Mary W. Bacheler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Mary W. Bacheler
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Mary W. Bacheler, from 1922 publication.
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| Born |
Mary Washington Bacheler
22 February 1860 |
| Died | 5 November 1939 (aged 79) Newton, Massachusetts, U.S.
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| Nationality | American |
| Occupation | physician, medical missionary |
Mary Washington Bacheler (born February 22, 1860 – died November 5, 1939) was an American doctor. She was also a Baptist medical missionary who worked in India. A missionary is someone who travels to another country to help people and share their religious beliefs.
Mary Bacheler's Early Life
Mary Washington Bacheler was born in New Hampton, New Hampshire, in 1860. Her father, Otis Robinson Bacheler, was a doctor and a minister. Her mother, Sarah P. Merrill Bacheler, was a teacher.
When Mary was a young girl, her family moved to India. Her parents were Christian missionaries there. They worked in a place called Midnapore. As a teenager, Mary helped her mother. They visited and taught women in "zenanas." A zenana was a part of a house where women lived separately from men.
Mary later returned to the United States. She went to medical school in New York City. She wanted to become a doctor.
Her Work as a Doctor in India
Mary finished her medical degree in 1890. She was chosen to help her father in India. She became the first medical missionary for a group called the Free Baptist Woman's Missionary Society.
In 1893, Mary took over her parents' work. She taught at a school and gave medical care. She mainly helped women who could not see a male doctor. This was often due to their religious beliefs.
Mary sometimes had to return to the United States for her own health. She also went back to care for her parents. She once said, "I suppose I worked too hard." She sometimes got sick with a fever. While in the U.S., she spoke in churches about her work.
Mary went back to India in 1903. She lived in Midnapore for a while. Later, in 1910, she moved to Balasore. She could speak two local languages very well: Bengali and Odia.
In 1914, Mary returned to India again. She helped at an orphanage in Balasore. She worked there for many years.
Mary came back to the United States in 1921. She attended a special event for the Woman's American Baptist Free Missionary Society. A teacher from Midnapore, Khanto Bala Rai, came with her. Mary retired from her work in 1933. She left India for good in 1936.
Later Life
Mary Bacheler passed away in 1939. She was 79 years old. She died in Newton, Massachusetts. Some of her old papers are kept at the American Baptist Historical Society.
