Blaine, Cyril Delabere (1928–2018)
By Godfrey K. Sang
Godfrey K. Sang is a historical researcher and writer with an interest in Adventist history. He holds a B.A. in History from the University of Eastern Africa Baraton and a number of qualifications from other universities. He is a published author. He is the co-author of the book On the Wings of a Sparrow: How the Seventh-day Adventist Church Came to Western Kenya.
First Published: October 10, 2024
Dr. Blaine was an American medical missionary of South African heritage who served in various capacities in Africa, specifically in Malawi before moving to Tanzania and Kenya.
Early Life
Cyril Delabere Blaine was born on May 4, 1928, in Los Angeles, California1. He was the eldest of the three sons and daughter of Dr. John Delabere Blaine (1904--1944) and Dorothy Irene Pemulder (190--1986)2. His father was a medical doctor who was born in Cape Town, South Africa, the son of first generation Adventists Cyril Maude Blaine (1876--1957) and Emma Sparrow (1877--1961)3. Dr. John Blaine trained at Loma Linda, California, and became a medical missionary, rising to become the medical secretary at the Natal-Transvaal Conference4. His wife, Dorothy Blaine (née Pemulder) was born in Iowa in the United States. They were married on June 25, 1925, in California. They moved to Scotland when Cyril was a baby, and it was in Edinburgh that his brother Robert Norman Blaine was born in 19305 .
The family moved to South Africa in 1935 and settled in Durban, Natal. Cyril grew up in South Africa with his brothers Robert (1930-1953) and Beresford Michael Blaine (1933-1997) and sister Joy Blaine.
Tragedy struck the family when his father, Dr. John Blaine, died in 1944, in Durban, in what was a case of hypertension6. Cyril was only 16. In 1953 his younger brother, Robert, died at sea on his way to pursue further studies in America. He passed away on board the Winchester Castle on January 19, 1953, and was buried at sea7.
Education
Cyril Blaine joined Helderberg College, completing his education there before joining the University of Cape Town where he studied medicine. During his break he would sell books as a literature evangelist8. His younger brother, Michael Blaine, who also attended Helderberg, was a gifted musician who led the choir. Michael also trained the men’s group, known as the Gospel Heralds.9 They performed special times at the 1953 session of the Youth Congress of the South African Union Conference at Bloemfontein. It was possibly also attended by Cyril who had just completed education at the University of Cape Town. Their mother Dorothy served as a credentialed Bible instructor with the Cape Conference.10 She had moved the family to Port Elizabeth at this time.
In 1954 the family made the decision to relocate to the United States. Michael and Joy left first and in January 1955, their mother, Dorothy Blaine, left South Africa to join them in the United States11. Cyril remained behind to commence his missionary service in Africa.
Missionary Service
Cyril qualified in 1952 with a medical degree from the University of Cape Town.12 He worked briefly in South Africa before he began his missionary service. In 1954 he accepted the call to mission service and joined Dr. S. A. Kotz and Dr. G. H. McMorland at the Malamulo Hospital and Leprosarium in Nyasaland (now Malawi).13 A new hospital building had just been completed at Malamulo when Dr. Blaine began working there.
Marriage and Family
On May 30, 1956, Dr. Blaine married American missionary Mariel Jean Darnell, who served as a nurse at Malamulo Hospital.14 They were married at the church at Malamulo. Mariel (1927-2001) was born on December 24, 1927, in Cottage Grove, in Oregon.15 She was the second of the two children of Ernest Roy Darnell (1891–1960) and Edith Emily Wheeler (1905-1986) of Oregon.16 In 1954 she moved to Nyasaland to serve as a missionary nurse at Malamulo. It was here that she met Dr. Blaine and they were married. Their son Roy Norman was born on March 4, 1957.17 Mariel served at the Department of Supervisors of Clinical Service.18
Return to America
Dr. Blaine continued on at Malamulo until 1959 when he experienced bouts of ill health. He then applied to move to America if he could find better treatment. On August 27, 1959, during the eightieth meeting of the General Conference Committee, it was voted to release Dr. Blaine from his appointment at Malamulo due to “unfavorable medical reports.”19 He returned to the United States and when he got better joined the staff at the St. Helena Sanitarium and Hospital, which was under the Pacific Union (Northern California Conference).
Return to Africa
He served until 1965, when he felt he could return to Africa. On March 18, 1965, the Pacific Union and Northern California Conferences voted to release him from his position at the St. Helena Sanitarium and Hospital to serve as the physician at Kendu Hospital in Kenya.20 Dr. Blaine would now come under the Trans-Africa Division. When he moved to Kenya, Dr. Blaine applied for and received a practicing license from the Kenya Medical Practitioner’s and Dentist’s Board in Nairobi.21 He and his wife were licensed as missionaries under the East Africa Union.22 They were placed in charge of the Nairobi Surgery, ran by the EAU.
