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Nelson Zane Town

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Town, Nelson Zane (1863–1936) and Sadie Rhoda (Graham, 1869–1966)

By Silvia C. Scholtus

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Silvia C. Scholtus

First Published: January 29, 2020

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Nelson and Sadie Town were North American missionaries who served in the United States, Scotland, England, and South America, pioneering work in the areas of publications and education and participating in church administration.1

Early Years

Nelson Zane Town and Sadie Rhoda Graham both studied in South Lancaster Academy, Massachusetts, United States, and they met there. In 1888, Sadie was among the first graduates of the secondary course, and Nelson graduated from the ministerial course in 1889. Sadie and Nelson married in 1890. They had no biological children but adopted a daughter, Genevieve Dickerson.2

Together they began their first tasks as missionaries in the New York Conference. Their interest in spreading the gospel in other lands led them to go as pioneer canvassers to Scotland (1891). Later, Nelson was invited as a canvassing leader in Great Britain (1892). When the board of the General Conference considered the need to send missionaries to South America, Nelson and Sadie Town were considered to be the most qualified.3

Pioneering in South America

The Towns arrived in Argentina around August 1896, the middle of winter.4 When they arrived in Buenos Aires, they joined the families of missionaries who had already settled there,5 and they all lived together in a large, rented house. Sadie visited mainly English-speaking people and actively collaborated with the Sabbath school in English among Adventists residing in Buenos Aires.6 Nelson Town was appointed secretary-treasurer of the East Coast Mission, and he was in charge of assisting the canvassers and taking care of the “depository and the book business.”7

In those early years from 1896 to 1898 when Adventists were few, Sadie had multiple duties in Buenos Aires. She visited the sick in the hospital, accompanied by Lucy Post; helped the poor by requesting clothes from the wealthiest sectors of the city; taught cooking and health classes, distributed Christian literature; and visited those interested in Adventist beliefs and gave them Bible studies.8

On January 20, 1899, the Towns began teaching classes in the first canvassing school in Argentina, which was started in Las Tunas, Santa Fe. In the fall of that year, discussions were held about moving the school to broaden interest in educating missionaries in different areas.9 On April 20, 1900, classes began in the new school building located in the area of Camarero, Entre Ríos, where several believers had been making contributions for the construction of the building. Later, the school was called River Plate Academy (1908), and currently, it is River Plate Adventist University.10

During those years, along with H. F. Ketring, Nelson was also in charge of writing the newspaper The Monthly Letter, which was published in Argentina to inform believers of the activities carried out in South America. This newspaper was discontinued in 1901 when La Revista Adventista [Adventist review] became the official organ of the South American Union Mission, which was written in the West Coast Mission of South America.11

In 1901, Nelson was ordained to the evangelical ministry, and in October of the same year, he was elected president of the River Plate Conference, which was formed from the Argentina Mission Field at the same meeting.12 In 1902 and 1903, Sadie’s responsibilities increased as she came to occupy the positions of corresponding and Sabbath School secretary for this conference, which covered the Argentine Republic.13 Among her tasks, she would send reports of this mission to the General Conference and take care of the Sabbath School department of the River Plate Conference.14 For her responsibilities, she was granted the missionary credential from 1904 to 1906.15

From March 15 to 24, 1906, the first meeting of South American Union Mission was held in Paraná, Entre Ríos, under the leadership of William A. Spicer (1865–1952), secretary of the General Conference. The task at hand was to organize the mission into a conference. This union conference’s territory covered the countries Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, and Malvinas Islands, distributed in many conferences and missions. On this occasion, Nelson Town was named secretary-treasurer of the South American Union Conference.16

In February 1906, while the canvassers Cecilia Deggeller, Elena Ernst, and Olga Fernández worked in Buenos Aires, Sadie collaborated with them by attending the Bible studies that arose from the interest aroused by the distributed publications.17 In 1907, Sadie left the position in the Sabbath School department of the South American Union Conference.18 During her administration there, it had been sought that the children received attention at the Sabbath worship services, particularly during the Sabbath school time.19 In 1908, Sadie took over the music and English classes at the River Plate College, while Nelson took care of management matters.20 In April 1908, Sadie was named director of the Sabbath school at River Plate College. She introduced improvements and a good organization, making this activity in the church interesting and beneficial. It became a model Sabbath school for the different churches where young people went to work.21

General Conference Director of Publication

On July 12, 1908, the Towns returned to the United States22 because Nelson had been invited to serve as an assistant secretary of the Publishing department of the General Conference. From 1913 to 1930, Nelson directed this department.23 While in the United States, the Towns tried to make contact with new missionaries to awaken in them an interest in collaborating with the development of the Church in South America.24

