BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH OF JOHN TILDEN LATTA
On the walls of
our home we have a photograph of the Fox Hollow School
children. John, his brother David, his
teacher and brother Tom and numerous Morris cousins are pictured therein. We
also have framed a map of Ohio he made November 12,
1893, apparently when he was a student there. We have a newspaper article about
the party for his sister Mary's birthday
about 1895 (her 21st we think) that says, "The beginning of the evening
was spent in social chat, interspersed with instrumental music by J. T. Latta
and sister and brother. . . . During supper J. T. Latta gave us some fine comic
songs with banjo accompaniment." In l999 The Monroe County Genealogical
Society reprinted the article.
He was baptized
by Mr. Bebb into the Salem (Ohio) Baptist Church. We think he may have attended
the Carmelite Baptist Church when he was young. He was ordained at Salem but
officially was a member of the East Cleveland Baptist Church during his
missionary years. His daughter Emma told us that he probably never would have
become a missionary except for the influence of his wife Mary Udell. She gave
us a picture when he taught at a school in Cambridge in the 1890's and another
one of him, his school children, and the parents and family of the community
about 1903. It has about 100 people in it.
He wrote poetry
before the age of 20 and was published. A copy of his small book, School Poems, is in our library. He played the
violin. He went to the Doane
Academy. We have the invitation for his commencement on June 10th, 1902,
held in the Baptist Church in Granville, Ohio, that was addressed to his
brother David Wilson Latta. He continued his studies at Denison University
and the University of Chicago. In l904 his address was 52 M.D. Middle
University Hall. He was a member of the Evangelistic Band of the University of
Chicago. We have a flier with the 13 member evangelistic band pictured and the
three-day program. He was listed as the hymn writer. In addition to his book of
school poems he wrote 300 songs and about 1000 other poems.
He married Mary
Elizabeth Udell on September 9, l905, in Gibson, Ohio, and was ordained at the
Salem church in October. His daughter Lois wrote me that they sailed under the
sponsorship of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society as missionaries to Burma in
October. He arrived in Rangoon December l9, l905, and proceeded on to Thonze
the next day where he served until April l, l940.
Provided by Betty Latta Kitchen
e-mail: Betty Kitchen
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