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Grace Livingston Hill was surrounded by a family of writers.
Both her parents, Rev. Charles Livingston and Marcia Macdonald Livingston were writers. Her mother's sister, Isabella Macdonald Alden, better known to millions of readers as "Pansy," was a beloved writer of Christian literature and a popular speaker at Chautauqua meetings. Aunt Isabella's son, Raymond Macdonald Alden was also an author, and a professor of literature at Leland Stanford University. Isabella's husband, the Rev. G. R. Alden was a writer and helped edit her weekly magazine, "The Pansy," which seemed to be a family effort—everyone appeared in print in one issue or another.
Grace's first husband, the Rev. Thomas Guthrie Franklin Hill, wrote for Christian Endeavor, and both of her daughters, Margaret Livingston Hill and Ruth Glover Hill (her pen name was Ruth Livingston Hill), published books as well. Grace's grandson, Robert Livingston Munce, is a published author and founder and president of Munce Marketing Group, the largest independent Christian bookstore marketing firm in the industry.
The Spafford family we all know and love from the Marcia Schuyler trilogy were really part of Grace's family, too! Grace's mother Marcia and Aunt Isabella were in the Spafford family line, so therein lies the connection. Relative Horatio Gates Spafford is known for writing hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" as well as writing other works. Cousin Frances Livingston Wells Henry wrote a beautiful memorial sketch of her husband, E.L.. Henry, who was a famous artist in the 1800's. He gave Grace a number of paintings to use for Marcia Schuyler and Phoebe Deane. Words definitely run in the family!
This great family photo shows Grace with daughter Margaret, and her mother, Marcia, and father, Charles—reading, of course!