Additional Adventist Women's Biographies
Betty Ahnberg (Late 1900s)
"Aunt Sue" of the "Story Hour," Ahnberg pioneered in radio programming for children.
Minerva Jane Loughborough Chapman (1829 - 1923)
Began work as a typesetter at the Review and Herald Publishing Association. Later she was made secretary-treasurer of the Review and Herald Publishing Association until she was appointed Editor of Youth's Instructor. She worked at RHPA for 27 years. She served as General Conference treasurer from 1877-1883 and from 1885-1887 she was corresponding secretary of the General Conference. (Photo at left)
Fannie M. Dickerson Chase (1864 - 1956)
Editor of the Youth's Instructor from 1903 to 1922.
Grace Agnes Clark (1898 - 1955)
English missionary to East Africa, she helped re-establish Adventist missions after World War I. Appointed secretary-treasurer of Kenya Union Mission 1937-1942. An authority on the Luo language, she has done Bible translations that are still used today. Buried in Nairobi.
Marian Davis (1847 - 1904)
Helped Mrs. White in producing The Desire of Ages, The Great Controversy, The Ministry of Healing, Patriarchs and Prophets, Thoughts From the Mount of Blessing, Christ's Object Lessons, and Steps to Christ. Mrs. White called her "my bookmaker."
Hattie Enoch (Late 1800s)
Licensed to preach in Kansas. GC President G. I. Butler, said, "Elder Cook (conference president) thinks she is a better laborer in such things than any minister in the state." She and her husband later pioneered the work in Bermuda.
Edith M. Graham (d. 1918)
When the Home Missionary department was first organized as a branch of the Publishing department, Miss Graham, treasurer of the Australasian Union Conference, was asked to lead it. When it became an independent General Conference department five years later, Graham was re-elected as secretary. She died a few months later.
Eva Perkins Miller Hankins (1858 - 1942)
Taught at Battle Creek 12 years; she and her husband were among the first to go to Africa as missionaries in the field of education. They taught at Claremont Union College (forerunner of Helderberg College); she served as bookkeeper, teacher, preceptress and matron. After her husband's death she married again. She then served as Indiana Conference Education director before she and her second husband returned to Africa, where she became Education director of the union and assistant editor of the South African Sentinel.
Hetty Hurd Haskell (1857 - 1919)
A teacher; became a missionary in England (1887-1892) and South Africa (1892-1897). In 1897 she met the widowed Stephen Haskell and accepted his proposal to go to Australia to marry him. Ellen White reported that she was one of the "lady carpenters" who got the men going when building on Avondale College was stalled. According to Ellen White, Hetty was a "woman of rare ability as a manager."
Dr. Florence Armstrong Keller (1875 - 1974)
Graduated in the first class from Walla Walla College and later from Kellogg's American Medical Missionary College. She became the first woman physician sent overseas when she and her doctor husband served together 19 years in New Zealand; she served as physician for the Maori royal family. Later, as a faculty member of the College of Medical Evangelists (now Loma Linda) she was influential in raising funds to build the White Memorial Medical Center. She continued doing surgery and seeing patients six days a week until she was 92.
Dr. Lauretta Eby Kress (1863 - 1955)
Mrs. Kress studied nursing under Dr. Kate Lindsay at Battle Creek and then she and her husband went on to graduate from medicine at the University of Michigan. At Battle Creek Sanitarium one of their patients was Mrs. S.M.I. Henry. The Kresses pioneered Adventist medical work in England. Later they gave seven years mission service to Australia and New Zealand before returning to the United States. When the Washington Sanitarium and Hospital opened, her husband was the first medical director and Dr. Lauretta was the first surgeon. She is said to have delivered more than 5,000 babies during her career.
Dr. Phoebe Lamson (mid-1800s)
One of two first physicians at Battle Creek Sanitarium.
Ellen S. Lane (1880s)
An evangelist with her husband, Ellen Lane became the first Adventist woman to receive a ministerial license. She is said to have been a more popular preacher than her husband.
Sara McEnterfer (1854 - 1936)
Worked on Mrs. White's staff over 33 years, helping with writing, editing and taking dictation.
Dr. Helen Luella Morton
Doctor and missionary to Thailand. Established hospital at Chiangmai. Lectured internationally on drug abuse and taught at Loma Linda. Murdered in Thailand while serving there.
Sarah Elizabeth Peck (1868 - 1968)
Worked on Ellen White's staff 10 years in Australia. Her work is still the backbone of the indexing system used in the White Estate. She was also principal of Claremont Union College in South Africa and taught at Union College. Served as Superintendent of Education in the California Conference and concluded her career in the GC Education department. She assisted in the preparation of the book Education and began writing the True Education Readers series.
Flora (Lorena Florence) Fait Plummer (1862 - 1945)
She led the General Conference Sabbath School Department for 23 years—longer than any other individual. Before that, in 1900, when the Iowa Conference President received a call, Mrs. Plummer became Iowa's Acting President. This was the only case of a woman holding such a position until the 1990's (see Phyllis Ware).
Lucy Post (1845 - 1937)
Served as a Bible worker in Minnesota, Dakota and Ohio Conferences. Single and 50 years of age, she became the first Adventist woman missionary to Uruguay, South America.
Mary Priest (1823 - 1889)
Elected the first secretary of the Vigilant Missionary Society in 1869 (later became the Tract and Missionary Society; see: Maria Huntley). During the 20-year period she wrote more than 6,000 missionary letters.
Rowena Rick (late 1900s)
Associate treasurer, General Conference.
Helped care for the James and Ellen White children. Is credited with starting Bible lessons especially for children and youth in 1863. Was fourth editor of Youth's Instructor. From 1871 to 1873 she served as the fifth treasurer of the General Conference. (Photo at left)
Fredricka House Sisley (1852 - 1934)
General Conference treasurer, helped her husband found Union College; they became missionaries in England, South Africa, and Australia.
Jennie Thayer (1853 - 1940)
Was active in the Michigan Conference Tract Society and assisted J. N. Loughborough in editorial work in England. She then became the Atlantic Union Conference secretary-treasurer and auditor.
Mary Walsh (b. 1890)
Preacher, pastor, Bible worker, trainer of pastors.
Phyllis Ware
Executive secretary and treasurer of the Central States Conference who became interim president on the death of the president, Paul Monk, in the 1990's.
Lulu Wightman (Early 1900s)
She raised up 17 churches. Licensed to preach in 1898. Considered one of the denomination's most successful evangelists. Unfortunately, later she and her minister husband became discouraged and left the church.
Flora Harriet Lampson Williams (1865 - 1944)
Taught at Southwest Union College and headed three conference-level departments in Michigan: Education, Missionary Volunteer, and Sabbath School. In 1921 she became assistant secretary of the Education department at the General Conference. Edited Home and School magazine.
Much of the historical information is taken from Kit Watt's chapter, "Ellen White's Contemporaries: Significant Women in the Early Church" in A Woman's Place, edited by Rosa Taylor Banks; from Notable Women of Spirit by John G. Beach; and the Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia.
