Life & Love in The EGW Family

[Gregory Matthews]

Gilbert M. Valentine.; "Secrets of Love and Life in the E.G. White House:  Men--Lost & Found."  SPECTRUM, Vol 44, Issue 2, 2016, Pages 45 - 56.

Dr. Valentine is a professor at LaSierra University and has written a number of books, some focused on the life, ministry and relationship of EGW to the SDA Church.

This article is an outstanding article that presents EGW from the standpoint of a specific area of human interest.  It tells a story that probably few of us know.

One of these aspects is the degree to which she was involved in the "love life" of her son, Willie.

Ellen White was clearly involved in Willie marrying a woman half his age.  He was 40 and had children by a previous marriage.  She was about 21. 

On a slightly different issue.  This marriage was performed in Tasmania by a Methodist clergyperson due to the fact that no Adventist ministers were licensed to perform such in Tasmania.  And it was a wedding ring marriage.  And Ellen  White solemnized the marriage by offered a prayer of blessing over the couple.

Getting back to the story:  Before the woman, May, could marry Willie, she had to give up on the love of her live a young man named Arthur.  This happened, and Arthur was devastated.  But he went on to marry someone else.  After the death of Willie in 1937,  Arthur turned up again and he and May married in 1955.  They were married by Elder Arthur Lacey White who was the child that  May had named after the man she was now finally marrying. 

Dr. Valentine also discusses the issue of the proposal of marriage made to EGW after the death of James  by Elder Steven Haskell.  Ellen White rejected his offer.  But, she remained close friends with him to include following Haskell's marriage to another women.

All in all, I consider this to be an outstanding article that adds to our knowledge of Ellen White as a human person.