Westphal, Carlos Edgar (1890–1965)

By Daniel Oscar Plenc

Daniel Oscar Plenc, Th.D. (River Plate Adventist University, Entre Ríos, Argentina), currently works as a theology professor and director of the White Research Center at the River Plate Adventist University. He worked as a district pastor for twelve years. He is married to Lissie Ziegler and has three children.

First Published: January 29, 2020

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Carlos (Carl) Edgar Westphal, born in the United States and a medical graduate in Chile, served as a missionary doctor and pastor in Argentina. He was director of the River Plate Sanitarium.

Early Years and Family

Carlos was born in Wisconsin in the United States, on February 24, 1890. He arrived in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on August 18, 1894, along with his family when he was four years old. His father, Frank H. Westphal (1858-1944) was the first pastor in the now South American Division.¹ His mother was Mary V. Thurston (1860-1931). The Westphal family returned to the United States in 1900, where they remained for four years. Then, back in Argentina, he was baptized by his father on November 1904. Carlos studied for a while at Diamante School (soon River Plate Academy/University). In Chile, he studied at Liceo de Temuco and at the National Institute of Santiago. When he graduated from high school, he continued his studies at the University of Chile for seven years, where he graduated as a surgeon on August 18, 1919. He took postgraduate studies at the Post Graduate School of Medicine in New York in 1937, and later at the University of Southern California.²

His sister Elena was born in the United States and died in Buenos Aires (1893-1895); Earl was born (1899) and died in Argentina; soon after, Ruth Evangelina was born in the United States, in 1903; the youngest sibling, Grace Hazel. was born in Chile, 1905.

Medical Missionary Ministry

In 1920 he started work as a doctor at the River Plate Sanitarium, Entre Ríos, Argentina, and remained there for 35 years. Beginning in March 1923, he served as director until March 31, 1955. He also worked in the laboratory and x-ray and was a professor in the nursing school.³

On December 20, 1921, he married Amalia Schimpf (1898-1979), a nurse who graduated from River Plate Sanitarium in November 1920.⁴ Their only daughter was María Esther Westphal. Amalia Schimpf was born in Racedo, Entre Ríos, Argentina, daughter of Enrique Schimpf and María Schmidt. She worked several years as a nurse at River Plate Sanitarium. She passed away in this same institution in Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos.

For 15 years Westphal was the only authorized doctor in the sanitarium. Dr. George B. Replogle (1866-1955), who served in the sanitarium for almost 28 years, retiring in October 1936, worked with him in the laboratory, in radiology, and in teaching at the nursing school. During this time, River Plate Sanitarium increased bed capacity from 72 to 104.⁵ Carlos Westphal was ordained to the pastoral ministry on February 11, 1929, in a ceremony officiated by the pastors C. B. Haynes, E. L. Maxwell and J. W. Westphal.

During C. E. Westphal’s direction, the following doctors began their careers in the River Plate Sanitarium: Marcelo Alberto Hammerly, from October 1st, 1936; Carlos Emilio Drachenberg, from September 1st, 1951; Pedro Tabuenca, from August 1st, 1954; Arturo José Weiss, from October 1st, 1954; and Hirám Darío Rostán, from March 1st, 1955.⁶ All of them were prominent doctors, who strengthened the development of medical work in the church territory of the Southern Union.

Final Years and Legacy

When Carlos Westphal retired, he was succeeded by Marcelo Alberto Hammerly.⁷ He continued presenting health principles and religious themes in Entre Ríos and Santa Fe Provinces churches. After retiring, he continued as a professor at the sanitarium nursing school.

Carlos Edgar Westphal passed away in Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos, on February 23, 1965.⁸ He was a pioneer, whose nobility of character, medical vocation, spirit of sacrifice, and study of the Holy Scriptures accompanied him throughout his career.⁹

Sources

D’Argenio, Ricardo. “Necrología” [Obituary] (Amalia Schimpf de Westphal). La Revista Adventist [Adventist Review], year 80, nº 6, June 1980.

Davis, B. and E. M. “The River Plate Sanitarium.” ARH, vol. 117, nº 44, October 1944.

Haynes, Carlyle B. “The Austral Union Session.” South American Bulletin, vol. 5, nº 4, April 1929.

Hammerly, Marcelo. “Necrología” [Obituary] (Carlos Edgardo Westphal). La Revista Adventist [Adventist Review], year 65, nº 7, July 1965.

“In Remembrance.” ARH, vol. 142, nº 26, July 1, 1965.

Murray, W. E. “The River Plate Sanitarium.” South American Bulletin, vol. 11, nº 6, June 1935.

