What will your legacy be? Generations of faithful believers continue to invest in God’s mission

In 1907, Frank (1880-1967) and Lenore (1888-1983) Artress had just been married and instead of going on a honeymoon they followed a recruiting call by Ellen White to come to the South to be missionaries at the “Martin Mission to the South.” Without delay, they put all their belongings on a cart that was pulled by a blind horse and made the trip from Michigan to Bon Aqua, Tenn., and joined the other missionaries. Upon their arrival, the Martin family took them in on their farm. 

Frank Artress, being a skilled carpenter, built a home for his own family nearby. He also built a church for the new congregation in Bon Aqua, which, unfortunately, no longer exists. Frank also was part of building the first KYTN Conference office in Nashville as well as the then Adventist Hospital in Lawrenceburg. Frank’s building skills played a huge part in witnessing to fellow workers who later gave their hearts to Jesus and joined the Adventist Church.

Frank and Lenore Artress added five children to their family over the years: Lynn Artress, Elwin Artress, Val Artress, Juanita Artress and George Eugene (Gene) Artress. Lenore was very determined that her children would be educated. Despite their lack of money, she subscribed to the “National Geographic” magazine for all their growing-up years so they would have their eyes opened to the different cultures and opportunities the world had to offer. 

As Frank and Lenore’s children grew, the family moved to Washington to be close to Washington Missionary College to provide higher education for each of their children. After her children graduated, they moved back to Tennessee. Lenore took the opportunity to get a college education at Southern Missionary College. She graduated  as a dietitian receiving the highest grades of her class. As it turned out, one of her sons was graduating at the same time. As a selfless mother, she made the decision to attend her son’s graduation rather than her own. 

One of Frank and Lenore’s sons, Gene, along with his wife, Mary, decided to join the foreign service after he graduated from Loma Linda University Medical School and served in the Navy. He worked as a physician in Afghanistan, Pakistan, Thailand and the Philippines for more than ten years. When he returned to the States, he and his wife settled in Smyrna, Georgia, where he opened a medical practice and provided medical care for their community for more than 35 years. Dr. Gene and Mary raised four daughters who were successful in their own right and became active in their Marietta and Smyrna, Georgia, Adventist Churches.

The experience of Frank and Lenore Artress’ faith and commitment to God was a generational gift. Gene and Mary Artress wanted to honor his parents and their missionary work that they had started back in the Dickson, Tennessee area. They unselfishly established a Unitrust that would bequeath to the Kentucky-Tennessee Conference and continue to support missions and spread the gospel to the region long after they are gone.

This story of faith and faithfulness provides a perpetual teaching opportunity for generations of what God had done for them and how He will provide and bless individuals who seek to go where God leads. The opportunity to leave a legacy of faith and tell of God’s provision is available to all of us.

Our lives can testify every day to God’s faithfulness. Let us then follow God’s command to be faithful witnesses for Him and follow the counsel the Artress family embraced when they read Deuteronomy 6:6-7. “These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.”

This family today still is leaving a legacy. What are you leaving with your life?