Willis F. Gross (1863-1928) was born in Knoxville, Illinois, and died in Newton, Massachusetts. He was introduced to Christian Science by a friend in 1886 and took Primary class instruction with Janet T. Colman, a student of Mary Baker Eddy. He soon abandoned his study of law to pursue a career in Christian Science. In 1887, he married Mary A. Gross (b. Epley) in Knox, Illinois, and they both studied Christian Science with Alfred Farlow. The couple moved to Wichita, Kansas, where a Christian Science Bible Class was formed in October 1887. Gross served as pastor there until May 1893, when the couple relocated to Topeka, Kansas, and Gross served as pastor at Church of Christ (Scientist) of Topeka, Kansas. In 1895, as the church moved away from using pastors in services, Gross served as First Reader and Mary as Second Reader. They both joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in December 1892. In 1899, the couple moved to Boston so that Gross could assist Septimus J. and Camilla A. Hanna with the Christian Science Sentinel and The Christian Science Journal in the editorial office of the Christian Science Publishing Society. Throughout his life, Gross published numerous articles in these periodicals, and his lecture, Christian Science: The Gospel of Freedom, was published as a pamphlet in 1912. While in Boston, Willis and Mary were students in the first Normal class in the Board of Education of The First Church of Christ, Scientist. Gross went on to teach and was a member of the General Association of Teachers. He was president of The Mother Church from 1906 to 1907, served as a member of the Committee on Business in 1909, and served on the Christian Science Board of Lectureship from May 1910 to April 1922. Willis and Mary were both listed in the directory of The Christian Science Journal in Kansas from 1891 to 1898, and then in Boston from 1899 until each of their deaths.

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