Peverini de Ampuero, Otilia. Delantales Blancos [White Aprons]. Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos: undated.

Peverini, Héctor J. En las huellas de la Providencia [In the footsteps of the Providence]. Buenos Aires: South American Spanish Publishing House, 1988.

Plenc, Daniel Oscar. 25 Historias de misioneros [25 Missionary Stories]. Buenos Aires: South American Spanish Publishing House, 2013.

“South American Division.” ARH, vol. 131, nº 50, October 14, 1954.

Wensell, Egil H. El Poder de una esperanza que educa y sana [The Power of a hope that educates and heals]. Buenos Aires: Asociación Casa Editora Sudamericana, 1993.

Westphal, C. E. “Meditations of a Pioneer.” South American Bulletin, vol. 36, nº 2, April-June 1960.

Westphal, C. E. “The River Plate Sanitarium.” South American Bulletin, vol. 5, nº 7, July 1929.

Westphal, C. E. “The River Plate Sanitarium.” South American Bulletin, vol. 14, nº 7, July 1938.

Westphal, F. H. “Journey to Buenos Aires, Argentina Republic.” Review and Herald, vol. 71, nº 41, October 16, 1894.

Notes

Unión Austral’s archive register services. Carlos Edgardo Westphal, Employee Missionary Record, May 28, 1939, and Personal Data, September 14, 1953. F. H. Westphal, “Journey to Buenos Aires, Argentina Republic,” ARH, vol. 71, nº 41, October 16, 1894, 645. For a simple account of the life of Carlos E. Westphal, See: Daniel Oscar Plenc, 25 Historias de misioneros [25 Missionary Stories] (Buenos Aires: South American Spanish Publishing House, 2013), 51-56.↩
“In Remembrance,” ARH, vol. 142, nº 26, July 1, 1965, 25. Marcelo Hammerly, “Necrología” [Obituary] (Carlos Edgardo Westphal), La Revista Adventist [Adventist Review], year 65, nº 7, July 1965, 19. Héctor J. Peverini, En las huellas de la Providencia [In the trace of Providence] (Buenos Aires: South American Publishing House, 1988), 327, 328. Archive register services of the Southern Union. George Brumbough Replogle, Denominational worker's Family Record, March 28, 1933. G. B. Replogle, Sustentation Fund Application, May 11, 1933 and June 21, 1939.↩
Egil H. Wensell, El Poder de una esperanza que educa y sana [The Power of a hope that educates and heals] (Buenos Aires: South American Publishing House, 1993), 199-209.↩
Ricardo D’Argenio, “Necrología” [Obituary] (Amalia Schimpf de Westphal), La Revista Adventist [Adventist Review], year 80, nº 6, June 1980, 15.↩
C. E. Westphal, “The River Plate Sanitarium,” South American Bulletin, vol. 5, nº 7, July 1929, 5. W. E. Murray, “The River Plate Sanitarium,” South American Bulletin, vol. 11, nº 6, June 1935, 2. C. E. Westphal, “The River Plate Sanitarium,” South American Bulletin, vol. 14, nº 7, July 1938, 6. B. and E. M. Davis, “The River Plate Sanitarium,” Review and Herald, vol. 117, nº 44, October 1944, 12, 13. “South American Division,” Review and Herald, vol. 131, nº 50, October 14, 1954, 20. C. E. Westphal, “Meditations of a Pioneer,” South American Bulletin, vol. 36, nº 2, April-June 1960, 2, 3.↩
Carlyle B. Haynes, “The Austral Union Session,” South American Bulletin, vol. 5, nº 4, April 1929, 5, 6. File of services records of the Southern Union. Marcelo Alberto Hammerly, Personal Data, December 30, 1973. File of services records of the Southern Union. Carlos Emilio Drachenberg, Personal Data, July 1st, 1958. File of services records of the Southern Union. Pedro Tabuenca, Personal Data, December 31, 1987. File of services records of the Southern Union. Arturo José Weiss, Personal Data, January 1st, 1984. File of services records of the Southern Union. Hiram Dario Rostán, Personal Data, August 30, 1988.↩
The retirement was requested to the South American Division in August 1954 based on 64 years of age and 35 years of service.↩
Marcelo Hammerly, “Necrología” [Obituary] (Carlos Edgardo Westphal), La Revista Adventist, year 65, nº 7, July 1965, 19.↩
Otilia Peverini de Ampuero, Delantales Blancos [White Aprons] (Libertador San Martín, Entre Ríos: undated), 83, 84.↩