Zamin Ki Dost (; pen name of Willimina Leonora Armstrong) (August 14, 1866 – November 2, 1947) was an American

physician A physician (American English), medical practitioner (Commonwealth English), medical doctor, or simply doctor, is a health professional who practices medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring health through th ...

, writer, and lecturer. She is best known for her book ''Incense of Sandalwood'' (1904) and stories of

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

written in collaboration with

Will Levington Comfort Will Levington Comfort (February 17, 1878 – November 2, 1932) was a U.S. writer, known primarily for adventure novels such as ''Apache''. Three of Comfort's works served as the story for feature films. ''Somewhere in Sonora'', based on his nov ...

and published as ''Son of Power'' (1920).

Early life and education

Willimina Leonora Armstrong was born in

Nebraska Nebraska () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by South Dakota to the north; Iowa to the east and Missouri to the southeast, both across the Missouri River; Kansas to the south; Colorado to the southwe ...

in 1866, the daughter of William Leonard Armstrong and Elizabeth Summers Armstrong (1830-1870). Her father was a

Union Army During the American Civil War, the Union Army, also known as the Federal Army and the Northern Army, referring to the United States Army, was the land force that fought to preserve the Union (American Civil War), Union of the collective U.S. st ...

surgeon in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

. She was educated in

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

Career

In 1887 she went to India as a medical missionary and served with her older sister, physician

Saleni Armstrong-Hopkins Saleni Armstrong-Hopkins (born January 21, 1855), born Saleni Armstrong, and sometimes seen as Salini Armstrong-Hopkins, was a Canadian-born American physician, medical missionary, and author. Early life and education Saleni Armstrong was bor ...

. In 1901 she settled in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

teaching philosophy, and writing stories and poems. In 1904 she published the book ''Incense of Sandalwood'' where she gathered her experience of living in India. She wrote eighteen stories of India under the pen name Zamin Ki Dost published in collaboration with Will Levington Comfort as ''Son of Power.'' She also composed songs. Armstrong was sued in 1913 for compelling a loan from one of her students with hypnotism.

Death

Willimina Leonora Armstrong died in 1947, and is buried at Glen Haven Memorial Park,

Sylmar Sylmar is a suburban neighborhood in the San Fernando Valley and is the northernmost neighborhood within the City of Los Angeles. Historically known for its profusion of sylvan olive orchards, Sylmar can trace its past to the 18th century and th ...

, California. Her papers are in the UCLA Library, Department of Special Collections.

Works

Books

* 1904 – Willimina Leonora Armstrong, ''Incense of the Sandalwood'' * 1920 – Will Levington Comfort, Willimina Leonora Armstrong, ''Son of Power'' * 1931 – Will Levington Comfort, Zamin ki Dost, Caroline Renner, ''Bestien und Heilige'' *1957 – ''Essential things to know and do'', compiled by Noor Zhan

Songs

* 1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''Have no Fear'' * 1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''Armageddon'' * 1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''Light of my eyes'' *1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''I hear his voice calling me'' *1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''America invincible; Office for our dead'' *1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''Lullabye'' *1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''A hymn to world peace; Office for our dead'' *1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''The great transmuter'' *1908 – Zamin Ki Dost, ''Uncle Samuel's men''

References

External links

Willimina Leonora Armstrong on Find a Grave
{{Authority control Writers from Nebraska 20th-century American women physicians 20th-century American physicians 20th-century American women writers 1866 births 1947 deaths Burials in California Writers from Los Angeles Physicians from California Physicians from Nebraska Writers about India American hypnotists