Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Edith McLaren
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EDITH MCLAREN
19014991
GREATLY SADDENED LEARN PASSIN G DEARLYLOVED DEVOTED PIONEER PROMOTER CAUSE GOD EDITH MCLAREN. RECALL WITH PRIDE HER MANY YEARS OUTSTANDING COURAGEOUS SERVICES FAITH ESPECIALLY CENTRAL AMERICA. ASSURE FERVENT PRAYERS HOLY SHRINES FOR PROGRESS HER LUMINOUS SOUL WORLDS GOD. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT CONDOLENCES HER DISTINGUISHED SON DEAR FAMILY AND FRIENDS THIS HOUR BEREAVEMBNT.
Universal House of Justice 2 June 1991
Edith McLaren was born on 28 July 1901 in Buffalo, New York, U.S.A., the first of four daughters in a family having strong ties With the Methodist Church. A few years later her parents decided to move to the nearby town of Hamburg, where they took up vegetable and fruit farming. Although the four sisters enjoyed farm life and helped their parents with the work as much as possible, all four eventually chose careers as teachers.
From childhood, Edith showed artistic talent in drawing, painting, and music. She learned to play the piano well and won a scholarship which enabled her to continue studying piano at a well—known music school in New York City. However, her love for small children led her to study primary education in college, after which she taught kindergarten for more than 25 years. She was greatly appreciated by her students and by their parents as well.
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Although an active member of her family’s church, Edith became disillusioned in her early 303 by problems of disunity within the congregation. An unhappy marriage was also a great disappointment and eventually ended in separation. She turned for inspiration to serious study of the Bible, which awakened her desire for a much deeper understanding of spiritual realities.
Edith’s search brought her into contact with several religious groups, but none satisfied her longing for the truth until she met a Bahá’í who shared with her the Message of Baha’u’llah. After a period of intensive study, she accepted Baha’u’llah with all her heart. From that moment she dedicated her life to the promotion of her newly-found Faith.
Over the years, Edith’s home in Hamburg, New York, became the scene of frequent firesides, children’s classes, study meetings, and talks by numerous Bahá’í speakersincluding the Hands of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker, Louis Gregory, Horace Holley, and John Robarts. Initially, many of her friends showed interest in the Faith, but their lack of willingness to accept Baha’u’llah as the Manifestation of God for this Day was truly disappointing.
However, Edith’s faith and perseverance were finally rewarded. After years of patient work, a small nucleus of dedicated believers, including two of her sisters, began to grow until an active Bahá’í community emerged with a strong Local Spiritual Assembly. Although her aging father remained a church member, he was greatly attracted to the spirit of the Faith and often attended Bahá’í firesides organized by his daughters.
With an active Local Assembly established in Hamburg, the Faith soon spread to several surrounding Villages. In later years, the seeds planted in Hamburg also bore fruit in far—flung regions of the world, when Bahá’ís from that community took up pioneering posts in other parts of the United States and in more than ten countries of Central and South America, the Caribbean islands, and Europe.
THE BAHA’I WORLD
In 1954, Edith made a pilgrimage to the Bahá’í World Centre where she had the inestimable bounty of meeting the beloved Guardian. This experience and subsequent correspondence with the Guardian affected her profoundly and generated an intense desire to reach higher levels of service to the Cause she loved so ardently.
In 1958, she qualified for an early retirement from her teaching position and, to the surprise of her many friends among the school teachers, she left Hamburg and the United States to settle in a pioneering post in Guatemala. Thus, at the age of 57, Edith entered a new field of service which continued for the rest of her life. While learning a new language and culture, she became enthusiastically involved in the teaching work and development of local Bahá’í communities in Guatemala, gradually extending the sphere of her activities to neighboring countries.
In 1966, Edith was appointed to the Auxiliary Board and, while continuing to focus her energies primarily on Guatemala, she was also called upon to assist with the work in several other Central American countries. Great was the mutual feeling of love and appreciation between Edith and her numerous friends in Central America; in all those countries she was affectionately referred to as “Dofia Edith”.
Visiting cities and towns, even very remote Villages, unconcerned about her own safety and ignoring the remonstrances of her close friends, she travelled by bus, boat, on muleback and on foot, often alone, in the cold of the mountains and the heat of the coastal regions, meeting with the believers of all backgrounds, encouraging them in their efforts to study and serve the Faith, and giving an understanding ear to those facing difficulties or suffering. The youth were especially attracted to her, and eager to receive her Visits and guidance.
Edith had unshakable faith in the power of prayer. Many Bahá’ís and other friends frequently asked her for prayers on their behalf—to assist them to solve a problem, to
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IN MEMORIAM
find employment, to be cured of an illness, to train their children well, to achieve Victories in teaching... A11 felt that Edith’s prayers had a great effect. She always carried a long list of friends for whom she prayed regularly, and from personal experience she could recount wonderful stories about the power of prayer.
In 1973, at the request of the Continental Board of Counsellors, Edith moved to Nicaragua, where she was warmly welcomed and continued her services on the Auxiliary Board. She also continued to Visit throughout Central America for many years. During the civil war in Nicaragua, she was obliged to leave the country for severa1 weeks, although this was contrary to her desire, but she returned to Nicaragua as soon as it was possible, eager and happy to be back serving the friends she loved so dearly!
In 1984, while travelling in Costa Rica, Edith suffered a hip fracture as the result of a fall. She had two operations, but her health gradually deteriorated, which obliged her to discontinue her services as an Auxiliary Board member. Unable to Visit the friends as she had done for so many years, she now dedicated more time to prayer and study of the Sacred Writings, and her prayer list grew longer. At this time of need, when her independent spirit had to submit to the realities of physical weakness, several dear friends responded with loving care and hospitality.
In 1986, after staying for some time with two sisters in Binghamton, New York, Edith returned to the pioneering field in Latin America, settling in Maracaibo, Venezuela, with her son and his family. In spite of advanced age and failing health, her enthusiasm and steadfastness in the Cause of God was undiminished. However, by the time she had entered her 90th year, her soul'was longing to fly to the spiritual world, and on several occasions she expressed this desire.
On 26 May 1991, after more than half a century of devoted service to the Faith of Bahá’u’lláh, Edith passed on to the Abhá Kingdom. Upon learning of her passing, the
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Edith McLaren
National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, in its message of condolence, stated:
THE WORK WITH WHICH HER NAME HAS BEEN ASSOCIATED WILL CONFER UPON HER IMPERISHABLE GLORY AND HER DEEDS WILL REMAIN AN EVERLASTING EXAMPLE AND INSPIRATION.
PETER MCLAREN