Ruth Graham Bio
Ruth McCue Bell Graham was a notable American Christian author, poet, amateur painter and philanthropist born in Chinese. She was the recognized as evangelist Billy Graham’s wife and she was in charge of his ministry’s massive success and nationwide outreach. It is common knowledge that Billy used to rely on his wife’s wise counsel and solicit ideas from her when he was having difficulties in his line of work.
She was the one who worked hard to raise their five children and run their home by herself. Billy Graham used to travel for weeks at a time, leaving Graham alone to take care of their children. Graham started her own evangelistic endeavors and turned to writing as a way to release her emotional tension.
She composed poetry as well as fiction in her thirteen fantastic novels. Graham spent some time growing up in China with her missionary parents, from whom she learned the values of selflessness and treating people with kindness. Her life was steered by the values she was taught as a child, and Graham’s contribution to her husband’s ministry was duly acknowledged when they were presented with the Congressional Gold Medal at a special ceremony held in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C.
Ruth Graham Husband
Ruth met Billy Graham at Wheaton College, and the two dated for a few years before Ruth got married to him in 1943.
Ruth Graham Kids
She had five kids. Franklin Graham (b. 1952), president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and president and CEO of the international relief organization Samaritan’s Purse; Virginia Leftwich (Gigi) Graham (b. 1945), inspirational speaker and author; Anne Graham Lotz (b. 1948)leader of AnGeL ministries ,Nelson Edman Graham (b. 1958), a pastor who oversees East Gates Ministries International, which distributes Christian literature in China.
Ruth Graham Net Worth
Among the family’s wealthiest and most adored members was Ruth. At the time of her passing, her net worth was $5 million.
Ruth Graham Cause of Death
Since 1995, Ruth had suffered from degenerative osteoarthritis of the neck and back, spinal meningitis, and pneumonia. She requested to be removed from life support in 2007, and on June 14 of that year, she passed away.
Ruth Graham Early Life
In Qingjiang, Jiangsu, China, on June 10, 1920, Ruth Graham was born to Dr. L. Nelson Bell and Virginia McCue Bell. Her parents were medical missionaries at the Presbyterian Hospital near Shanghai.
The Bells gave their children a strong love for Christ and were dedicated to the hospital’s medical and evangelistic missions. Her father had a busy schedule as the surgical chief and administrative superintendent of the hospital.
Her mother took care of the family, managed the house, taught the children at home until they finished the fifth grade, worked at the hospital, was in charge of the women’s clinic, and assisted other missionaries. Ruth was a delicate and vulnerable child because of her loving, committed, and caring home environment. She used to give the deceased a dignified funeral and kept pets like baby ducks and chicks.
She spent three years studying in a high school in Pyongyang, Korea, after enrolling there at the age of 13. Her secondary education was completed in Montreat, North Carolina. She later graduated from Wheaton College in Illinois.
Ruth Graham Career
After her husband became an evangelist for Youth for Christ, Ruth and her husband moved to Montreat so they could be close to Graham’s family.
Ruth and her husband went on a tour prior to the birth of their children. She counseled those who had previously shown interest in Christ, but she was unable to devote as much time to these campaigns following the birth of her children.
Her husband used to travel and preach, leaving her to handle all household duties. After the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association was formally founded in 1950, his ministry saw rapid expansion. Her first book, “Our Christmas Story,” an illustrated children’s book, was released in 1959.
She used writing and co-writing nearly 13 books after that as a way to express her feelings. In 1966, she founded the Ruth and Billy Graham Children’s Health Center in Asheville, North Carolina. She worked hard at it until she died.
Prodigals and Those Who Love Them (1991), Clouds are the Dust of His Feet (1992), One Wintry Night (1994), Collected Poems (1997), Mothers Together (1998), and Prayers from a Mother’s Heart (1999) are just a few of the collections she released in the 1990s.
Ruth’s support of her husband’s ministry earned them both the Congressional Gold Medal in 1996. The venue for the event was Washington, D.C.’s U.S. Capitol Rotunda.
