Muriel Darling Walls celebrates her 100th birthday today. Muriel was born in Kingston, ON and grew up on a farm in the community of Latimer, where her family were some of the very first settlers. She was the youngest of five children. Muriel became involved in the 1930s revival and was influential in her parents and sister Zella’s (mother of FM Missionary Walter Silver) salvation. As a young woman, she was very burdened for her parents and led her mother to the Lord on a kitchen chair. Later Muriel’s mother said, “I wish I had what you have,” referring to the joy and assurance of salvation she saw in her daughter. Muriel responded, “You can” and prayed with her to accept Christ.
After attending Lorne Park College, Muriel was a Sunday school superintendent, Free Methodist pastor, and evangelist in the 1950s and 1960s. As pastor at Perth Road Church, Muriel work included fuelling the wood stoves in both the parsonage and church, picking members of the congregation up for services, and preaching on twice on Sundays and once on Wednesdays.
“Our family has been Free Methodist for at least 120 years,” shares Muriel’s great nephew Myron Silver. “My great aunt Muriel introduced friends and many members of the family to Jesus over the years.”
This is a photo of Muriel (left) and Linda Elizabeth Shier Silver who were friends for more than seventy years.
Happy 100th Muriel! We praise God for your spiritual legacy which continues to influence our movement today!
