Wait, wait! You say this sounds like a make-believe story from the distant pages of long ago. You say it is likely a story of fanfare, fame, and fortune. In reality, her fame is an obscure one – except to her loved ones and to her Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Rather, it is a story of fortitude and a legacy shared with author Martha Finley into the 3rd and 4th generations.

Let me introduce you to one such fair lady – a real life, present day, Christian home school mother, by the name of Lee Bereza. A mother who dared to enter the unknown world of doll manufacturing with one purpose foremost in her mind: To provide an inspiring example for her daughter consistent with the Christian values she and her husband embrace, found reinforced in the "Elsie Dinsmore" books.

What began as the first original "Elsie Dinsmore Doll" for her own little girl to enjoy and cherish, has since been developed into the delightful collection of four Martha Finley inspired heroines for the enjoyment of little ladies and doll collectors worldwide, today under the creative direction and current ownership of Mission City Press.

Lee Bereza’s "Elsie Dinsmore Doll" story is indeed a story of small beginnings, a story very dear to our hearts. Here’s “Elsie’s” story….

“Elsie Becomes a Doll” by Lee Bereza
It all began in 1991, while our family was living in Sacramento, California. There we met Richard “Little Bear” Wheeler of Mantle Ministries who was the speaker at a home schooling conference….By 1993, Mantle Ministries began to republish the unabridged 28-volume Elsie Dinsmore Collection, as well as the Mildred Keith Series, both originally written in the 1860s by Martha Finley.

While our only daughter, then 6 years old, was still getting a grasp on reading, I would read scores of library books to her, and to her two younger brothers, for great lengths of time through the cold Ohio winter days….I found that I needed to edit, revise, and point out major areas where the characters did not display positive qualities of character. This did not endear these books to our family.

Our dear Sarah loved playing with her dolls and, of course, wanted more to play with, so she began saving her money for a special doll. About that time, I read Elsie Dinsmore, Book 1. Now this was a great book! Right away I thought that Sarah could order a special doll, and the doll could be her very own “Elsie Dinsmore.”

During the summer of 1995, “Little Bear” was scheduled to come to Warren, Ohio, to speak at a home schooling workshop. We told him how much Sarah loved the Elsie Dinsmore books, and at that time he mentioned that he thought a doll might come about someday. Here was our glimmer of hope – a real “Elsie Dinsmore” doll for Sarah to play with and an opportunity to reinforce those wonderful, godly character traits exemplified in the book.

After months and months of no word on “Elsie’s” progress, our family took a trip to Texas to visit family. We knew that “Little Bear” and Marilyn lived in the San Antonio area, and what better way to check on “Elsie” than to go directly to the source. We discovered that they were located way out in the Texas Hill Country. We met the rest of the Wheeler family for the first time. I asked again about the doll. This time, Marilyn said, “We’d love to be able to carry the “Elsie” doll, but we were just praying for someone else to pick up the ball and go with it. What about you, Lee?”

That was enough encouragement for us! My husband, Bill, and I had already been praying and talking about a family business. We had even told our children that we were looking for a business that all six of us could be involved in and operate from our home….” -Excerpts from the June 2000 issue of Doll World Magazine. Photograph by Steve Huedepohl.

Epilogue: Through many uphill spiral twists and turns of the business world--alongside more prayer, hard work, perseverance, and faith – Lee and Bill managed to launch the family business from their own living room, and involved their children in all aspects of assembling “Elsie.” And in October of 1998, they shipped their first of many “Elsie Dinsmore” dolls – along with a copy of our Mantle Ministries unabridged Elsie Dinsmore Book 1 – to many other “little Sarahs” awaiting their very own special doll. Since her origin, “Elsie” has enjoyed continued manufacturing under the ownership of Mission City Press, where she has grown to a delightful collection of dolls inspired by the Martha Finley heroines. The Original Elsie Dinsmore Series and A Life of Faith Collection of books and dolls is available now to you through our Mantle Ministries Online Store.

“For who hath despised the day of small things?” (Zechariah 4:10).