Margaret was
born and grew up in Johnson City, Tennessee. Her parents, George
C. and Alpha (Richardson) Sells, already had one son, William,
before Margaret and another, George C. Jr. about ten years
later. She attended Salem College and had just completed her
studies when her father, whom she dearly loved and respected,
died unexpectedly. At that time, she surrendered her life to the
Lord, saying that she was born again on the day her father died.
She immediately felt drawn to full-time Christian service.
Later, while
teaching school in Columbia, South Carolina, she attended
classes at Columbia Bible College. During a Bible Conference
there, Dr. Robert McQuikin d. challenged young people to heed
God’s call to the mission field. She accepted the challenge and,
after reading the biography of Hudson Taylor, chose China as her
field of service. In October, 1936 she sailed for Mainland China
under the auspices of the China Inland Mission.
She was
later invited to join the Southern Presbyterian Mission and
lived in the home of Dr. and Mrs.Nelson Bell (parents of
Evangelist Billy Graham’s wife, Ruth). The First Presbyterian
Church of Johnson City been actively involved in her ministry ad
life through the years.
Obliged to
leave China during World War II, she worked with the Signal
Corps using her knowledge of the Chinese lnguage, first n Miami,
censoring Chinese mail, and later in Washington, D.C. In 1945,
she returned to China but in 1949,just before the Communist
invasion of China, she left Shanghai for kobe, Japan where she
helped to organize a Chinese Church.
In 1952, she
accepted an invitation to teach in the National Taiwan
University and served there until she retired in 1977. In 1982,
she became a resident of Bradenton Missionary Village until 1998
when she moved into Assisted Living Facilities in Bradenton. Her
long, full life on earth ended on December 30, 1999 and she is
now reunited with loved ones and friends who preceded her into
the presence of her Lord and Savior.
Margaret
chose Isaiah 58:11 as her life verse:
“The Lord
shall guide thee continually, and satisfy your soul in drought,
and make strong thy bones; and thou shalt be like a well watered
garden, and like a spring of waters whose waters fail not”
She is
survived by her brother, George C. Sells, Jr. of Johnson City,
Tennessee and by several nieces and nephews, of whom she was
very fond. She will be greatly missed by her many friends, not
only here in Bradenton but around the world, including numerous
former students from the National Taiwan University, and
co-workers there.,who have kept in touch with her since her
retirement.