By, Elizabeth J. Macomber, age 15
This hymn was written by Fanny Crosby and composed by Eileen Macomber. 
Fanny Crosby was born March 24, 1820, in Putnam County, New York into a Puritan family. She was raised by her grandmother and is known as the blind poetess. She wrote over 9,000 poems in her lifetime. Fanny Crosby became blind at six weeks of age. Her grandmother helped her memorize Scripture; often Fanny learned five chapter a week. She could quote the Pentateuch, the Gospels, Proverbs, the Song of Solomon, and many of the Psalms. She married another blind student at the school she attended, by the name of Alexander VanAlstyne. They were married on March 5, 1858. He wrote the music to some of her poems and they were married for 44 years. The VanAlstynes had one child who died an infant. After she married she intended to use the name Mrs. VanAlstyne, but her husband insisted that she continue 
using her maiden name, which had already become quite famous. Her hymn “Pass Me Not” was the first to win worldwide attention when she was 44 years of age. For a long period she was under contract to write three poems a week for a New York publishing firm, and they got 5,900 poems from her during that period. At the age of 90 she declared “My love for the Holy Bible and its sacred truth is stronger and more precious to me at ninety than at nineteen.” Fanny Crosby died on February 12, 1915, in Bridgeport Connecticut and was buried there.
Eileen Macomber was born on October 21, 1971. Eileen is the fourth of seven children. As a toddler, barely able to get on the piano bench, she put her big brother to shame by playing his piano lesson he had spent many hours trying to learn.
She is very active in the Church and plays sacred piano solos. Eileen teaches piano, and cello, and also does accounting for her father. She has played accordion and organ as well.
Eileen is part of “Sanctuary Strings,” a string quintet that goes around California doing concerts at various independent Baptist churches. Her mother, Glenda, plays the viola and organ. Her father, Melvin, is the announcer. One sister, Cheryl, plays violin, and another sister, Mishal, sings and plays the double bass and piano. Her brother Daniel plays harp and sometimes violin. My brothers, sisters, and I (The “Junior Sanctuary Strings”) have joined them on a few concerts.
Eileen and her mother, Glenda, made a cassette tape of piano and organ duets called “Sacred Classics” when Eileen was 16 years old. She later made a cassette tape of piano solos called “Sacred Classics II.” They have performed in front of over 5,000 people. She composed this hymn at the age of 23, while going through a harmony course. Eileen has studied to be a midwife and helped to deliver my brothers, sisters, including me. Eileen now lives with her family in Paso Robles.
Sources:
http://www.seii.com/ccn/bio/bio105.txt http://www.gospelcom.net/chi/GLIMPSEF/Glimpses/glmps030.shtml http://www.wholesomewords.org/biography/bcrosby.html
