Pacific Union Recorder
July 22, 1915
The Death of Sister White
In the sunny upper chamber of her “Elmshaven” home — her “refuge” — in a sheltered, hill-girt valley near St. Helena, Cal., where our beloved sister had spent much of her time and done much of her writing during the last happy, fruitful years of her busy life, Mrs. Ellen Gould White fell asleep in Jesus as quietly and peacefully as a weary child going to her rest. The end came on Friday, July 16, 1915, at 3:40 P.M. surrounding her bedside were her son, Elder W. C. White, and wife; her granddaughter, Mrs. Mabel White Workman; her long-time and faithful secretary-nurse, Miss Sara McEnterfer; her niece, and faithful nurse, Miss May Walling; one of her untiring bedside nurses, Mrs. Carrie Hungerford; her housekeeper, Miss Tessie Woodbury; her old-time companion and helper, Mrs. Mary Chinnock Thorp; and a few of her friends and helpers who had spent many years about her home and in her office. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 1
Sister White was born in Gorham, ME., November 26, 1827, and at the time of her decease was aged eighty-seven years, seven months, and twenty days. Her death was not unexpected, as the readers of this paper know from the bulletins that Elder W. C. White has sent out from time to time. Her physicians, Dr. G. E. Klingerman and Dr. B. F. Jones, of the St. Helena Sanitarium, had done all that medical science could suggest to make her comfortable; but from the time of her accident on February 13 of this year, they could give but little hope of her recovery. at her advanced age the very nature of the accident, an intracapsular fracture of the left femur, made the prognosis of the physicians very grave; and it was only through the mercy of God and the prayers of His people all over the world, together with the unwearied diligence of physicians and nurses, that the last weeks of the deceased were comparatively free from pain. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 2
It is unnecessary to repeat at length the precious experiences that characterized the life of our dear Sister from the time of her call to ministry in early youth, to the day of her death. But rich and varied as were the spiritual blessings that came to her through the seventy years or more of loving ministry, some of the sweetest and most abiding of all were those coming as the fruitage of physical suffering and personal trial. Whatever the cross she was called to bear, whether the sad misfortunes of early childhood, the bitter privations incident to pioneer life, the scathing ridicule and the scornings of a gainsaying public, the loss of her cherished babe and her firstborn, the unexpected and sudden death of her husband in 1881, or the long and painful sicknesses that came to her in strange lands and under most trying circumstances, —these all caused her to reach a little higher and to lay hold a little more firmly on the help of heaven promised every trustful soul. Witness the noble sentiments traced by her own hand on the occasion of her miraculous restoration to health at Healdsburg, Cal., in 1882: PUR July 22, 1915, par. 3
“I do not now expect to be lifted above all infirmities and tribulations, and to have an unruffled sea on the journey heavenward. I expect trials, losses, disappointments, and bereavements; but I have the Saviour's promise, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee.’ We must not count it a strange thing if we are assaulted by the enemy of all righteousness. Christ has promised to be a present help in every time of need, but He has not told us that we shall be exempt from trials. On the contrary, He has plainly informed us that we shall have tribulation. To be tried and tested is a part of our moral discipline. Here we may learn the most valuable lessons, and obtain the most precious graces, if we will draw near to God, and endure all in His strength. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 4
“My sickness has taught me my own weakness, and my Saviour's patience and love, and His power to save. When passing sleepless nights, I have found hope and comfort in considering the forbearance and tenderness of Jesus toward His weak, erring disciples, and remembering that He is still the same, —unchangeable in mercy, compassion, and love. He sees our weakness, He knows how we lack faith and courage; yet He does not cast us off. He is pitiful and of tender compassion toward us. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 5
“I may fall at my post before the Lord shall come; but when all that are in their graves shall come forth, I shall, if faithful, see Jesus, and be made like Him. O, what joy, unspeakable, to see Him whom we love, —to see Him in His glory who so loved us that He gave Himself for us,—to behold those hands once pierced for our redemption, stretched out to us in blessing and welcome! What will it matter though we toil and suffer here, if we may only attain to the resurrection of life! We will patiently wait till our time of trial ends, and then we shall raise the glad shout of victory.” PUR July 22, 1915, par. 6
And after her long struggle of eleven months with a very painful form of neuritis, following her arrival in Australia, she wrote in December, 1892: PUR July 22, 1915, par. 7
