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Ellen White: Woman of Vision

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Others Who Helped

A number of others helped Ellen White throughout the years. Among these were: WV 355.4

1. Mary Clough. In 1876 Ellen White was on the Pacific Coast, living in their new home in Oakland. James White, president of the General Conference, was detained in Battle Creek in administrative work. She had good literary help in her niece, Mary Clough, and she pushed ahead with her writing on the life of Christ. WV 355.5

The first drafts of her materials were in her own handwriting. Mary would edit the pages and put them into the form of a chapter, and then copy it. Of course, the finished work was also in handwritten form, for it was six or seven years later that typewriters came into use in Mrs. White's work. Every morning she would write diligently in her upstairs room. After the noonday meal she would go to Mary Clough's room, lie on a sofa, and listen as Mary read the materials prepared from her first written draft. “The precious subjects open to my mind well,” she wrote in early April (Letter 4, 1876). WV 355.6

2. W. C. White. Her son “Willie” helped with editing, reading manuscript, choice of illustrations; finding a publisher, business arrangements. He had no part in the writing, wording, or literary content of the work. WV 355.7

3. Sara McEnterfer. Sara McEnterfer, a graduate nurse from Battle Creek, assisted Ellen White in various ways and traveled with her in America and Europe. She was considered one of three “literary assistants” who helped Mrs. White in Australia, and was replaced by Fannie Bolton when she became ill and had to return to the States temporarily. She even took a turn at carpentry when the staff were pushing forward to the target date for the opening of Avondale College. She probably read copy occasionally, but did no share in the literary work. WV 356.1

4. Fannie Bolton. Fannie Bolton was one of three assistants who traveled with Ellen White on the S.S. Alameda when the party embarked from San Francisco for Australia. Fannie had been invited to join Mrs. White's staff in 1887. The daughter of a Methodist minister, she was brought into the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Chicago through the evangelistic efforts of G. B. Starr and his wife. At the time, she was a correspondent for the Chicago Daily Inter Ocean. She received her literary training at the ladies’ seminary at Evanston, Illinois (DF 445, G. B. Starr to L. E. Froom, March 19, 1933), and seemed well fitted for a promising future. Starr and others gave her a hearty recommendation. She was barely acquainted with Ellen White and W. C. White, but was employed when Mrs. White returned from Europe. She was to fit in where needed, but her work was to be largely in preparing Mrs. White's materials for the Review and Herald, Signs of the Times, and the Youth's Instructor. She traveled west with the White group and resided with them in the White home in Healdsburg, California. W. C. White reported that Fannie “proved to be brilliant and entertaining, and although somewhat erratic at times, was loved by the other members of the family.” WV 356.2

Unfortunately, Fannie's years of service with Ellen White in Australia (1891-1896) brought mental anguish to Mrs. White because of Fannie's changeable moods, erratic course, and unfaithfulness. She was dismissed numerous times, but was graciously restored to her work. She finally resigned, recognizing her unworthiness and unsuitability to the work. She was replaced by Maggie Hare. WV 356.3

5. Maggie Hare. Maggie Hare was one of the large Hare family whose paternal home at Kaeo, New Zealand, Ellen White had visited (see chapter 39). A young secretary, Maggie assisted Sara in handling the immense amount of mail going out to the United States and coming in. She replaced Fannie Bolton in the task of selecting from Ellen White's manuscripts and letters material suitable for publishing in periodicals. When Mrs. White returned to the United States in 1900, Maggie was one of the four women assistants who accompanied her. WV 356.4