On March 6th 1986, Talitha Gerlach, an American grandma, celebrated her 90th birthday in Children's Palace of China Welfare Institute in Shanghai. Jiang Zemin, then the Mayor of Shanghai, also attended.
Children's Palace of China Welfare Institute
Talitha Gerlach was born in Pittsburgh, to a family of German origin. She was the daughter of a Methodist minister and spent her childhood near Columbia, Ohio.
In 1926 she took a position as a foreign secretary of YWCA (Young Women's Christian Association) to China. Since then, she spent most of her life as a social worker in Shanghai, where she died and was buried.
Talitha Gerlach in high school
What changed her were the people she met in China.
When she first came to China, she worked in YWCA Night School and started to learn Chinese. In April 1927, Gerlach used her own American identity to cover the Borodins, a Soviet adviser couple who were pursued in China, out of danger.
That year, she also met and befriended with the American correspondent Agnes Smedley, who introduced her to the publications about the Chinese Red Army in Jing Gang Mountains.
Gerlach at work
Gerlach later recalled that Smedley took her to the YWCA building in French Concession one day and gave her a bundle of poorly printed publications.
Having gained deeper exposure to the Chinese society, she came to the conclusion that she had to do something for the people here.
Gerlach (first right) and Soong (second left) in Soong’s house in 1952
Gerlach joined the Defense of Chinese Alliance during the WWⅡ in 1938, served as the secretary of the Shanghai Branch, raising and transporting medical supplies to support the anti-Japanese army. She also traveled between Shanghai and Hong Kong to deliver news for Soong Ching-ling, the widow of Sun Yat-sen who founded the Republic of China in 1911.
After the end of WWII, Gerlach worked for YWCA in New York City, where she had been raising money for the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives during 1945-1951.
Gerlach meeting with Soong in Beijing in September 1979
In 1952 Gerlach accepted the invitation from Soong Ching-ling to manage a welfare institute for civil war refugees and secretly returned to China. She joined the China Welfare Institute, engaged in social services of children's health and literacy work.
Even when she turned 85, she still kept the habit of working in the office for half a day every day, sometimes she would go to Children's Palace to read stories to children there.
Gerlach in nursery in 1957
"Shanghai is my hometown where I live a wonderful life. I love new China and I love new Shanghai", said Gerlach.
Gerlach and the later Chinese Premier Zhu Rongji (first right in the front row) attending the 50th anniversary of CWI Children’s Palace in 1988
Gerlach obtained the permanent residence permit of the People's Republic of China in June of 1987, who was the first foreigner to be awarded the "Chinese Green Card" in Shanghai.
Shanghai Municipal Government presented her the "Magnolia Award" on 20th January, 1989.
Gerlach teaching children English in 1980
Gerlach passed away in Shanghai on February 12, 1995, and her ashes were buried there. On her tombstone, only one line of epitaph was written: "Friend of China".
Writer / Shen Yilun
Translator / Ai Wu
Editor / Bill