Lee Kindberg Watters

Lee Kindberg Watters, age 92, was released from heart disease and aspiration pneumonia to join her Savior and Lord the evening of July 23, 2020. 

Lee was born Virginia Lee Duncan on October 26, 1927, in Philadelphia, PA. While an infant her family moved to Auburn and Boston, MA, where she grew up. In her late teens at a Christian camp, Lee dedicated her life to serving Jesus Christ, who gave His life for her. Oldest of six children, Lee’s impassioned testimony strongly affected her family, who followed her into different ministries. Brother, Robert, became a Presbyterian minister; sister, Betty, served as a missionary to France; and brother, Steve, as a missionary to Angola; each of her siblings with a strong testimony for Christ. Lee studied nursing, with a missionary focus, at West Suburban Hospital nursing school, an affiliate of the Wheaton, IL Christian liberal arts college: Wheaton College. Soon after graduation with a BA and Registered Nursing degrees, Lee’s heart for missions was realized personally.

On October 11, 1952 Lee married Willard Roy Kindberg, who also had attended Wheaton College. They joined Wycliffe Bible Translators and arrived in Peru soon after their wedding, and began working with the Ashaninka Campa, a jungle unreached people group. Beginning in October 1953, five of her six children were born in Peru. In addition to being mother and nurse, Lee was highly involved in language learning, linguistics, literacy, and Bible translation of the Ashaninka Scriptures. Their work included the establishment of a network of schools using bilingual literature, written in both Ashaninka and Spanish, agricultural-community development, and nursing of Ashaninka patients. Translation work of the New Testament, with Old Testament-supporting Scriptures, was completed and dedicated in 1976. That year the Kindberg family transitioned to a new field of work with Wycliffe and SIL International, Lomalinda, Colombia.

From 1976 to 1988 Lee was wife of an administrator, hostess to government officials, tribal people, and missionary colleagues on the Lomalinda center where they made their home. One of her biggest heartaches was the tragic death by motorcycle accident in 1983, of her fifth child, Douglas, while he was visiting in Lomalinda after establishing himself in Dallas, TX.

In 1988 Lee and Will moved to Dallas, TX, where Lee applied her nurse’s training at the SIL International Linguistic Center clinic. After Will passed out of her life in 1989, Lee moved to the SIL Mexico Center, Catalina, AZ, where she continued applying her nursing skills. A palliative-care patient and neighbor, Vivian Watters, took much of mom’s time and energy. After Vivian passed away, Kenneth Watters, who had grown to appreciate and love mom, proposed to her. Ken and Lee’s marriage from March 17, 2001 to January 12, 2008 was a blessing in both their lives. They also blessed many others during those nearly seven years together. Ken passed away in January of 2008.

Lee continued on at Town & Country Manor until her daughter, Virginia (& Bill Gorman), invited her to live with them in Show Low, AZ in 2018. After almost two years, when Virginia returned to full-time work, Lee moved to a retirement home, Angel Wings, just outside the city of Show Low, where she could receive Assisted-Living care and attention. 

Lee’s life is characterized by a pioneering, stalwart spirit, strength of character, faith in God, love and commitment to sharing the Good News about Jesus Christ through Bible translation around the world. She lived out many of the ideals from Proverbs 31: “She is clothed with strength and dignity…laughs without fear of the future…suffers nothing from laziness. Her children stand and bless her…Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.”

Lee is survived by her grown children: Bruce (& Janel) Kindberg in Fresno, CA, Eric (& Mary Lynn) Kindberg in Waxhaw, NC, Gail Montez in Tucson, AZ, Kathy (& Allan) Courtright in Waxhaw, NC, and Virginia Gorman in Show Low, AZ; and 14 grandchildren and 8 great-grandchildren; and the Watters children, who also call her “mom.” 

Lee is now safely home. Her passion was to lead many to the Savior—resulting in the joy of having many neighbors there.