Town visited South America as an assistant secretary of the Publication department of the General Conference to supervise the work of canvassing. He passed through Europe, where he visited different places of Adventist work. In Barcelona, Spain, he held a course of canvassing for the workers and inaugurated the canvassing of books in Spain. In Brazil, he visited the editing house and the center of the Adventist work.25 When visiting Argentina in 1910, he sold a property he had in Florida, Buenos Aires, which was added to the adjoining property belonging to the South American Union Conference.26 While her husband was out, Sadie kept herself busy in the work of the Lord, teaching the Bible to people who were interested in knowing the Adventist beliefs.27 On December 15, 1915, the General Conference sent Nelson Town to visit South America with pastors William Warren Prescott (1855–1944) and Oliver Montgomery (1870–1944).28

Final Years

In 1930, after many years, Nelson Town returned to Argentina with Sadie. He was named president of the Austral Union Conference.29 But before too long, Sadie became ill, and they had to return to the United States, and they settled in Takoma Park, Washington, D.C., in November 1933. They had worked in South America for about 12 years.30 At the beginning of 1936, Nelson and Sadie appeared in the honor roll of those who had graduated and prepared as missionaries at South Lancaster College.31

N. Z. Town died on June 27, 1936.32 After Elder Town’s death, Sadie continued to live in Takoma Park for a while. She married Elder William C. Young in the early 1940s, and they moved to Orlando, Florida, but had their summer home in Graysville, Tennessee. She died October 14, 1966, in Coalmont, Tennessee, just a few weeks before her 97th birthday.33

Nelson and Sadie Town were known as South America pioneers. They trained workers for canvassing and many tasks of the church. They took over administrative tasks, the leadership of the newly formed mission, and the founding of educational, publication, and health institutions.34

Sources

Brown, Walton John. “A Historical Study of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America.” 4 vols. Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California, 1953.

“Death of N. Z. Town.” ARH, July 9, 1936, 24.

“Elder N. Z. Town obituary.” ARH, August 6, 1936, 22.

Gay, H. R. “Post.” North Pacific Union Gleaner, April 6, 1937, 7.

Gil, Camilo. “Escuelas sabáticas: Escuela sabática de Camarero” [Sabbath schools: Camarero Sabbath school]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], August 1908, 78.

Kalbermatter, Ignacio. “Bolivia—Interesantes noticias de La Paz” [“Bolivia—Interesting news from La Paz]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], September 1911, 12.

La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], June 1904, 3.

La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], June 1908, 56.

Larson, C. J., and R. G. Bowen. “Florida Sanitarium and Hospital.” Southern Tidings, March 1, 1944, 8.

“Mission fields: Argentine Republic.” Advocate of Christian Education 4, no. 11 (November 1902): 359.

Neufeld, Don F., ed. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. 2nd rev. ed. Vols. 10 and 11 of the Commentary Reference Series. Hagerstown, Maryland: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996.

“News by dateline.” Southern Tidings, April 12, 1961, 3.

“Notas del Plata” [Notes of Plata]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], February 1906, 4.

“Notas editoriales” [Editorial notes]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], August 1908, 80.

“Notas editoriales” [Editorial notes]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], April 1910, 16.

Palmer, Margaret R. “Where There Is Vision. . . .” Atlantic Union Gleaner, April 15, 1957, 2.

Post, Lucy. “Nueva Palmyra, Uruguay.” ARH, December 10, 1895, 796.

“Rhoda Town Young obituary.” ARH, December 7, 1967, 30.

“Sanitarium News.” Southern Tidings, October 7, 1942, 4.

Spalding, Arthur W. Captains of the Host. Vol. 1. Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1949.

Spicer, William A. “A. U. C.: A Well-Worn Path to the Mission Fields.” Atlantic Union Gleaner, June 3, 1936, 1–2.

Taylor, C. L. “Jennie Thayer obituary.” Atlantic Union Gleaner, September 24, 1940, 6.

Town, Nelson Z. “Argentina: De Estados Unidos” [Argentina: From United States]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], January 1909, 15.

———. “Buenos Ayres.” ARH, November 10, 1896, 11.

———. “Colegio Adventista del Plata” [River Plate Adventist College]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], April 1908, 37.

———. “La Asamblea General en la Argentina” [General Assembly in Argentina]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], November 1905, 5.

———. “La Conferencia Anual” [Annual Conference]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], November 1904, 4.

———. “La reunión general en Alberdi” [General meeting in Alberdi]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], December 1906, 6.

———. “Notas de viaje—I” [Travel notes—I]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], November 1909, 10.

———. “Notas de viaje—II: De Barcelona a Buenos Aires” [Travel notes—II: From Barcelona to Buenos Aires]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], January 1910, 10.

———. “Notas editoriales: Errata” [Editorial notes: Errata]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist Review], July 1907, 8.

