Gainesville native guided by God

Nurse spends 30 years as a missionary in Zimbabwe

Mary Louise Clark, now 85, spent 30 years serving as a nurse and missionary in the African country of Zimbabwe. Clark was in the country during its civil war in the 1970s and when Robert Mugabe was elected prime minister in 1980. Fifteen years later, she retired and returned to Gainesville, ultimately writing a book about her experiences.

0601missionary1 — Mary Louise Clark, now 85, spent 30 years serving as a nurse and missionary in the African country of Zimbabwe. Clark was in the country during its civil war in the 1970s and when Robert Mugabe was elected prime minister in 1980. Fifteen years later, she retired and returned to Gainesville, ultimately writing a book about her experiences.

At first glance, Mary Louise Clark appears to be an average resident of Gainesville. What can’t be seen, however, is the 30 years she spent as missionary in Zimbabwe and the famine, sickness and civil war she endured. Clark, who grew up in Gainesville, pursued a career in nursing in the early 1960s when she felt called to be a missionary after reading an article in Royal Service, a magazine published by the Woman’s Missionary Union.

Life top stories

Life top stories