Rutherford's Family?

M.J.

Has his son ever been interviewed? I heard he left the religion pretty early on. What is the family's take on the Rutherford story? Someone in another thread suggested that the WTS had imposed some kind of a legal silence order on the family regarding this. Is this true?

blondie

Malcolm Rutherford died in 1989 and never gave any interviews. It wasn't until the Proclaimers book came out that I knew Rutherford's wife's name (Mary) and that he had a son.

MALCOLM C RUTHERFORD

10 Nov 1892

22 Jun 1989

91006 (Arcadia, Los Angeles, CA)(last residence)

(none specified)

California

I was told she lived apart in California because of health reasons....but then so did Joseph but at Beth Sarim, not under the same roof. I would think she would have liked to have been pampered. I surmise that Malcolm and his mother were paid by the WTS to be quiet. He might have lost that money if he had said anything or he might not have said anything out of concern for his mother. Just guessing, no proof.

Blondie

blondie

Rutherford had seven siblings. His oldest brother was W.P. Rutherford who died in the West, possibly California, a few years before Felix's book was printed in 1937. Sisters who were deceased at that time were Mrs Flora Chism, Mrs Lena McDaniels and Mrs Anna Neville. Mrs Ella Newkirk of Tipton and Mrs Virginia Ross of Versailles were then alive as was a younger brother, James B. Rutherford who then lived in Kansas City. The Proclaimers history mentions that Rutherford's wife Mary died on or about December 17, 1962 in California where Rutherford sometimes wintered at the Beth Sarim mansion. A surviving son was Malcolm. He or more likely a descendant of his with a similar name may still be alive though not on the West Coast. Mary was a practising JW but no indication is given that Malcolm was. Quite possibly future researchers would find pictures and memoirs pertaining to JF Rutherford in the possession of descendants of such family members.

http://www.freeminds.org/history/mystery_years.htm