The Atherton Chronicles is about the lives of the men and women who have lived their final years at the Atherton Baptist Homes — a retirement community currently located in Alhambra, CA which was established by Hannah Atherton Baldwin. Hannah had overheard her parents conversing with two visiting missionaries in their home when she was a little girl. She learned that the elderly couple had few financial resources and didn’t know how they would be able to retire since they had lived for most of their lives as missionaries abroad. That was when a spark of an idea for a retirement home for missionaries started for young Hannah. With a seed money of Ten Thousand Dollars, the retirement home was established and broke ground in 1917. Today, Atherton Baptist Homes continues to provide for missionaries in their retirement years.
This article was originally written in the Atherton Reporter on October, 1962.
Doctor Axling married Lucinda (Lou) Axling on Mary 21, 1901. In his obituary it was said, “In 1901 she went with him as a bride to the missionary field of Japan.” She was a resident of Atherton and died on January 7, 1960 before the Atherton Reporter edition was released. Dr. Axling and the Evangelistic Center are mentioned in many missionary reports of Japan and is one of the Atherton missionaries that is mentioned in Robert Torbet’s Venture of Faith: The History of American Baptist Foreign Missions Society and the Women’s American Baptist Foreign Missions Society,
1814-1954. During the war, the Center became a refuge for several missionaries for a season, though most were still interned. Dr. Axling died on February 24, 1963 at Atherton.
Dr. William Axling was born in Omaha, Nebraska on August 9, 1873, and was educated at the University of Nebraska and Colgate Divinity School at Rochester. He was called by our Mission Board (ABFMS) to serve in Northern Japan, 1901, and the same year he was married to Lucinda Burrows. The young couple left at once for their mission as rural evangelists to Northern Japan. Here they served for five years and suffered much persecution and continuous attempts by Buddhist priests to close and end their mission.
After these five years, Dr. Axling broke down and was furloughed home to recuperate. In 1908 they returned to Tokyo, where the Mission Board asked them to establish an evangelistic center — a challenge to the Japanese as a worthy educational, welfare and evangelistic enterprise.
The nation took its cue from Tokyo; while Dr. Axling outlined and carried forward a three-fold program — evangelistic, educational and public welfare, and this new center became the first model of effective Christian work in the Far East. They ministered not only to the individual, but to the whole community. At first, in Tokyo they faced an attitude of indifference, but the Great Famine in Japan gave them the opportunity for relief work which awakened the interest and gratitude of the nation.
In Tokyo they erected a large building which three times was, wealthy and the city furnished the
lumber and supplies. Here now was cooperation, a surprising change from the earlier opposition. During the World War II, the Axlings were separated in stockades fifty miles apart, but in the middle of the war, they were repatriated to the United States and later returned to their great work.
After their first retirement, Dr. Axling spent eight years in evangelistic work under the direction of the Japanese Christian Church and witnessed miracles with large audiences and a response of some 20% of the people attending. The Axlings retired in 1955, but for many years. Dr. Axling continued deputation work and traveled over 135,000 miles across our land and spoke over 1,000 times.
The picture above shows the Honored Star — Japan’s Second Order of Merit, given by the Emperor and the “Pigeon Cane” which signifies freedom to all parts of the city including the Emperor’s palace. Mrs. Axling was called home a couple of years ago, while now Dr. “Uncle Will” Axling resides at 216 So. Atlantic Blvd.,
Alhambra — Atherton Baptist Homes. Truly he is one of our great missionary statesmen and worthy of our highest honor.
Of Atherton Baptist Homes, Dr. Axling says, “It’s a wonderful home far from home!”
Story collected by Rev. Craig Statton for Atherton Baptist Homes.
