Lorna Call Alder: A Century of Faith — Mexican Colonist and Widow Sister Missionary (1906–2013)

Lorna Call Alder (1906–2013) lived a century of faithful Latter-day Saint life. A descendant of the early Mormon colonizer Anson Call, she grew up in the Latter-day Saint colonies in Mexico—an experience preserved in her oral history for the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies' LDS Polygamy Oral History Project. Later in life, after being widowed, she answered a call to serve a full-time mission as a sister missionary. In a 1978 general conference address, Elder William R. Bradford quoted her weekly letter: 'The experiences of my mission have strengthened my testimony...' Her life—spanning the Mexican colonies, widowhood, senior missionary service, and over 107 years—was honored in a tribute titled 'Life of a Century.' She also co-authored (with William G. Hartley) a study of her ancestor Anson Call and the Mormon emigration.