f
\
Mrs. Mattie-Macon Norman Gardner as a
Chowan student in 1916-18.
7935 Letter from Alumna
Expressed Concern
The Chowanian has received a copy of a
letter written by the late Mrs. Mattie-
Macon Norman Gardner, Chowan alumna,
vhen she served as a missionary to China
with her first husband, the Rev. Philip E.
White of Hertford. Mrs. Gamer, who died
in January of 1976, attended Chowan from
1916-18. She graduated from Meredith
College and the training school of Southern
Baptist Theological Seminary. She also
attended the New York School of Fine Arts
and Music. She and the Rev. Mr. White ser
ved as missionaries to China under ap
pointment from the Southern Baptist
Convention’s Foreign Mission Board from
1924-27 and 1935-44. At the time of her death
she was the widow of Dr. E. Norfleet
Gardner of Henderson. Her survivors
include a daughter, Mrs. Authur A.
Jackson, Jr. of West Simsburg,Conn., and
a son, Louis Norman White of Brooklin,
New York.
In her letter, addressed to Mrs. Ruth
Thomas of Cofield, who had been her
classmate at Chowan, she writes of her
concern of Chowan and interest in the
friends she made at the college. She also
mentions the“great need” in China for the
love of Christ in the midst of the fighting
that was raging in the country.
r
)
The Chowanian
Murfreesboro, N. 0. 27855
Mattie Macon's Letter .
It is with a great deal of pleasure that I
think of the good old days that I was at
Chowan and went out to see you. I often
wonder how you all are and I wish
somebody would get Ruth to sit down and
write me a real long letter telling me all
about you dear people and also all the
other friends I knew around and about. I
saw in a paper lately that Chowan had
again changed presidents and that Miss
McDowell had been made Dean of Women.
I do hate for the splendid old college to
have to change hands so very often. The
days that I spent there were a veritable
blessing to me.
China is certainly in a stir-up,
politically. I am not at all capable to tell
you anything about the situation. It does
seem toat there is fighting all the time and
this city and that city falling into the
hands of bandits. It is a pitiful situation.
TTiere is a great need in this land,... the
love of Christ. Some feel that the
missionaries may have to leave sometime.
This may be true, but we can all at least
pray that China may be saved. We have
such a good native pastor, a Mr. Dong. He
is such a consecrated man and seems to
have a passion for lost souls. There must
be other men elsewhere like him and
surely China’s hope must lay in such men
as he.
Phil and I both appreciate your
remembrance of us at this Christmas time
and we will enjoy the Journal all of this
year and think of the giver. Do write us.
Letters mean even more to a person out
here than in America. May each of you
have your New Year filled with num
berless blessings and joys.
With lots of love to each,
As always.
GARDNER CHILDREN—The children of Mrs. Mattie-Macon Norman Gardner, Geneva
Jo White (now Mrs. Arthur A. Jackson, Jr.) eind Louis Norman White, posed for this picture
when their parents were misskinaries in China. At the time of the picture, Geneva was six
years oW and Louis, six months.
AT HOME IN CHINA—Chowcin alumna, Mrs. Mattie-Macon Norman Gardner, is shown
with her first husband, the Rev. Philip E. White of Hertford, in front of their home in China,
where tfiey served as missionaries.
PAGE EIGHT