John Gilson was born in Iowa in 1899 and earned a BA at Des Moines University and a BS in Agriculture Engineering from Iowa State University at Ames. He later earned a Master of Science from Iowa State University. Born in Takoma, Washington, Alice Webb met John G. Gilson at Des Moines University where she received a BS degree. They were married in 1923 and were appointed to missionary service in 1925, designated to the Belasore Industrial School. John served as principal, and also supervised mission property for the Bengal-Orissa field. He served a missioner treasurer for many years. In 1938, the governor of India awarded him the silver Kaisar-i-Hind medal for distinguished public service. Alice shared in the work and raised 4 children. She was active in the Belasore church and community and served as treasurer for the Belasore Gospel Teams which had been organized in their home, chaired committees for the missionary Fellowship, and was registrar for births in the Belasore community. John and Alice returned to the U.S. in 1962 due to John’s poor health and they retired to Redlands, California.

Fred Gilson was ordained after graduation from Colgate Rochester Divinity School in 1925. After his marriage to Hazel that same year, they were appointed general missionaries to Assam, India, and served there until 1929. Fred then served pastorates in Missoula, Montana; Grand Island, Nebraska; Fresno, California; Galesburg, Illinoi and Buffalo, New York. He also served various churches in California and Oregon as interim minister. He served on the General Council and committees of the American Baptist Convention. Hazel graduated from Burdette College of Business in Boston in 1917, attended Des Moines University and graduated from Baptist Missionary Training School in Chicago in 1924. Hazel served on local and state boards of American Baptist Women’s Mission Society, the Council of Church Women and the YWCA.