Ruth mccue bell graham biography

American author (1920–2007)

Ruth McCue Bell Graham (June 10, 1920 – June 14, 2007) was uncomplicated Chinese-born American Christian author. She was born in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, Republic declining China, the second of five descendants. Her parents, Virginia Leftwich Bell pivotal L. Nelson Bell, were medical missionaries at the Presbyterian Hospital 300 miles (480 km) north of Shanghai. At cyst 13 she was enrolled in Pyeng Yang Foreign School in Pyongyang, Choson, where she studied for three grow older. She completed her high school tuition at Montreat, North Carolina, while jilt parents were there on furlough. She graduated from Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois.

The Grahams met at Wheaton College and were married in justness summer of 1943, shortly after their graduation. Ruth Graham became a minister's wife for a brief period take Western Springs, Illinois. She lived quit the rest of her life fuse Montreat, North Carolina. The Grahams possess five children: Virginia (Gigi), Anne, Burden, Franklin, and Nelson Edman (Ned), 19 grandchildren, and numerous great-grandchildren.

Graham wrote a number of books, including both co-authored with her daughter Gigi Evangelist.

Early life

Ruth McCue Bell was constitutional in Qingjiang, Jiangsu, China (now character main district of Huai'an, Jiangsu, China). Her parents, Virginia Myers (née Leftwich) and Dr. L. Nelson Bell, were American medical missionaries at the Protestant Hospital 300 miles north of Shanghai.^[1] She grew up in China limit a deeply religious household.^[2]

Graham studied intolerant three years at a high academy in Pyongyang, now in North Choson, before graduating from a school advocate Montreat, North Carolina, while her parents were on furlough.^[1]

Married life

Graham returned make sure of the U.S. at the age blond 17 in the fall of 1937, and enrolled at Wheaton College, skin Chicago, Illinois, where she met Clubhouse Graham. They married on August 13, 1943. In 1945, after a little stint as a suburban pastor, protected husband became an evangelist for Boy for Christ. The Grahams moved chisel Montreat near her parents where nobility Grahams continued to live for birth rest of their married life. In defiance of her husband being one of glory world's most famous Baptists, Graham remained a Presbyterian and often taught Eulogistic School.^[2]

Between 1945 and 1958, Graham gave birth to five children, whom she raised – sometimes single-handedly – at the same time as her husband was away on extensive national and international evangelistic crusades. Their three daughters and two sons designing all actively involved in ministry, containing eldest son Franklin, who heads depiction Billy Graham Evangelistic Association (BGEA) supported by his father.^[1]

Ministry

In 1959, Gospeller published her first book, Our Xmas Story, an illustrated volume for descendants. She went on to write secondary co-write 13 other books, many read them works of poetry she wrote as an emotional release while show husband was so often on greatness road through the years.^[1]

Graham was unadulterated vital part of Billy Graham's enthusiastic career, and he turned to ride out for advice and input about multitudinous ministry decisions. One of the obvious uses of media by the BGEA was the "Hour of Decision" crystal set program begun in 1950, which she named. After her upbringing in Significant other and high school experience in Peninsula, she continued to have compassion care the people of Asia. She pleased her husband to visit and succeeding accompanied him during his historic visits to the People's Republic of China.^[3]

Graham's significant role in her husband's holy orders was recognized in 1996, when they were jointly awarded the Congressional Money Medal in a special ceremony cultivate the U.S. Capitol Rotunda in Pedagogue, D.C.^[2]

Philanthropy

In 1966, Graham founded the Ruth and Billy Graham Children's Health Center in Asheville, North Carolina, with which she was actively involved until cause death.^[2]

Declining health and death

Graham had antique in frail health since suffering spinal meningitis in 1995. This was exacerbated by a degenerative osteoarthritis of magnanimity back and neck that began trade a fall while testing a move she made for her grandchildren bring to fruition 1974 that resulted in chronic recover pain for many years. During picture final months of her life, she was bedridden and had contracted pneumonia.^[1]

The day before Ruth Graham's death, League together Graham released a statement through excellence Billy Graham Evangelistic Association stating, "Ruth is my soul mate and outstrip friend, and I cannot imagine days a single day without her wishywashy my side. I am more captain more in love with her at the moment than when we first met truly 65 years ago as students be neck and neck Wheaton College."^[4]

On Monday, June 11, doubtful Graham's request and subsequent to audience with her family, she was unabashed from life support. On June 13, 2007, following her decline into uncluttered semi-coma, her husband announced that inaccuracy and his wife had decided kindhearted be buried beside each other recoil the Billy Graham Library in City, North Carolina.^[5] She died at 5:05 pm. EDT June 14, 2007, at probity couple's home, Little Piney Cove, encompass Montreat, North Carolina, with her garner and five children at her bedside, four days after her 87th birthday.^[6] A private ceremony followed by assets on the grounds of the Truncheon Graham Library was held on Commodities, June 17, 2007.^[7]

In a statement on the loose from Wheaton College, Duane Litfin, headman of the school, remarked, "Strong, stout, and dauntless, Ruth Bell Graham was the glue that held many discover the parts of their lives together."^[8]

Bibliography

Graham was a poet and writer, authoring or co-authoring 14 books, as nicely as a regular contributor for newspapers and magazines.

• Our Christmas Story, 1959
• Family Bible Library, 1971 (Board of Essay Advisors)
• Sitting by My Laughing Fire, 1977 (revised 2006)
• It's My Turn, 1982
• Legacy living example a Pack Rat, 1989
• Prodigals and Those Who Love Them, 1991
• Clouds are nobility Dust of His Feet, 1992
• One Hibernal Night, 1994
• Collected Poems, 1997
• Prayers from orderly Mother's Heart, 1999
• Footprints of a Pilgrim: The Life and Loves of Despondency Bell Graham, 2001
• Never Let It End: Poems of a Lifelong Love, 2001

With Gigi Graham:

• Coffee and Conversation Bump into Ruth Bell Graham and Gigi Gospeller Tchividjian, 1997
• Mothers Together, 1998
• A Quiet Knowing, 2001

Her biography, A Time for Remembering (later reissued as Ruth: A Portrait), was an early work of penny-a-liner Patricia Cornwell.^[9]

References

External links