Clementina Rowe Butler

Clementina Rowe Butler (, Rowe; also known as Mother of Missions, Mother Butler, and Mrs. William Butler; 30 July 1820 – 12 September 1913) was an Irish-born American Christian missionary. She co-founded the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church. At the time of her death, she was reputed to be the oldest missionary in the world.

Biography Clementina Rowe was born in Wexford, Ireland, on 30 July 1820. Her parents were English. When but a child past ten years of age, she became immensely interested in missionary work, being made a collector in the Sunday school, which she attended, for the missionaries, and always looked back with considerable interest to the $60 which she collected the first year. Traveling day and night, through forests and jungles. The Butlers finally reached a place of safety in the heart of the Himalayas. Their hiding place was discovered, however, and they fled from place to place, until with the fall of Lucknow, the mutiny/revolt was finally ended. Mrs. Butler was the only American woman who witnessed the revolt of 1857. After the country had quieted down, Mr. and Mrs. Butler again took up their missionary work, and continued for eight years. Founders of the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society. Mrs. Thomas Rich. Mrs. E. W. Parker. Mrs. Thomas Kingsbury. Mrs. William Merrill. Mrs. William Butler. Mrs. Lewis Flanders. Butler was one of seven women to found the Woman's Foreign Missionary Society of the Methodist Episcopal Church.