Dr. Bruce Nelson Davenport
One of FMHF founders Dr. Bruce Davenport, age 93, joined Jesus on July 10, 2021. He was a medical missionary, as well as a pastor, and continued seeing patients into his 80s, specializing in house calls. He always brought some inspiring thoughts at our annual retreats and planned to attend this one with his wife, Harriet, and his brother and his wife Edward and Shirley. I remember he would pray through his appointment schedule daily before starting. His voice was soft but his messages were powerful.
The following was copied from his obituary:
Dr. Davenport attended the Saranac Free Methodist Church where a missionary came to the church and talked about missions. Bruce felt a strong calling to go to Africa as a medical missionary. After graduating from Lowell High School, he went to junior college in Spring Arbor where he met Mildred Avis. They were married on August 29, 1947. They moved to Adrian where he was appointed to Pastor of the Petersburg/Townline Churches. A year later they were appointed to the Sherwood Free Methodist Church. While he was there, he felt a renewed call to medical missions, so they moved to Seattle, WA where he finished his pre-med and medical school. After finishing his internship, they moved to Spring Arbor in 1958. In 1967, he worked at the mission hospital in Greenville, South Africa. In 1982, he was able to return to South Africa. After a miraculous deliverance in 1986, it became clear that they should return to the United States. On October 19, 2012, his wife Mildred Avis Davenport passed away. They had been married for just over 65 years. Later, he married Harriet Wheelock, a former missionary who served in Central Africa.
We hope we can all meet in person at next year’s retreat and celebrate his life with his family and all of his friends who are part of our group.