———. “Río de la Plata: La Conferencia Unión Sudamericana” [River Plate: South American Union Conference]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], April 1910, 12.

Town, Nelson Z., and Sadie R. Town. “Conferencia Argentina: Hasta la vuelta” [Argentina Conference: Until the return]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], August 1908, 76–77.

Town, Sadie R. “Escuelas Sabáticas de la Conferencia Río de la Plata, Informe del cuarto trimestre de 1905” [Sabbath Schools of the River Plate Conference, Report for the fourth trimester of 1905]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], May–June 1906, 11.

———. “Escuelas Sabáticas de la Conferencia Río de la Plata, Informe del primer trimestre de 1906” [Sabbath Schools of the River Plate Conference, Report for the first trimester of 1906]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], July 1906, 7.

———. “Informe de las escuelas sabáticas del Río de la Plata, 2º trimestre de 1906” [Report of the Sabbath Schools of the River Plate Conference, 2nd trimester of 1906]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], September 1906, 7.

———. “¿Quiénes son miembros?” [Who are members?]. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], July 1906, 6.

Vuilleumier, Jean. “Argentina.” ARH, April 14, 1896, 236.

Wearner, Robert G. “Lucy Post: Pioneer Pillar in Adventist Missions.” ARH, March 3, 1988, 19–20.

Westphal, J. W. “South America.” ARH, December 31, 1901, 10.

Westphal, Mary T. “Buenos Ayres.” ARH, March 24, 1896, 187–88.

Wilber, C. L. “Miss Dickerson to Assist Student Colporteurs.” Central Union Reaper, May 25, 1948, 3.

Wilcox, F. M. “Our Work in South America.” ARH, October 20, 1896, 671–72.

Notes

  1. Arthur W. Spalding, Captains of the Host, vol. 1 (Washington, D.C.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1949), 389.↩

  2. “Death of N. Z. Town,” ARH, July 9, 1936, 24. Genevieve became as excellent a canvasser and Bible instructor as were her adoptive parents. After many successful years of canvassing, she was named as assistant instructor in this activity and as Bible instructor for the Kansas Conference in 1948. C. L. Wilber, “Miss Dickerson to Assist Student Colporteurs,” Central Union Reaper, May 25, 1948, 3.↩

  3. Margaret R. Palmer, “Where There Is Vision . . . ,” Atlantic Union Gleaner, April 15, 1957, 2; “Elder N. Z. Town obituary,” ARH, August 6, 1936, 22.↩

  4. F. M. Wilcox, “Our Work in South America,” ARH, October 20, 1896, 671–72.↩

  5. Robert G. Wearner, “Lucy Post: Pioneer Pillar in Adventist Missions,” ARH, March 3, 1988, 19–20.↩

  6. Ibid.; H. R. Gay, “Post,” North Pacific Union Gleaner, April 6, 1937, 7.↩

  7. N. Z. Town, “Buenos Ayres,” ARH, November 10, 1896, 11; Walton John Brown, “A Historical Study of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” vol. 1 (Ph.D. diss., University of Southern California, 1953), 81–82.↩

  8. Lucy Post, “Nueva Palmyra, Uruguay,” ARH, December 10, 1895, 796; Jean Vuilleumier, “Argentina,” ARH, April 14, 1896, 236; Mary T. Westphal, “Buenos Ayres,” ARH, March 24, 1896, 187–88.↩

  9. Brown, “Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” vol. 2, 347–48.↩

  10. Ibid., 355.↩

  11. La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], June 1904, 3.↩

  12. “Elder N. Z. Town obituary,” 22; Brown, “Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” vol. 1, 138.↩

  13. J. W. Westphal, “South America,” ARH, December 31, 1901, 10.↩

  14. “Mission Fields: Argentine Republic,” Advocate of Christian Education 4, no. 11 (November 1902): 359.↩

  15. Credentials granted in the meetings of River Plate Conference held from October 6 to 16, 1904, in Lehmann, Santa Fe province, and in the Annual Assembly of Seventh-day Adventists of River Plate Conference, held in Rosario del Tala, Entre Ríos, from October 12 to 22, 1905. Nelson Z. Town, “La Conferencia Anual” [Annual Conference], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], November 1904, 4; Nelson Z. Town, “La Asamblea General en la Argentina” [General Assembly in Argentina], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], November 1905, 5; Nelson Z. Town, “La reunión general en Alberdi” [General Meeting in Alberdi], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], December 1906, 6. See also Sadie R. Town, “Escuelas Sabáticas de la Conferencia Río de la Plata, Informe del cuarto trimestre de 1905” [Sabbath Schools of the River Plate Conference, Report for the fourth trimester of 1905], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], May–June 1906, 11; Sadie R. Town, “Escuelas Sabáticas de la Conferencia Río de la Plata, Informe del primer trimestre de 1906” [Sabbath Schools of the River Plate Conference, Report for the first trimester of 1906], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], July 1906, 7; Sadie R. Town, “Informe de las escuelas sabáticas del Río de la Plata, 2º trimestre de 1906” [Report of the Sabbath Schools of the River Plate Conference, second trimester of 1906], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], September 1906, 7.↩

