Margaret wrote to her mother about a book by Arthur Judson Brown. He was expressing his point of view, and there were many differences in opinion, especially between men and women. They discussed with other missionaries about getting into the field.
Margaret asked her mother to get a letter from the board of her church testifying to her good Christian character. The letter was to go the mission board for her application to become a missionary.
Margaret realized she had upset Adelle, her mother, with her lack of interest in mission. She later wrote to tell her that she now felt better about going into mission.
Margaret tells how at age 19 or 20 her mother, Adelle, felt a strong urge for mission. It seemed to Adelle that there was no way to fulfill her desire, since there had always been someone who depended on her financially. Margaret tells of other…
Adelle approved of Kenneth's desire to go into the mission field. She said she and her husband had always prayed that one of their children would become a missionary, and it looked as if Margaret was going to be the one.
Margaret was born very early in the morning, and her parents were choosing names for their meaning. Her name, Margaret, means pearl. Dorothea means "a gift of God." Julia (which means "soft hair") was named after the girl's grandmother and her…
Margaret's birth certificate was registered in Kenosha County. When she went to Siam with Kenneth in 1927 she had to send for her birth certificate. It was then that she discovered that it read "Female Mortenson." Adelle had to go to the Wheaton…
Margaret's father's funeral was held in Uncle Chris' house in Racine, Wisconsin. The burial was in Oakwood cemetery in Somers, Wisc., where several family members had been buried. Later in 1953 Margaret's mother Adelle had A.D.'s body moved to…
Margaret recalls the last summer of her dad's life. It was a happy summer because of an evangelistic tour he had with Mr. Park in Michigan. He died suddenly, while the rest of the family was in Stony Lake. He was burried in Somers, Winsconsin.
Grandmother Mortenson was very active in the church. Margaret remembers her as a very warm person with little education. She died the summer of the Mortensons' trip to Stony Lake.
Margaret tells stories about her mother's childhood. She went to a German school when she lived in Franksville. In Somers, she had a friend, a half Indian girl with a European father, who had been rejected by her tribe. That girl was Adelle's best…
Margaret digresses from the main story to tell of the time when Adelle, in her old age, had to move in with her daughter Betty.Adelleﾠhad only a small pension form Wheaton College, and when her sight began to fail it was clear that she could not…
Margaret tells about the first time her mother Adelle saw a motorcar. It was in Racine, and the whole town had rushed into the street to see it. When it came a woman was riding it gaily.ﾠAdelleﾠwas disgusted to see it, because no respectable girl had…
Adelle and A.D. got engaged in 1901 and married in 1902. Adelle wore a handmade dress andﾠA.D.ﾠa cutaway. They had a very modest wedding, with very few people attending. They lived in Somers, Wisconsin.
Adelle liked keeping little souvenirs, like a ball of homespun yarn kept in a little bag and a note that said it was a yarn spun by her mother. She also kept souvenirs of her recreational moments, like the program of one of her quartet's song…
A.D. is remembered as very nervous, reserved, and cold. He would hide in his room to weep, trying very hard not to visit his health problems on the family. Margaret tells about his opposition for an opportunity she had to win a scholarship.
Kenneth could visit people in the country about once a year, and the postal system was reliable. He decided to start "epistolary evangelism" and wrote letters to the people he visited and other interested persons. This allowed him to keep in touch…
Margaret and Mrs. Bulkley visit an old Buddhist temple in Nakhon and did some sightseeing. The temple was beautiful and supposedly contained relics of the Buddha. Margaret further describes the temple and its surroundings. The history of the temple…
Kenneth was in Ron Phiboon, a mine town. He expected to meet Margaret there from India. He got a new friend, a puppy named Suzy. He wanted to give it to the children for Christmas. It was a tiny puppy that looked like a lion, and people were leery of…
Kenneth tells how he asked Margaret to marry him back in 1924. Kenneth was working at a restaurant and was saving money to buy an engagement ring for Margaret. He bought an expensive ring, but the problem was that Margaret didn't seem to want to be…
Kenneth and Margaret entertained the clique, a group of young people that Kenneth had organized. Kenneth and Margaret tell about the sermon contest at Princeton that all students had to participate in before the faculty. Kenneth didn't know he was in…
Margaret reads Kenneth's letter to her mother about describing their first Christmas together, the gifts, and the atmosphere. She also reads a letter from her mother explaining their celebration of Christmas without Margaret.
Kenneth and Margaret arrived in Princeton and drove through the city, proudly admiring its beautiful streets, with their truck full of baggage. Kenneth couldn't believe how much stuff Margaret owned.
Wheaton English professor Elise Dow made a strong impression on Kenneth. He considers her to be the only professor at Wheaton that he truly enjoyed studying under. Kenneth and Margaret recall her as being far beyond the other professors