Yohannan T. Abraham was born on December 3, 1939, in Pathanamthitta, Kerala, India, near the west end of the southern peninsula. The area is known for its vast agricultural exports of rice, vegetables, bananas, mangos. He grew up speaking Malayalam, Hindi and English in this hilly and fertile part of the country, where he went to school learning about the area’s rich heritage in Christian, Hindu, Islamic and Jewish traditions.

As a young adult, Abraham moved to Bombay and lived there for around five years before moving to the United States in 1963 and eventually settling in Springfield in 1967. From Drury University, to Missouri State University, to Oklahoma University and back to MSU, Abraham cites his graduation with a Ph.D. and joining MSU’s business department as a professor as some of his crowning achievements.

With his wife, Tessy, Abraham has three children: Susan, John and Michael, and he has raised his family with his life’s mission of dedication to his religion.

Read all of Abraham’s story and the rest of the Ethnic Life Stories Project stories by clicking here.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Follow Friends of the gardens on social media! We post park events, promos, and announcements of new ELSTOT releases on our Facebook and Instagram.

Find out more about Friends of the Garden by visiting our website, friendsofthegarden.org.

Interested in supporting the 501(c)3 nonprofit that maintains and enhances the gardens and trails at the Springfield Botanical Gardens? Find out more by clicking here.

Music is Bach Cello Suite no. 3 by Colin Carr from the Free Music Archive.

Episodes are edited, recorded, mixed, and published by Diana Dudenhoeffer.