She Gave Up Everything for Family: The Inspiring Story of Mama Yearick
There’s a story you probably haven’t heard about how one woman’s choice influenced thousands for Christ, both in the U.S. and abroad in missions. It all started shortly after the turn of the century.
In 1910, Harry Yearick married Mae Douty, and together, they built a life on a farm in Pennsylvania. God blessed them with six children, but shortly after the birth of their youngest, a son named Gayle, Mae passed away due to complications in childbirth. Harry was now a 32-year-old single father, trying to care for six children ranging from a newborn to a ten-year-old.
Overwhelmed by the responsibilities of running the farm and raising the children alone, Harry made the difficult decision to place the four youngest children with other family members. The two eldest stayed behind to help with the farm work. A six-year-old girl and her baby brother, Gayle, went to live with their maternal grandparents and Aunt Martha. That little girl would later recall how the entire family would gather at her grandparents’ home for Sunday dinner. She remembered standing at the roadside in tears as her siblings and father left—some returning to the farm, others to different relatives. Then, just four days before his first birthday, little Gayle also passed away.
That year apart was a monumental year for all of them, especially the children’s Aunt Martha, who had come to love her little niece and youngest nephew as her own. She dreamed of serving as a missionary in China or India and had been saving money from her teaching job to prepare for that calling. But after little Gayle died, and with encouragement from her only brother, Norman, and the quiet urging of the Holy Spirit, Martha felt a new calling on her life.
On December 24, 1923, she married her sister Mae’s widower, Harry Yearick. She confessed that she didn’t love him then, but she believed that God was calling her to take care of her nieces and nephews. In April 1926, Martha and Harry welcomed a son, David. In January 1939, they had another son, Norman, named after Martha’s brother. David was my dad, so Martha and Harry were my grandparents. My Uncle Norman is the only one of the siblings still living today, and he continues to be a blessing in my life.
Over time, Mama Yearick grew to love Papa Yearick, and they remained married for 62 years. Although my grandmother gave up her dream of going to the mission field overseas, God honored her obedience and gave her a mission field right at home. My father pastored a church for 39 years—one with a deep passion for missions, giving millions to many missionaries and ministry organizations around the world. And those seven children—my aunts and uncles—grew up to love Jesus deeply. Their lives and generosity helped build God’s Kingdom in countless ways.
In a world that constantly tells us to chase personal happiness and fulfillment, Mama Yearick’s story reminds me, especially as a mother and now a grandmother, of the deeper meaning of motherhood. Really, it’s a reminder to all of us of what it means to follow Jesus: to lay down our plans, desires, and goals for the sake of others. It’s the life Jesus modeled for us, as He came “not to be served, but to serve” (Matthew 20:28).
Happy Mother’s Day—from one story at a time.
