Henry Topping and His Family

Henry Topping (1857-1947), an American Baptist missionary, came to Japan in 1894. He taught at Tokyo Baptist Academy. Mrs. Topping, nee Genevieve Faville (1863-1953), opened two kindergartens at Tsukiji and Yotsuya in Tokyo. In 1907, Mr. and Mrs. Topping were transferred to Morioka with their daughter Helen and son Willard. Mr. Topping served actively in the Morioka church as pastor, and Mrs. Topping opened a successful kindergarten there.In 1919, Mr. and Mrs. Topping left Morioka because of illness. They worked in Yokohama for a while, but his illness made them leave the mission in 1927. They returned home but came to Japan again to help Rev. Toyohiko Kagawa. Mr. Topping died in Tokyo. Mrs. Topping stayed on alone in Japan during World War II. She returned home in 1948, but came to Japan again in 1953 with her daughter Helen. Mrs. Topping also died in Tokyo.Helen Faville Topping (1889-1982) served as the first general secretary of the Kobe YWCA, and after meeting Rev. Kagawa in New York in 1925, she helped him before and after the war. She returned to the States in the late 1960's and died there.Willard Faville Topping (1899-1959) married Evelyn B. Bickel (1899-1983), a daughter of Captain Bickel of the Fukuin-maru. They returned to the States just before the war, but came to Japan again to teach at Kanto Gakuin in Yokohama. They returned to the States in 1953 and died there.