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Graduating to a Higher Assignment

An international friend of many, Maxwell G. Friend died February 10, 1983, at 92 years of age. Born of Jewish parents in Austria, December 7, 1890, originally named Max Freschel. After an orthodox upbringing he began studying the Bible with Swiss Witnesses. Finally he was baptized May 9, 1913, and became an anointed Christian Israelite. In 1914 he served at the German Bethel. Later after his marriage to Irma the two of them served at the Swiss Bethel in Bern. In 1926 they were transferred to the Brooklyn Bethel, where later he changed his name to Maxwell G. Friend.a

In the States he served as a translator, a traveling speaker and a director of Biblical dramas over radio station WBBR. In 1943 he became one of the founding instructors of Watchtower Bible School of Gilead at South Lansing, N.Y. For 17 years he served 34 classes, becoming endeared to over 3,600 missionary students. He taught Public Bible Speaking and Bible Research. During later years his voice became well known to thousands in the many convention dramas. He often spoke of some day “graduating” to his higher assignment to be with Christ in the heavenly Kingdom.​—Revelation 14:13.

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