Born November 27, 1862, Bloomfield, Iowa (birth name: Sarah Addison Pollard).
Author of over 100 hymns and Gospel songs, Pollard was educated in Denmark, Iowa, Valparaiso, Indiana, at the Boston School of Oratory, and the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, Illinois. She taught in Chicago, and at the Christian and Missionary Alliance Training School in New York. She worked for a while with Evangelist John Alexander Dowie, and also in Africa, leaving for Scotland after World War I began. She later returned to New York.
As seventy-two year old Miss Adelaide was enroute from her New York City home to a New Jersey town during the Christmas Holidays in 1934 where she was to hold some religious meetings, she became critically ill in the New York City railroad station. She was rushed to a nearby Y.W.C.A. home where she died shortly thereafter, death being attributed to a ruptured appendix, December 20, 1934, New York City.
Buried, Elmwood Cemetery, Fort Madison, Iowa.
“Have Thine Own Way, Lord” is a Christian hymn with lyrics by Adelaide A. Pollard and music by George C. Stebbins. It was first published in 1907 in the “Northfield Hymnal with Alexander’s Supplement”. Later that year, it also appeared in two other popular hymnals, Ira Sankey’s “Hallowed Hymns New and Old” and Sankey and Clement’s “Best Endeavor Hymns”.
The elderly woman inspired Pollard and she contemplated the story of the potter from Jeremiah 18:3 and, upon her return home that evening, wrote all four stanzas before retiring for the night.
Five years later George Stebbins wrote a tune titled “Adelaide” to accompany the text.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Thou art the Potter, I am the clay.
Mold me and make me after Thy will,
While I am waiting, yielded and still.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Search me and try me, Master, today!
Whiter than snow, Lord, wash me just now,
As in Thy presence humbly I bow.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Wounded and weary, help me, I pray!
Power, all power, surely is Thine!
Touch me and heal me, Savior divine.
Have Thine own way, Lord! Have Thine own way!
Hold o’er my being absolute sway!
Fill with Thy Spirit ’till all shall see
Christ only, always, living in me.
_____
Image Source/Credit (in order):
- Great Hymns of the Faith Page 334 | Hymnary.org. hymnary.org/hymn/GHF1968/page/334.
- Newspapers.com, The Times-Tribune, December 22, 1934, https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-times-tribune/191661341/
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1 Review on “Adelaide Pollard Grave”
This song had been going through my mind and shared with family a YouTube of the song as we grew up singing it in church. Have thine own way Lord. The songs of this era are incredibly healing and speak even now. I learned a lot reading about Adelaide’s history and where she is buried. Well done with her image as well. Thank you so much.