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Note: Stella Florence Dillon Stella Florence Dillon, known to most as Florence, was born April 2, 1904, in the same home in Kirkwood, Nebraska, where her mother had been born twenty years earlier. Florence as the first child of Clarence and Bertha Spragg Dillon. At the age of 13, Florence felt God's call upon her life. He spoke to her heart and mind, saying: "You take care of my things and I'll take care of you." She literally lived by that call and its promise. After graduating from high school at Ordway, Colorado, she attended college in Greeley, Colorado, receiving a teaching certificate. She taught long enough to pay to go into nurses training in Denver. She worked as a R.N., again saving up her money to go to Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois, for her minister's credentials. All of this was in preparation to go as a missionary to India. In the early 30's the church did not have sufficient money to send her. She turned to those about her. They were the children of the Japanese farmers in the area. She held Sunday School classes in the afternoons. To support herself she alternately taught public school and id nursing. Then when World War II was upon us, all the Japanese west of a certain point were evacuated to centers where they would not be a threat to the United States. There was one of these camps near Granada, Colorado. She worked in the hospital there as night supervisor. Then when the Japanese people were permitted to return to their homes, they had none to return to. So they lived for a time in a hostel until they could arrange their own living quarters. Florence bought the groceries for the hostel. When the Japanese did return to California Florence followed them. After her work there was finished she spent four years in Japan one year as a 6th grade teacher for the children of American missionaries. The other years she taught English to young people who were eager to learn. Her textbook was the Bible. Florence did a good deal of volunteer work in and around the hospital, especially comforting children who were hurting. She returned to America in 1962. Florence helped with the care of her parents, then she pastored several Free Methodist churches. When her last church was closed she attended the services of the Nazarene Church. Soon she was helping with the children and singing in the choir. Florence was the secretary of the Las Cruces Ministerial Association and hospital chaplain for several years. She also was associated with the Las Cruces police department as chaplain, even riding with the officers tot he scene of accidents. In January 1987 she went to her mail box at the curb on the street. She fell backwards striking her head on the curb, necessitating several stitches. The doctors would not release her to go to her home alone so she was brought to Tucson to live with her brother, Robert and his wife Ruth. They did a wonderful job taking care of her death in Tucson General Hospital June 22, 1987 at 11:18 p.m. By, Lavon Dillon, sister-in-law of Florence. Copied on March 12, 2000 by Evan Dillon, Grandson of Evan E. Dillon, uncle of Florence
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