SHANTUNG MISSION I860 t o 1937 OFFICERS AND STANDING COMMITTEES D I' T H E SHANTUNG MISSION Chairman:—Eev. H. G. Eomig Vice-obmrman:—Mx. W. C. Booth JSxeoutwe Committee Alternate Tengchow Mr. A. C. Owens Miss Sarah Faris Chefoo Eev. J. E. Kidder Mr. W .C. Booth Tsinan Mr. A. A. Torrauee Eev. C. E. Scott Weihsien Eev. D. K. West Dr. H. F. Johnson Ichowfu Miss Katharine Hand Eev. K. W. Wilson Tsjniag Rev. W. C. D ’Olive Eev. D. C. Walter Teingtao Eev. C. C. Van Deusen Miss Irene Forsythe Yihsien Miss Grace Bowley Mtb. T. N. Thompson Tenghsien Eev. E. M. Allison Miss Alma Dodds University Mr. A. la. Carson Eev. S. Lautensehlager Evangelistic Committee Eev. D. K. West,-—Chairman Eev. D, C. Walter Miss Irene Forsythe Educational Committee Miss Graee Bowley,—Chairman Mr. A. L. Carson Mr. A. C. Owens Mediatd C o m ^ ^ m ^ . Dr. T. C. Greene,— Chairman Dr. P. G. Scovel Miss Caroline Beegle Miss Martha Wylie Dr. E. E. Murray ,China Council Eev. H. G. Eomig Bey. B. M. Allison -Ber. ‘C. C. Van Deusen. Alternate MINUTES OF THE SHANTUNG MISSION OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE U.S.A. TSINGTAO 1937 Un flDemoriam MRS. LLEWELLYN JAMES DAVIES On July 22nd, 1936, after a long illness and great suffering in the Faberlcrankenhaus, Tsingtao, Mrs. Davies passed on into the unseen life. Born in Marengo, Illinois, on August 30th, 1866, Helen Goodsill studied in Lake Forest, was married to the Rev. Llewellyn J. Davies in August 1892 and came to China with him the following month. Ill-health took her back to America in 1909 but she recovered and was able to return to the field in 1915, since when she had not left the country. In November 1935 Mr. and Mrs. Davies were honor­ ably retired and took up residence in Tsingtao. Mrs. Davies was a gracious lady, an artist in music, and possessed of a keen mind. Political situations were of great interest to her and, had she been able to settle the affairs of state— nationally and internationally—in­ justice and inhumanity would have ceased. To the last, her mind was able to carry her outside of herself in spite of her great suffering, and she did not cease to be in­ terested in her friends and former colleagues. To her came the Master’s “ Well done.” One of her most intimate friends says of her: “ She was exquisite in person, with eharm and social grace, with a really remarkable mind, keen on inter­ national problems, an intellectual companion of stimulating power for Mr. Davies, one with him in completest devo­ tion to the Chinese and in a rare love for and under­ standing of them.” We give our deepest sympathy to Mr. Davies in his bereavement. Un ffl>emonam AGNES ELLIOTT JOHNSON. On October 31, 1936, the portals of heaven swung open to receive the beautiful soul of our beloved co­ worker and friend, “ Mother Johnson” . Altho for three years Mrs. Johnson had been living in the home land ex-, periencing failing health, she had kept such a close touch, with her friends in China thru her letters and messages that she still seemed to be truly one of us. The warmtK of her love was felt across the seas so that the word of her passing from this life produced a distinct sense of loss. Born at Seaforth, Ontario, Canada, December 8, 1861, Agnes Elliott moved to Illinois when a child. After graduating from the Illinois State Normal School in 1885 she taught for four years. Then in 1889 she married her former teacher, Dr. Charles Fletcher John­ son, and came to Shantung to help open the pioneer work in the southern section of the Province. The brave and cheerful disposition which so admirably fitted her for such labors was evidenced by her singing as she made the first trying journey into the hostile interior. She was simple, plain, unaffected, manifesting a sincere warmth of affection and sincerity of hospitality which drew Chinese and foreigners alike to her and to her home. Mrs. Johnson was unique in the way she made every one, of whatever nationality or age, feel wel­ come and at home no matter what the hour of day or night might be or whether their stay was for merely a few moments or for many days. Without expressing it in words she had a faculty for making one feel the genuine­ ness of her pleasure because of his coming. Then the home was pervaded' by an atmosphere of love, harmony and restfulness that helped all who entered. Even at the busiest times these was a lack of hurry and friction and a serenity that was an inspiration to many. During the seventeen years