John Graham Viser-Thelma Allen Viser 1951-1959

Children: John Jr., Peggy, Timothy, and Alice

John Viser was born in February of 1921 into the home of a Presbyterian minister. He grew up in Charleston, W. Virginia; Norfolk, Virginia and Greenville, S.C. During his growing up years the two things dearest to his heart were foreign missions and flying.

He graduated from Greenville High School, and went on to attend Columbia Bible College from which he graduated in 1941. After graduation he was working to save money to go on to Seminary when World War II began. He enlisted in the US Air Corps and completed flight training in January 1944. In January, 1944 he married his sweetheart, Thelma Allen, who was a member of his dad's church in Greenville. In June of that year he was sent to England with his flight crew.  They flew a total of 31 operational combat missions, some over France and about 23  over Germany.  He served in the Air Corps until January 1946.

In the fall of 1946 he moved to Richmond Va. along with his wife and young son, John. He attended Union Theological Seminary, where he graduated in 1949. By this time they had a daughter, Peggy. In the summer of 1949, after going through missionary orientation at the Missions Institute in Montreat, N.C, John and Thelma were commissioned as missionaries to Brazil.

John's dream had always been to be a missionary pilot, and so after being commissioned he moved his family to Miami Springs, Fla. where he completed a course in Aircraft and Engine Mechanics at the Embry Riddle School of Aviation. He knew if he was to fly a small plane in the interior of Brazil he would have to be able to maintain it himself !   He completed this training in the summer of 1950.

Upon returning to Greenville, they found  John's father more and more incapacitated from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ("Lou Gehrig's Disease).  They made the decision to postpone their departure to Brazil to enable John to become the primary caregiver for his dad.

After his dad's death in March of 1951, the John Visers left for Brazil, arriving in May. They were assigned to what was then the West Brazil Mission, and did their language study with private tutors in Uberlandia. The Mission at that time was working in the states of Minas and Goias and surrounding territories.

The plane that John was to use, a Piper Pacer, was crated in pieces and was shipped by freighter to Rio.  When it arrived, John returned to Rio and put it together!! Then he flew it back to Uberlandia -safely!- and became the FIRST missionary pilot the Presbyterian Church had anywhere in the world.

John's work primarily was flying other missionaries to various preaching points in their fields, a much faster and easier mode of transportation than horseback or Jeep over almost impassable roads. Also, when delegations from the Board of World Missions came out to see the work, he had the privilege of flying them to the various points of interest.

During their first term in Brazil, Timothy, and three years later, Alice were born.  They were introduced to their grandparents when the Visers arrived in New Orleans to begin their furlough.  Part of their furlough year was spent in an apartment at Mission Court in Richmond, the rest in Greenville, S.C.  During that time visits were made to supporting churches in N.C. and Florida.

When they returned to Brazil after furlough, they were stationed in Goiania, in the state of Goias.  John became treasurer of the Mission, and preacher at the Vila Nova Presbyterian Church on the outskirts of the city.  He held these positions while continuing with his flying responsibilities.  In each of the local churches Thelma was active in the women's organizations, and helped in the children's department of the Sunday schools. These activities were in addition to home-schooling her children, and taking care of all the home responsibilities during John's many prolonged absences.

The Viser family returned to the States in 1959.  John had pastorates in N.C.; first at Wildwood Pres. near Morehead City, N.C. and then Myrtle Grove Pres. in Wilmington. When he left the church pastorate, he continued in his love for Missions by becoming the first full time Chaplain of the International Seaman's Ministry at the State Port in Wilmington.