During this time, the Blaines also served at the Heri Hospital in northern Tanzania.23 Due to restructuring at the Trans-Africa Division that saw Kenya connected with the Afro-Mideast Division in 1970, it became necessary to carry out some restructuring in the various organs. At his request, and in harmony with the recommendation of the Afro-Mideast Division, the General Conference voted to have him released on permanent return in 1971.24 They served in the EAU until January 1971 when they moved back to the United States. They both joined the staff at the Loma Linda University, under the Southern California Conference.25
Mariel moved with her family to the United States and then back to Africa, serving in Kenya and then Tanzania before returning to Kenya where they concluded their missionary service in January 1971, ending more than a decade in missionary service in Africa.
Death and Legacy
After the Blaines returned to the United States, they settled in California where they both joined the staff at Loma Linda. Mariel passed away in 2001 and was laid to rest in California.26 Dr. Blaine passed away on May 28, 2018 shortly after his 90th birthday.27 He was laid to rest at Loma Linda, California. Mariel did her missionary duty as a nurse, a nursing supervisor and administrator, in Africa. Dr. Blaine is best remembered for his mission work at Malamulo Hospital in Malawi, the Nairobi Surgery and Kendu Mission Hospital in Kenya, and also the Heri Hospital in Tanzania where he helped save lives through his skillful scalpel.
Sources
Clifford, F. G. “Report of Literature Sales in the Cape Province.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, May 1, 1948.
Commin, W. B. “Natal-Transvaal Conference Session.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1932.
Eva, W. D. “Farewell.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, March 1, 1955.
Eva, W. D. “From Hither and Yon, Weddings.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, June 15, 1956.
Familysearch.org. Accessed August 2024.
License No. 1812, The Kenya Gazette, Vol. LXIX No. 47, September 7, 1967.
Minutes of the Eightieth Meeting of the General Conference Committee, held on August 27, 1959, p. 359 (https://documents.adventistarchives.org/). Accessed August 23, 2024.
Minutes of the One Hundred and Sixty-Second Meeting of the General Conference Committee, held on March 18, 1965, p. 981. (https://documents.adventistarchives.org/). Accessed August 23, 2024.
Minutes of the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the General Conference Committee, held on January 28, 1971, p71-330 (https://documents.adventistarchives.org/). Accessed August 23, 2024.
Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook. Various years. https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.
University of Cape Town, Faculty of Health Sciences, “Class of 1952, Reunion.” https://health.uct.ac.za/alumni-reunions-reunion-roundup-reunions-held-2002/class-1952. Accessed August 23, 2024.
Venter Jr., P. A. “Death of Brother Robert Blaine.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1953.
Visser, F. “Report of Literature Sales in the Cape Province.” Southern Africa Division Outlook, May 1, 1948.
Notes
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LF4C-37Y (accessed August 22, 2024).↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LFXX-XHX (accessed August 22, 2024).↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LDFQ-J6Z (accessed August 23, 2024).↩
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W.B. Commin, “Natal-Transvaal Conference Session,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1932, 20.↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LFXF-3HV (accessed August 23, 2024)↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LFXX-XHX (accessed August 23, 2024)↩
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P.A. Venter, Jr., “Death of Brother Robert Blaine,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, February 1, 1953, 8.↩
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F. Visser, Jr., “Report of Literature Sales in the Cape Province,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, May 1, 1948, 8.↩
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Ibid.↩
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“Cape Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1954), 187.↩
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W.D. Eva, “Farewell,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, March 1, 1955, 8.↩
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https://health.uct.ac.za/alumni-reunions-reunion-roundup-reunions-held-2002/class-1952 (Accessed August 23, 2024).↩
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“Malamulo Hospital and Leper Colony,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1955), 253.↩
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W. D. Eva, “From Hither and Yon, Weddings,” Southern Africa Division Outlook, June 15, 1956, 12.↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LFCF-HKK (accessed July 3, 2024).↩
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Ibid.↩
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Eva, “From Hither and Yon,” 12.↩
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“South Africa Union Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1957), 263-264.↩
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Minutes of the Eightieth Meeting of the General Conference Committee, held on August 27, 1959, p. 359 (https://documents.adventistarchives.org/), accessed August 23, 2024.↩
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Minutes of the One Hundred and Sixty-Second Meeting of the General Conference Committee, held on March 18, 1965, p. 981. (https://documents.adventistarchives.org/) (accessed August 23, 2024).↩
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License No. 1812, The Kenya Gazette, Vol. LXIX No. 47, September 7, 1967, 957.↩
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“East Africa Union,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1968), 263.↩
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“Tanzania Union,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1967), 265.↩
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Minutes of the Thirty-Seventh Meeting of the General Conference Committee, held on January 28, 1971, p71-330 (https://documents.adventistarchives.org/), accessed August 23, 2024.↩
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“Southern California Conference,” Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook (1974), 77.↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LFCF-HKK (accessed July 3, 2024).↩
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https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/details/LF4C-37Y (accessed August 22, 2024).↩