of work in the Ichow Station Mrs. Johnson gave much of her time, to entertain­ ing the wondering women from the neighborhood, who would crowd into her home to satisfy their curiosity. She looked upon this as the opportunity to make Christ known to these hungry souls and while serving them tea she and a Bible woman would tell them of Jesus and His love. After moving to Tsinan, being transferred to that Station in 1907, she continued to keep her doors open to all who would come, even after she undertook the arduous responsibility of being Principal in the Murray High School for Girls, together with a heavy teaching schedule. A spirit of self-sacrifice was always evident in all she did. It was exhibited towards her daughters when she remained in America, consenting to Dr. Johnson’s returning alone to China, while she made a home that en­ abled the girls to attend Wilson College. It was manifested towards fellow missionaries when she anticipated the needs of young missionaries and moved into a small room so that they could enjoy the comforts of larger quarters while living with her. It was shown towards the work in helping needy students, in heading the contributions when deficits were to be met, in ministering to the sick and needy, and in a thousand ways. One who lived in the Johnson home for more than a year and Avas intimately associated with them for nearly twenty years remarked that she could not recall their ever having made a derogatory remark about any one. They saw the best in each one, they inspired the best in all whose lives they touched. They knew their fellow workers with their weaknesses as few could, vet they always evidenced a faith in every one which did much to oil the wheels and smooth out difficulties. In Tsinan twenty-five years of effective service for her Saviour have left a fragrant memory. Mrs. Johnson had a real gift for teaching and wras largely responsible for the developing of the girls’ high school, which is now a part of the Cheeloo Middle School. The imprint of her life and ideals has been left on scores of young women now scattered throughout China. She also greatly supple­ mented and helped to make possible the valuable work Dr. Johnson did as physician and then for many years as Chairman and Executive Secretary of the Mission. She had a rare faculty for inspiring devotion and loyalty in the Chinese around her and the servants in the home displayed a respect and devotion which, indicated that they considered it a privilege to work ¡for Dr. and Mrs. Johnson and a joy to help serve their guests. The Johnson home became the center around which the soeial life of the station turned. Their hearth fires were literally the first to be lighted and the last to go out. How true it was that the community friends wrould gather at their fire side to warm themselves by the cheery glow and to bask in the warmth of friendship always radiated by the Christ-like lives of these two faithful missionaries. After being honorably retired upon reach­ ing her seventieth birthday Mrs. Johnson continued her interest in all phases of the work and shared with those around her the counsel made valuable by her keen and ever alert mind. When poor health necessitated her I moving to Weihsien about 1933, to make her home with | her son and daughter-in-law, she carried the same buoyancy of spirit which had endeared her to all in Tsinan and soon she was enshrined in the hearts of many in this her last home in China. Mrs. Johnson was a veritable mother to the members of her station but because of this she was none-the-less a mother of the highest type to her own three children. She had an uncommon gift for doing her full duty towards her own loved ones while carrying a large share of responsibility in mission work. The love and respect in which her children held their parents and the loyalty which they have preserved for the cause of foreign mis­ sions testifies to the success she made of her respon­ sibilities as a mother. Moreover, her daughter Margaret returned to China as a missionary of the Board to teach in the school with her mother until her marriage. She also gave us her only son to be one of the Mission’s doctors. The fragrance of the friendship, the beauty of the character, the nobility of the life, the fruitage of the work of Agnes Elliott Johnson will remain with us at least until another generation has passed. In heaven the harvest of her sowing will continue to be gathered +hru the years.