“All through my long affliction I have been most signally blessed of God. In the most severe conflicts with intense pain, I realized the assurance, ‘My grace is sufficient for you.’ At times when it seemed that I could not endure the pain, when unable to sleep, I looked to Jesus by faith, and His presence was with me, every shade of darkness rolled away, a hallowed light enshrouded me, the very room was filled with the light of His divine presence. I have felt that I could welcome suffering if this precious grace was to accompany it. I know the Lord is good and gracious and full of mercy and compassion and tender pitying love. In my helplessness and suffering, His praise has filled my soul and has been upon my lips.” PUR July 22, 1915, par. 8
All through the weeks and months of her last sickness, Sister White was buoyed up by the same faith and hope and trust that had characterized her life experience in the days of her vigor. Her personal testimony was uniformly cheerful and her courage strong. She felt that her times were in the hand of God, and that His presence was with her continually. Not long after she was rendered helpless by the accident that hastened her death, she testified of her Saviour: “I see light in His light. I have joy in His joy, and peace in His peace. I see mercy in His mercy, and love in His love.” PUR July 22, 1915, par. 9
In another interview she said: “My courage is grounded in my Saviour. My work is nearly ended. Looking over the past, I do not feel the least mite of despondency or discouragement. I feel so grateful that the Lord has withheld me from despair and discouragement, and that I can still hold the banner. I know whom I love, and in whom my soul trusteth.” PUR July 22, 1915, par. 10
Referring to the prospect of death, she said further:“I feel, the sooner the better; all the time that is how I feel—the sooner the better. I have not a discouraging thought, nor sadness. . . . I have nothing to complain of. Let the Lord take His way and do His work with me, so that I am refined and purified; and that is all I desire. I know my work is done; it is of no use to say anything else. I shall rejoice, when my time comes, that I am permitted to lie down to rest in peace. I have no desire that my life shall be prolonged.” PUR July 22, 1915, par. 11
Following a prayer by the one who was making these notes of her conversation, she prayed: PUR July 22, 1915, par. 12
“Heavenly Father, I come to Thee, weak, like a broken reed, yet by the Holy Spirit's vindication of righteousness and truth that shall prevail. I thank Thee, Lord, I thank Thee, and I will not draw away from anything that Thou wouldst give me to bear. Let Thy light, let Thy joy and grace be upon me in my last hours, that I may glorify Thee, is my great desire; and this is all that I shall ask of Thee. Amen.” PUR July 22, 1915, par. 13
Our Sister's prayer was fully answered. Hers was the comfort that causes a child of the great Father of love and light to fear no evil, even while passing through the valley of the shadow of death. Not infrequently, during the earlier weeks of her illness, her voice was lifted in song: “We have heard from the bright, the holy land, we have heard, and our hearts are glad; for we are a lonely pilgrim band, and weary, and worn, and sad. They tell us the pilgrims have a dwelling there— no longer are homeless ones; and we know that the goodly land is fair, where life's pure river runs. “we'll be there, we'll be there, in a little while, we'll join the pure and the blest; we'll have the palm, the robe, the crown; and forever be at rest.” [In singing this hymn, Sister White always followed the phraseology of the hymnal published by her husband in 1849.] PUR July 22, 1915, par. 14
Arrangements have been made for the holding of a funeral service at her home, “Elmshaven,” near the St. Helena Sanitarium, at five o'clock Sunday afternoon, July 18. Elders J. N. Loughborough. Geo. B. Starr, and E. W. Farnsworth have been asked to officiate. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 15
A memorial service will be held Monday forenoon, at 10:30, on the Richmond (Cal.) Camp-Ground, Elders E. E. Andross, E.W. Farnsworth, and others of the Pacific Union Conference, Officiating. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 16
Interment will be at the Oak Hill Cemetery, Battle Creek, Mich., by the side of her husband, Elder James White. The Battle Creek services will be held in the tabernacle on Sabbath-day, July 24; Elders A. G. Daniells and S. N. Haskell Officiating. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 17
Sister White leaves two sons,—Elder W. C. White, of St. Helena, Cal., and elder James Edison White, of Marshall, Mich.; seven grandchildren, and two great-grandchildren. Of the countless hearts turned heavenward through her public ministry and through the influence of her writings, it is needless to say more than that during her last sickness her own heart turned in loving solicitude toward the thousands whose prayers in her behalf she knew were ascending to the throne of grace, and whom she hoped soon to greet in the blessed hereafter. PUR July 22, 1915, par. 18
Clarence C. Crisler