Fritz Augustus Louis Ramseyer was born on 7th October, 1840 in Neuchate – Switzerland. His father was a builder by profession and that was what he learnt at home. Whilst in college he committed himself as a Christian and received a missionary call at the age 18 years. After compulsory military service he enrolled for mission training at 21 years. Ramseyer was sent to the Gold Coast after training in 1864 to work as a carpenter at Osu and Akropong. Two years later he married Rosa Bontemps at Osu on 18th January, 1868. Due to effects of climate, they transferred the Ramseyers’ to Akropong, where he headed the Boy’s school but only to be transferred to Anum in 1868. They lived for just half a year in Anum and had their first baby on 12th June, 1869. They were captured and brought into a four and half exile in Kumasi during the Asante attack in Anum. On their release, they went home on furlough where Fritz was ordained in recognition of his evangelistic and pastoral work done.
Rev. Ramseyer returned and went to Kwahu in 1875 to take up the work that he thought would be the beginning of their advance mission into Asante. However, the political unrest in the country blocked their plans. Therefore Rev. Ramseyer stayed in Abetifi for 20 years until 1896 when he proceeded to Kumasi. The mission work in Asante was to crown Ramseyer’s ministry in the country at the fulfillment of his fervent wish to take the gospel to the place of his captivity. From temporary accommodation, they built a mission starting with evangelism and schools.

THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF REV. BENJAMIN A. MARTINSON (1870 – 1929)

Benjamin A. Martinson was born to Jonas Martinson and Solome who were both teachers in Larteh Akuapem in the year 1870 at Akropong Akuapem. His father Jonas became catechist and Head Teacher of various congregations and schools in Akuapem such as Akropong Boys’ Primary Boarding School and Aburi Girls’ Boarding School. Like the rest of his siblings, Benjamin’s childhood days were spent on school compounds and mission stations and was brought up in a good Christian home.
Benjamin began his education at the Basel Mission Primary School at Aburi at age 7 and admitted into Middle School at Akropong at age 13 where he spent four-year systematic training learning those various disciplines; English, Twi, Ga, Greek, Mathematics including Geometry, and Mensuration.

In 1888, he attended that Seminary where for a four-year period studied Hebrew, Science, Mathematics, Music, English Theology and Pedagogies. He also learned German from the missionaries as a hobby. He mastered his lessons well and became an accomplished musician, a mathematician and a good preacher and teacher.
In 1891, he was consecrated a teacher catechist and head teacher to the Basel Mission School at Abetifi to relieve Samuel Kwafo who was on transfer. He met his wife Sophia Amommea, sister of Rev. Samuel Kwafo and niece of Rev. Edward Sampson of Aburi, two years later on transfer to Nkwatia. She was an integral part of his life during his service in the master’s vineyard, playing the role of a kindergarten mistress and teacher.

Rev. Benjamin A. Martinson was a devoted man of God who liked the apostle Paul did not hesitate to doing the work of the master wherever the Spirit led. All who had contact with him young and old alike liked him. He had a way of solving problems of any form.
In instances such was when fighting broke at Nkwatia where he was stationed. It was between the Nkwatias and the people of Abetifi over purging of an offended wizard of Abetifi who shot witch hunters from Nkwatia. The long and short of the matter was that, single handily, the catechist had to travel all forms of weather on foot to bring peace between the two towns.
In March 1907, two months after his wife had delivered a baby girl, they left Nkwatia on foot to Ashanti, to relieve Rev. N. V. Asare and assist Rev. Ramseyer under whose care his wife Sophia had one been during her youth. His last days at Nkwatia were days of mourning, because the possibility that some converted Christians would relapse into heathenism filled him with sorrow, but today thanks be to God the station at Nkwatia still continuous and church attendance is as encouraging as when he was there.

In Kumasi, Ben Martinson was assigned to re-open a station at Kwaaso near lake Bosomtwe, which had for many years been abandoned owing to worship of the fetish Aberewa. On their arrival at Kwaaso where the Basel Mission house was inhabitable, he was compelled to live with one of the priest of the renowned fetish at his own risk. God being soo good he was able to convert the fetish and family and many of the heathens in the town. His work was not an easy task, since he faced criticism, and hatred from the people at the initial stages. However, with his good educational background, skill and God’s grace he was able to win the citizens of the land through their children attending his school lessons in open spaces and under sheds.

He faced the same problems when he went on transfer at Kumawu, where the people were soo far from the mark and lived purely under grace. The people of Kumawu were noted for giving catechists and teachers a hard time; nevertheless Benjamin was not intimidated. He arrived to find and almost deserted station and ruined the chapel. He first made plans to gather the scattered Christians who had settled into the villages and who only attended communion service. He rebuilt the chapel and won over many of his critics and he was highly respected in the town. He also used this opportunity to open a school for the children of the town.

Ben Martinson died in September 1929, after a long ailment, which started when he fell from a hammock on his way form Kumawu to Bonpata. During his ailment he never hesitated to accomplish his calling to Jesus, he continued to minister and changed the lives of people wherever he was transferred. He educated many who are dead now but his name is remembered in all the district towns he stationed. With such a life so short and yet used wholly in the service of the Master can rightly be described as:
A life so full of adversities
Yet not without pleasure;
Full of hardship
Yet with ease and leisure;
So full of pain and difficulties
Yet of abundance of live and friendship
Full of earthly worry
Yet with hope of Heavenly Glory.