Sister Margaret Tsan

A devoted Christian, a loving, compassionate, faithful servant of God, and a

cherished aunt and great-aunt to many, Sister Margaret Tsan passed away

peacefully on April 1, 2026.

Born in Peking, China, Sister Margaret had a lifelong association with the Lutheran

Church. As a teenager, she studied at the Lutheran German Chinese School and

became acquainted with the church in 1948, where she was baptized and became a

Christian.

After the Communist takeover of China in 1949, Sister Margaret fled to Hong

Kong in 1950. She persevered to complete her Bachelor’s Degree in Education in

1954. That spring, she became a teacher at the Eben Ezer Blind School in Hong

Kong. Moved by the dedication and loving care of Sister Anna Laukoeter, a

German Deaconess and the Superintendent of the school, Sister Margaret yearned

to become a Deaconess herself.

In 1960, Sister Margaret began studying at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in

Hong Kong. In 1964, she received her Bachelor of Divinity Degree, making history

as the first female student ever to receive such a degree. For the next four years,

Sister Margaret taught at the Lutheran Middle School and the Lutheran Bible

School in Hong Kong. In 1968, she was accepted as a student at the Lutheran

Theological Seminary in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, where she was the only

female student. During her studies, she was warmly hosted by Dr. Chamberlin's

family.

Two years later, Sister Margaret received her Master of Sacred Theology Degree, an

honor that was once again a first for a woman student. Thereafter, she travelled to

the United States with the Chamberlins, subsequently living with the parents of Dr.

Chamberlin's wife. She was deeply grateful to them and together they created many

fond "East meets West" memories.

In September 1970, Sister Margaret was accepted as a student at the Deaconess

School of the Lutheran Church. She received her training from Sister Anna Ebert,

whose dedication and compassion deeply inspired the rest of her life and ministry.

Together, they embraced the challenge to work in an impoverished, crime-ridden

area of Brooklyn, New York. Sister Margaret later wrote and published a book

titled “She Wore a Cross” to chronicle her mentor's remarkable life and their shared

experiences in what they called the "Brooklyn Project."

In 1973, she was consecrated as a Deaconess by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in

the United States, and from then on, she would be known as "Sister.”

 She dedicated her career to social work within the Lutheran Church, serving at the Mary J. Drexel

Home in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania; the York Lutheran Home in York,

Pennsylvania; and the Eben-Ezer Lutheran Care Center in Brush, Colorado. She

also served as the parish deaconess at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Biglerville,

Pennsylvania. In 1999, Sister Margaret retired to the Deaconess Center in

Gladwyne, Pennsylvania, before eventually moving to her retirement community at

the Crosslands Campus.

Having resided in the United States for years, Sister Margaret wished to become

naturalized as an American citizen. During her interview, she was asked whether she

would be willing to bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by law.

Sister Margaret’s reply was a firm "no."  When pressed by the presiding officer for a

reason, she replied that as a Christian, she should not kill people.

By providing such an answer, her application risked being rejected. Nevertheless, in

the face of this trial, Sister Margaret chose to uphold her Christian values as a true

peacemaker. Fortunately, she was granted American citizenship. She took the

citizenship oath without the words, "I will bear arms on behalf of the United States

when required by law."  It was a truly exceptional outcome and a testament to her

unwavering faith.

Sister Margaret, we believe you are now enjoying peace and happiness in heaven,

your eternal home. One day, we will meet again and part no more.

A memorial service will be held on May 9, 2026, at 11:00 am in the William Penn

Room at Crosslands, 1660 East Street Road, Kennett Square, PA19348. A reception

with light refreshments will follow the service. For those unable to attend in person, the

service will be live-streamed via Zoom. Please contact the family for the link.

In lieu of flowers, the family encourages donations be made to Kendal-Crosslands

Communities, Kennett Square, Pennsylvania.

Condolences and memories may be shared with the family by visiting the funeral home

website: www.schneiderfuneralhome.net.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Sister Margaret Tsan, please visit our floral store.