Mary Watson

All who knew Mary Watson would agree that her life exemplifies what it means to be the hands and feet of the Lord she loved. She was tender and nurturing with a heart that beat to follow the Lord's calling to make a difference in the world around her. With an unwavering faith as her constant companion, Mary devoted her life to building schools halfway around the world, spreading her love to countless others in the process. She was highly intelligent and dedicated to everything she did, and there was nothing like one of Mary’s stories. She fully embraced both the peaks and valleys of her life’s journey, counting each pathway as part of God’s perfect plan for her life. Mary will never be forgotten on this side of heaven, and her loved ones look forward to a glorious reunion one day.

With the end of WWI in 1919, America was recognized as a world leader for the first time and poised for greatness. The decade that followed was a prosperous one filled with numerous advancements that transformed the way we lived our everyday lives. It was during this exciting time, in 1921, that a young couple from Appleton, Wisconsin, was doubly blessed with the birth of twin girls on October 1st. Mary Christina, weighing just six pounds, was one of five children born to her parents, Richard E. and Ella (Clack) Watson, and she was raised in the family home alongside her older sisters, Betty and Margaret “Peggy,” and her younger brother, Richard “Dick,” in addition to her twin sister, Grace. She and her twin had a special bond right from the start, and since they looked alike, often dressed alike, and sometimes tried to talk alike, they often had a good time tricking others about who was who.

In many ways Mary experienced a typical childhood. Her cousins lived right next door, and Mary loved riding her cousin’s pony. She enjoyed playing outdoors and made numerous fond memories swimming, fishing, and being with her family at the family cottage on Lake Winnebago. As a student at local schools, Mary played the violin, and she went on to graduate from Appleton High School. She continued her education, graduating from Wisconsin Teacher's College, which is now University of Wisconsin at La Crosse.

With her education completed, Mary’s first teaching jobs were in Wisconsin and then South Carolina, but when her contract was up she didn’t renew it as she felt God was calling her to walk a different path. Mary followed His calling, which was to teach children to read and write while introducing them to the Lord Jesus. In 1953, she sailed for Belgium to perfect her French and to pass the colonial course that was required for her to teach in the Congo.

Mary arrived in the Belgian Congo in 1954. Education was in the hands of the missions. These schools were subsidized by the government at the time. Mary learned the local trade language, Swahili. There were only three mission schools in the area in addition to many village schools of first and second grades. Mary not only taught students, but she also established schools, trained teachers, organized finances, and later inspected schools. Additionally, Mary was the hostess for the mission station, which meant that she was in charge of entertaining visitors. With a sweet tooth for ice cream, she always tried to make special treats for the visitors.

Throughout her 38 years there, Mary made an enormous impact. She learned to be resourceful, to fix things, and to make do with what she had including an old car and bad roads with a job that required a lot of traveling. Mary frequently had kids all over her yard laughing and playing, waiting to recite the Bible verses she taught them. After they got through their recitations, Mary played board games with them. The children reciting Bible verses brought her tremendous joy. As an excellent linguist, Mary did a lot of translation work as many of the children had sponsors from all over the world, which meant that there were numerous letters that went back and forth that needed to be translated. Toward the end of her time there, much of Mary’s time was focused on setting up schools for the deaf. By the time she left in 1992, there were 52 mission schools in the area that went all the way up to 12th grade in addition to technical and high schools.

Family continued to play an important priority to Mary despite being separated by so many miles. She wrote letters back home to family and friends including weekly letters to her parents and monthly letters to her siblings. Later in life Mary talked to Grace almost every day. When coming home on furlough occasionally, she spent time with her family. But these visits were on the rare side as they were usually determined by political conditions in the Congo. When she returned to the United States for good, she stayed with her sister for a time.

With a desire to continue serving her Lord, Mary moved to Detroit where she worked with Christian Missions for the Deaf. She added sign language to her skills and continued translating as well.

Mary was truly an amazing and unique woman. It comes as no surprise that she loved Scrabble as she could play in three languages, and she could also play both sides of the board herself. Mary had an amazing memory and was active for much of her life, which meant that it was frustrating to her when her health began to limit her during her sunset years. In 2007, she moved to Rest Haven Homes in Grand Rapids.

Independent, passionate, and hardworking, Mary Watson was an extraordinary woman who lived an extraordinary life. She was focused on completing the work that the Lord had called her to, and she viewed each new day as an opportunity to serve Him in every way. Her life is a testimony to the Lord preparing someone to do His work, and the evidence of his guidance and care in her life.

Mary Christina Watson went home to be with her Lord and Savior on October 22, 2013. She was preceded in death by her sisters, Betty Benson and Margaret "Peggy" Hogland; and by her brother, Richard "Dick" Watson. Mary is survived by her twin sister, Grace Watson who resides in Colorado Springs, CO; as well as many nieces, nephews and friends. Her funeral service will be held on Friday, October 25, 2013 at 2 PM at Rest Haven Homes, 1424 Union NE in Grand Rapids, where friends may visit with her family from 1 PM until the service and for a time immediately following the service. Interment in Fairplains Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be sent to "Disaster Fund -- D.R Congo" C/o Christian Missions in Many Lands, Inc., P. O. Box 13, Spring Lake, NJ 07762. To read more about her life, to share a favorite memory or to sign the guestbook, please visit www.lifestorynet.com.