Photo by Wayne and Sharon Smith, at Siloam Springs Arkansas.

Thought you might be interested in an event that happened to your great uncle Charles Gruver (Dad's only sister, Allie's husband) prior to their marriage. He was a missionary in China in the 1930's prior to the Japanese causing so much trouble in China. He was of the path he knew and was lost and had not had any food for three days when he came on this camp of one of the War Lords. The men came after him and after he explained who he was and why he was there- they told him their boss was desperately ill and his God must heal him. They first took him to a tent where they gave him a place to clean up and clean clothes and then a high caste Chinese lady brought in food (delicacies) on a tray and he ate. Then they took him into the tent where the man was obviously about to die. Uncle Charles prayed for him and then they told him how to go (return) to where he had started when he got lost. Next day way down the trail here came these men on horses after him and he thought the man had died and now they would kill him. But the man was in the lead and healthy and came up to Charles and said I will go with you and those people you are going to see will turn to your God or I will kill them. Actual fact. I have seen the Chinese bible he had and I suppose his only living son now has it. Sorry you could not have known him and Aunt Allie. There is part of that story (fact) in China that I left out. The high caste Chinese woman who served the food to Charles could not be found and the men there said there was no such woman with them. Lords angel? I think so and so did Charles.

Cousin Wayne Smith and Sharon Smith sent photo of Gravestone of Aunt Allie Love Gruver (Smith) daughter of Jacob Franklin Smith and Maggie E Garrison. My Dad Bruce Smith sent the story preceeding this about her husband, Charles Gruver, a missionary in China obviously prior to World War Two and Pearl Harbor. I suspect the approximate year this happened was one to four years prior to Japan's invasion of China, or circa 1938.

The inscription is readable in the photo. She is buried in the Oak Hill Cemetery at Siloam Springs Arkansas where her parents J Frank and Maggie E Smith are buried.
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