33.↩