  16. Brown, “Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” vol. 1, 139–41.↩

  17. “Notas del Plata” [Notes of Plata], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], February 1906, 4.↩

  18. Nelson Z. Town, “Notas editoriales: Errata [Editorial notes: Errata], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], July 1907, 8.↩

  19. Sadie R. Town, “¿Quiénes son miembros?” [Who are members?], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], July 1906, 6.↩

  20. Nelson Z. Town, “Colegio Adventista del Plata” [River Plate College], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], April 1908, 37. This information corresponds to a brief note that appears at the end of the June 1908 issue of Revista Adventista [Adventist review], 56.↩

  21. Camilo Gil, “Escuelas sabáticas: escuela sabática de Camarero” [Sabbath schools: Camarero Sabbath school], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], August 1908, 78.↩

  22. They stayed at Nelson's parents’ house. Afterward, Nelson traveled to Toronto, Canada, to attend the general meetings of the Adventist Church. Nelson Z. Town, “Argentina: De Estados Unidos” [Argentina: From United States], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], January 1909, 15.↩

  23. “Elder N. Z. Town obituary,” 22; Don F. Neufeld, ed., Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 2nd rev. ed., vol. 11 of the Commentary Reference Series (Hagerstown, Md.: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996), s.v. “Town, Nelson.”↩

  24. Nelson Z. Town and Sadie R. Town, “Conferencia Argentina: Hasta la vuelta” [Argentina Conference: Until the return], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], August 1908, 76–77; “Notas editoriales” [Editorial notes], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], August 1908, 80.↩

  25. Nelson Z. Town, “Notas de viaje—I” [Travel notes—I], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], November 1909, 10; Nelson Z. Town, “Notas de viaje—II: De Barcelona a Buenos Aires” [Travel notes—II: From Barcelona to Buenos Aires], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], January 1910, 10; Nelson Z. Town, “Río de la Plata: la Conferencia Unión Sudamericana” [River Plate: South American Union Conference], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], April 1910, 12. He returned to the United States from Chile, probably after April 1910. “Notas editoriales” [Editorial notes], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], April 1910, 16.↩

  26. Brown, “Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” vol. 1, 146.↩

  27. Ignacio Kalbermatter, “Bolivia—Interesantes noticias de La Paz” [Bolivia—Interesting news from La Paz], La Revista Adventista [Adventist review], September 1911, 12.↩

  28. Brown, “Seventh-day Adventist Church in Austral South America,” vol. 1, 154–55.↩

  29. Ibid., 163–64. At that time, this ecclesiastical region covered the territory of Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay.↩

  30. Palmer, “Where There Is Vision . . . ,” 2; “Elder N. Z. Town obituary,” 22.↩

  31. William A. Spicer, “A. U. C.—A Well-Worn Path to the Mission Fields,” Atlantic Union Gleaner, June 3, 1936, 1–2.↩

  32. “Elder N. Z. Town obituary,” 22; “Death of N. Z. Town,” 24.↩

  33. “Sanitarium News,” Southern Tidings, October 7, 1942, 4; C. J. Larson and R. G. Bowen, “Florida Sanitarium and Hospital,” Southern Tidings, March 1, 1944, 8; “Rhoda Town Young obituary,” ARH, December 7, 1967, 30; C. L. Taylor, “Jennie Thayer obituary,” Atlantic Union Gleaner, September 24, 1940, 6.↩

  34. In 1957, Sadie Graham Town Young sent greetings for the 75th anniversary of South Lancaster Academy. At this time, she lived in Graysville, Tennessee. In 1961, she was part of a resource distribution organization for the Waccamaw Indians near Bolton, North Carolina. Palmer, “Where There Is Vision . . . ,” 2. “News by Dateline,” Southern Tidings, April 12, 1961, 3.↩

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Scholtus, Silvia C. "Town, Nelson Zane (1863–1936) and Sadie Rhoda (Graham, 1869–1966)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=FGQB.

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Scholtus, Silvia C. "Town, Nelson Zane (1863–1936) and Sadie Rhoda (Graham, 1869–1966)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. January 29, 2020. Date of access March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=FGQB.

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Scholtus, Silvia C. (2020, January 29). Town, Nelson Zane (1863–1936) and Sadie Rhoda (Graham, 1869–1966). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=FGQB.

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